After four sessions together our camp experience has come to a close. In the mere hours we had to spend with the kids we were able to forge relationships with them despite the obvious language and cultural barriers. For me, there are two things which stand out that allowed for this experience to take effect in such a successful fashion.
The first is the kids' general behaviour. Many of us were unsure of what to expect in our first encounter. Would they be depressed? Visibly malnourished? Perhaps issues from home in the slums would manifest during our time together? Some of us simply did not know what to expect. All of these concerns were set aside when we experienced their excitement to participate in the activities and learn with us. Their positivity allowed us to overlook any concerns and focus on the kids and the prams we organized.
The second factor that fuelled the success of our camp was trust. Perhaps at the foundation of their positivity and eagerness to participate, the campers were able to trust us to walk with them, talk with them, and take care of them for four days (even more impressively, with no cultural or language relationship between us).
Every night upon returning to the hotel, we close the day as a group by sharing a thought. When asked to share what I wished there was more of in the world, I chose 'innocence'. The campers had every right to be reserved at the foreign presence before them, however they chose to dive in, trust us, and enjoy.
The life of a child is simple and their perspective of the world is limited. As we grow older, forgoing the childish innocence within ourselves is justifiable, living in a world that reveals itself to be increasingly complex. However, I wonder how the world would look if we could all carry a bit more innocence within us. In the Talmud's tractate of Ta'anit on page 7a, Rabbi Chanina shares an insightful thought:
והיינו דאמר ר' חנינא הרבה למדתי מרבותי ומחבירי יותר מרבותי ומתלמידי יותר מכולן
"And it was that Rabbi Chanina said, I have learned much from my Rabbi's, and I have learned more from my friends than my Rabbi's, but from my students I have learned the most."
The kids from our camp showed me the results of unconditional trust. While more experience can present us with greater wisdom, it can often blind us from simplicities of life that can have adverse affects on our respective cultures (familial, religious or national). Blind trust and complete naïveté is unwise, however maintaining an awareness of our approach to "the other" can help us to forge deeper relationships with our communities.
The first is the kids' general behaviour. Many of us were unsure of what to expect in our first encounter. Would they be depressed? Visibly malnourished? Perhaps issues from home in the slums would manifest during our time together? Some of us simply did not know what to expect. All of these concerns were set aside when we experienced their excitement to participate in the activities and learn with us. Their positivity allowed us to overlook any concerns and focus on the kids and the prams we organized.
The second factor that fuelled the success of our camp was trust. Perhaps at the foundation of their positivity and eagerness to participate, the campers were able to trust us to walk with them, talk with them, and take care of them for four days (even more impressively, with no cultural or language relationship between us).
Every night upon returning to the hotel, we close the day as a group by sharing a thought. When asked to share what I wished there was more of in the world, I chose 'innocence'. The campers had every right to be reserved at the foreign presence before them, however they chose to dive in, trust us, and enjoy.
The life of a child is simple and their perspective of the world is limited. As we grow older, forgoing the childish innocence within ourselves is justifiable, living in a world that reveals itself to be increasingly complex. However, I wonder how the world would look if we could all carry a bit more innocence within us. In the Talmud's tractate of Ta'anit on page 7a, Rabbi Chanina shares an insightful thought:
והיינו דאמר ר' חנינא הרבה למדתי מרבותי ומחבירי יותר מרבותי ומתלמידי יותר מכולן
"And it was that Rabbi Chanina said, I have learned much from my Rabbi's, and I have learned more from my friends than my Rabbi's, but from my students I have learned the most."
The kids from our camp showed me the results of unconditional trust. While more experience can present us with greater wisdom, it can often blind us from simplicities of life that can have adverse affects on our respective cultures (familial, religious or national). Blind trust and complete naïveté is unwise, however maintaining an awareness of our approach to "the other" can help us to forge deeper relationships with our communities.
-Koby
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