Director's Corner, Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Girl, put your records on
Tell me your favorite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans
I hope you get your dreams
Just go ahead, let your hair down
You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow

As camp begins to wind down, something changes. Campers start realizing that many of the moments they've taken for granted all summer are happening for one of the last times.

One of the last hobbies. One of the last rest hours. One of the last meals shared together. One of the last cabin closings before bed. None of these moments seem especially significant on their own, but together they remind us just how much this place has become home over the past few weeks.

The magic of camp isn't found in one big event. It's found in these everyday moments that slowly become traditions, routines, and memories. As tomorrow's final day approaches, I hope our campers take a moment to notice the little things around them. Those are often the moments they'll miss the most once summer is over.

The other day, one of our incredible counselors-in-training shared with me a note his mom had sent him. It was a journal entry he wrote after returning home from camp as a first-year Makor camper in 2017. It reads:

This was my first year going to camp. I am 8 years old and I was super scared to go to sleep away camp. Camp was so much fun! On the Friday before camp started we got to visit camp. I saw the Ropes Course and said NO WAY! Then I decided to try it because my cabin friends were doing it. I loved it so much. I got to do the catwalk and the climbing wall. I loved doing the zip line and the flying squirrel too. 

My cabin also got to visit the farm at camp and see the goats. We also got to do rock painting. The Banquet was so much fun! They served “mocktails” and “trail mix.” The music was great! I loved my field trip to the Elegant Farmer. I also got to light the torch at Maccabiah! Makor Mania was also so much fun. Camp was GREAT! It was sad leaving camp. I had great counselors and I met so many new friends. I can’t wait to go back next year!

Reading those words nearly a decade later is a powerful reminder of what makes this place so special. The activities, the special events, and the traditions are certainly unforgettable, but what stays with people long after summer ends is how camp makes them feel. A nervous eight-year-old arrived wondering if he belonged. He left with confidence, friendships, and memories that made him count down the days until he could return.

Now, years later, that same camper is helping create those experiences for the next generation. There is something incredibly meaningful about a place where today's campers become tomorrow's role models, carrying forward the kindness, courage, and sense of belonging that they first found here. That is the lasting magic of camp. It doesn't end when the buses pull away. It lives on in the people who leave here changed and return ready to help others discover the same joy.

Today's schedule reflected exactly what makes these final days of camp so meaningful. Campers enjoyed a full day of hobbies, starting the morning with pancakes for breakfast before heading off to spend time doing the activities they've grown to love all summer long. Lunch brought a camp favorite, General Tso's chicken, and plenty of conversations about everything still to come before the session ends.

As I walked around camp today, I couldn't help but notice just how comfortable everyone seems here now. There is a confidence that settles in over the course of a summer, and it was on full display today. Campers eagerly ran up to counselors to share exciting moments from their day, friends laughed together as they made their way from one hobby to the next, and smiles seemed to follow every path around camp. It was a wonderful reminder that camp has truly become a home away from home for so many of our campers. The routines that once felt unfamiliar now feel completely natural, and the relationships built over these past weeks are evident in every interaction.

This evening, we celebrated a classic camp tradition: Banquet! Everyone gathered in and outside of Crown Hall dressed in their banquet best, taking photos with friends, and soaking in another one of those traditions that campers look forward to all summer. We then headed inside for an incredible dinner together of salmon, pasta with an impressive variety of sauce options, broccoli, breadsticks, mozzarella sticks, and a glorious selection of salads and veggie sides.

The evening concluded with each division rotating through their divisional closings and dance parties, creating the perfect ending to one of our final nights of Summer 2026. During their divisional programs, campers took time to write heartfelt notes of kindness to one another, reflecting on the friendships and memories they have built throughout the session. At the Ramot closing, our senior Ramot campers were celebrated with graduation diplomas, marking the meaningful transition from their ongoing camper journey to the Teen Leadership Program that awaits them in the years ahead.

When they weren't in their divisional closings, campers filled Crown Hall with music, dancing, and nonstop energy, thanks to Zounds! Entertainment, a DJ company based in the Chicagoland area that brought incredible ruach to Crown Hall tonight. Thank you, Zounds! The dance parties reminded me of the joy that defines camp: a room full of smiling faces, favorite songs, and friends making the most of every last moment together.

Banquet this evening was a joyful celebration filled with laughter, music, reflection, and gratitude—a perfect, fun way to spend one of our last nights of the summer and to celebrate the friendships, growth, and unforgettable moments that have made this session so special.

Peace, Love, 3BC,
Michael

Yesterday's song was "Fireflies" by Owl City. Congratulations to our correct answer:

• Paul Sexton

Can you name the artist behind "Put Your Records On?" Send your guess to trivia@bebercamp.com, and I'll reveal the answer in tomorrow's blog.