By Jordanna Flores, 2026 Mechina Faculty
If given the chance, would you want to see the world through the eyes of a child? What about a child experiencing overnight camp for the first time? I imagine that it would be both wholesome and chaotic, hilarious and surprisingly thoughtful.
I’ve had the honor of working closing with Mechina (a 3- or 5-day taste of camp session) campers over the past four summers – both as the Director and this year as the Mechina Faculty member – and I can tell you that watching a child navigate a day at camp and witnessing the growth they experience is breathtakingly simple and and wholly enlightening. Here is what I imagine a Mechina camper’s inner monologue might sound like throughout a typical day at camp – as you read, imagine being a 7 year old version of yourself:
7:30 AM – Boker Tov! Good Morning! Time to wake up and get dressed. My counselor said it was 75 degrees now but will get up to 90 later today. That means I should choose shorts and a t-shirt, and wear a sweatshirt. I’ll be sure to put it in my backpack when I take it oof so I don’t lose it! I brush the back of my friend’s hair and she does mine. Then I go outside to join the sunscreen party! My counselor says, “Everyone show me your water bottle!” And we all hold them in the air.
8:00 AM – Breakfast Yesterday I had Froot Loops which was so fun because we don’t have sugar cereal at my house. But I noticed that I was SO HUNGRY and there was still a long time before lunch. Today I am going to have some eggs with my Froot Loops to see if that keeps my tummy full longer. Everyone has to clear their own dishes or else our table will be gross when we come back for lunch!
9:00AM – Chaverut (cabin activities) Today we are going to climb the Tower. I’ve never done it and it looks really high, but my counselor said I don’t have to go all the way to the top if I don’t want to. A counselor I’ve never met before is at the bottom, and he is holding the end of the rope connected to me. My counselor says he is going to keep me safe and she hasn’t let me down yet, so I give it a try!
1:00 PM – Menucha (Rest Time) I’m resting on my bed and start to think about my cat and my mom and get really sad. I miss home a lot so I tell my counselor I’m feeling sad. She asks me questions about my cat and listens to me talk about him. She asks me if I want to write a letter to my cat but I said no. Does she really think my cat can read??
2:00 PM – Brecha (pool) Time to go to the pool! Hooray! My friend asks my counselor if she should bring a towel to the pool. “Are you going swimming today?” My friend says yes. “What is going to happen when you get out of the pool?” My counselor asks. “I guess I should bring a towel!”
3:30 PM – Personal Nikayon (shower time) Back from the pool and time to take a shower. There are 4 showers and all 12 of us need a turn so I have to wait. In the meantime, I gather all the things I am going to need: soap, shampoo, conditioner. I am STILL WAITING so I get out clean clothes to put on after the shower. Now, where did I put all my socks??
5:00 PM – Sivuv (rotations) We get to choose between a surprise art activity or a surprise sports game. Hmmm…all my friends are going to art, but I really want to play. If I go to sports, I won’t have any friends with me. If I go to art, I might be bored. If I don’t go to art, I might miss out on something all my friends are doing together. This is a really tough choice!
7:30 PM – Siyum (closing circle) We are singing the goodnight song at closing circle. It’s been a long day and I’m exhausted! Lilah Tov, Camp Newman!
Ok … now zoom out. You’re now a parent again … or a grandparent or a trusted adult of a young person who just returned from camp or is thinking about camp or spent summers at camp many years ago. Here is what I noticed in my very privileged vantage point being able to witness this magic in person:
As I watch these young people experience camp – both as a Jewish educator and a parent – I understand that a Mechina camper is working on the most foundational building blocks. In 3 or 5 days, the most important skill is going away and being away. Packing is a skill: thinking about what you will need at camp, unpacking and deciding where you will keep each item and then keeping track of your belongings is a foundational camp skill. Saying goodbye to your trusted grownups and transitioning to unknown grownups who are not yet trusted is a huge leap we ask Mechina campers to make. As they build trust with their counselors, seeing that they can ask for help, campers are developing another “building block” skill.
The smallest things that often go unnoticed are new skills developed in Mechina. Rehearsing independence around what to wear, what to eat (and how food choices make your body feel) and which electives to choose, remembering your own sunscreen, brushing the BACK of your hair and putting on clean socks each day are skills we see campers develop while they are with us. Determining which bathroom stall is available, deciding if a sweatshirt is needed on a cold morning or understanding that pool on the schedule means bringing your towel are skills we certainly don’t list on a curriculum but are developed in Mechina.
“At our kiddo’s first overnight camp experience, she felt safe, supported, and engaged. She had so much fun, and along the way, she developed her independence and pride in her Jewish identity.”
Our Mechina “alumni” arrive for the first day of Bonim, ready to build upon these nuts & bolts and focus on larger concepts like Jewish values, communal living and managing friendships. Perhaps most importantly, our Mechina campers return home knowing that they “did it” and THAT is something they can carry with them the rest of their young lives.