Shabbat Messages

Shabbat Shalom from Camp!

One of my favorite traditions at camp is seeing the collection of staff shirts accumulated over the years by one of our longtime camp leaders. After more than two decades on staff, he has shirts from almost every summer, most proudly displaying the word “STAFF” across the back. Except for the last few years. More recently, his shirts have carried a different title: “ROLE MODEL.” As the leader of our Counselor-in-Training program, he helps shape the next generation of camp leaders, and every time I see that shirt, I am reminded of a simple truth: leadership is less about position and more about example.

As our campers and counselors settle into the rhythm of summer, that lesson is on display everywhere. Children are always watching. They notice who includes someone sitting alone at a meal, who offers encouragement when a friend is struggling, and how adults respond when things do not go according to plan. They will always remember how their counselors made them feel.

This week’s Torah portion, Chukat, reminds us of that same truth. After years of leading the Israelites through the wilderness, Moses finds himself facing yet another crisis. The people are thirsty, frustrated, and complaining yet again. God instructs Moses to speak to a rock so that water will emerge. Instead, exhausted and angry, Moses strikes the rock. The water comes forth and the people’s immediate need is met. Yet the Torah makes clear that something important has happened.

Moses, our greatest leader, is held accountable not only for what he accomplished, but for how he accomplished it. For generations, commentators have debated exactly what Moses did wrong. What speaks to me is the reminder that leadership is never measured solely by results. It is also measured by the example we set for those around us.

That is one of the most important lessons we try to teach at our Wilshire Boulevard Temple camps. Of course, we want our campers to build confidence, develop skills, and create lifelong friendships. But perhaps even more importantly, we want them to experience what it means to be part of a community where people care for one another, take responsibility for one another, and understand that their actions matter. In many ways, camp is a living laboratory for Jewish life. Every cabin, every meal, every evening program, and every Shabbat becomes an opportunity to practice the values we hope will guide our lives long after summer ends.

The truth is that all of us wear an invisible shirt that says “ROLE MODEL.” Whether we are parents, grandparents, teachers, students, clergy, volunteers, or friends, people are learning from us every day. They learn from our patience, our generosity, our compassion, and our commitment to community. At Wilshire Boulevard Temple, we strive to build a kehillah kedoshah, a sacred community, where each of us helps shape the character of the whole. The lessons our campers are learning this summer are the very same lessons that strengthen our congregation throughout the year.

May we continue to lead by example, care for one another, and model the values we hope to see in the world.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi David Eshel