The Reconstructionist community has adopted a new-ish name: Reconstructing Judaism (Are you laughing? I am). According to Rabbi Deborah Waxman, who’s also the movement’s president: “We are committed to ‘doing’ Jewish. With our new name, we are defining ourselves by what we do, and not just what we believe or how we feel.”

Because they focus more on universal values and consider Halacha to be non-binding, that’s to be expected. With approximately 50,000 members, this small movement never held much appeal for the greater Jewish community, even though it was originally an offshoot of Conservative Judaism. 

It’s sometimes confused with Humanist Judaism, another fringe group, but they’re not the same. It is interesting to note, however, that Reconstructionist and Humanist are the only forms of Judaism that were created in America.

Its most prominent family, the Golubs, were instrumental in the creation of Reconstructionist Judaism. Many of you will recognize Rabbi Mark Golub of Shalom TV fame. I used to watch regularly when it was an On Demand option through Comcast. Currently, they’re not in production, but I hope it comes back. While I don’t agree with many of Rabbi Golub’s ideas, he is a powerhouse of innovation and has truly dedicated his life to Judaism. Wonderful person who does great work.

Reform Judaism is plenty liberal enough for me, and I don’t see the appeal of these other groups. That said, there’s nothing wrong with someone choosing to embrace it. Different strokes for different folks, as they say, but surely they could’ve picked a better and more meaningful name. Otherwise, why make the effort at all?

If you have any firsthand experience with the Reconstructionist movement, I’d love to hear your opinion. Personally, I have never met anyone who was interested.

Many studies have shown that attending a Jewish summer camp is a positive and formative experience for kids. Beyond being a fun time, it contributes to a positive Jewish identity that can last well into adulthood and helps to preserve our communal heritage and values.

While there are many different camps available, Camp Kimama is truly one of a kind: an international Jewish overnight camp, serving ages 7-17, with locations around the world. Camp owner, Avishay Nachon, was kind enough to contribute the following guest post that offers an in-depth view. He is also generously offering a $100 discount for TJL readers that want to register.

Every parent wants their child to create special summer friendships and memories that will last a lifetime. I know because this past summer was the 14th year that we’ve run our camps! Each time that camp begins, I find myself as excited as if it was our first summer, and every time that camp ends, I reflect on the amazing experiences shared by campers and staff alike!

After spending 20 summers at Jewish Summer camps in America, I knew I wanted to bring the best of my worlds together and marry the American overnight experience with true Israeli culture. The “secret” of Kimama’s success, which is actually quite apparent, is our fantastic Israeli and international staff that give 100 percent, many of whom return year after year. 

At Kimama we work around the clock to create the ideal experience. In addition to our Israeli camps, we expanded over the past year, with new camps in Venice and Barcelona, alongside our ski camps in Italy and Austria. Very soon we will be opening a surfing and diving camp in the Canary Islands.

We’ve had new campers from Austria, Canada, Germany, Peru, Russia, Scotland, France, Thailand, South Africa, Nigeria, Singapore, Bulgaria, Denmark, England, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, USA, Sweden, Brazil, Venezuela and Poland.

We invest great resources and energy in strengthening our connection with our foreign clientele, with awareness that the international interaction adds an important dimension to the campers’ experience. In recent years our efforts have proved successful, as our enrollment of campers from overseas has increased dramatically. 

As part of our full-service concept, and to accommodate campers in the US, we also have a camp in Upstate NY.

In recent years, the field of summer camps, both in Israel and internationally, has undergone a major change. Parents are starting to view summer camp as an investment in education and in the future of their children. They no longer see it as merely a way of giving the kids a ‘good time’ or keeping them busy during the summer vacation. Parents expect to receive added value; therefore, summer camps must constantly improve – be innovate, creative and exciting. They must invest in new facilities and programs, add creative activities, emphasize values, and give participants social tools.

In order to accomplish all of this, a summer camp system requires strong financial backing, professional management, and qualified staff, focused on the fields of customer service, registration, operation, training, maintenance and development of educational-experiential programming. We are committed to providing a wonderful experience for Jewish youth around the world and look forward to serving your family.

About the Author:

Avishay Nachon is an Entrepreneur and Educator. He has been heavily involved for over two decades as a leader in social programs, managerial roles, training and consulting.

He holds an MA in Labor Studies and a BA in Education Policy and Management, as well as a degree in Conducting and Composition, from the University of Tel Aviv, Israel.  

Currently, Avishay serves as CEO and owner of Camp Kimama and splits his time between New York and Tel Aviv.

Although it’s a fairly minor holiday on the Jewish calendar, Tu B’Shevat is a lovely celebration of nature and definitely deserves more attention. Similar to Earth Day, it’s great for raising environmental awareness, and there is also a long tradition of planting trees in observance.

Because I live in a cold and snowy part of New England, planting a tree during the winter isn’t an option. Folks who lives in Florida or California can get to work right in their own backyard; for the rest of us, planting a tree in Israel is the best option. 

A lot of companies do it, but the Jewish National Fund has arguably got the market cornered. Each tree costs only $18.00 and the buyer receives a personalized certificate similar to this sample.

Anything that helps to beautify and enrich the Holy Land is very important because it reinforces our commitment and connection—to the country, to the people, and to our culture. Jews outside of Israel sometimes forget that our Israeli brothers and sisters live in a state of perpetual war. Evil forces target them in physical, psychological, and financial ways that are breathtakingly cruel and wrong.

Let’s show our support and fill up Israel with trees!

Because life inside the notoriously private Hasidic world is rarely filmed, One of Us, a Netflix original documentary, makes for interesting viewing. Focusing on three members of the community, all of whom are at a personal crossroad, it paints a terrible portrait of abuse, depression, forced marriages, dysfunctional families, and corrupt leaders.

While these problems definitely exist within Orthodox circles, the documentary is so one-sided it comes off as a hit piece, making it seem like every single member of that community is a victim held against their will, which is not true.

I personally know people who became Orthodox later in life by choice and others who were raised in it. Most Jews do not desire that intense level of religion—me included—but that doesn’t mean being Orthodox is a bad thing.

For individuals that want a highly structured, faith-based, family atmosphere, the Orthodox lifestyle may work perfectly. Those of us who prefer a more liberal attitude won’t, but everyone should be free to pick and choose, according to their own will.

I don’t doubt the sincerity of the folks in the documentary; they are justifiably bitter about their own mistreatment and deserve to be heard. But what I wonder is why the directors didn’t present the other side as well? It would’ve painted a much more balanced picture. Surely, they could find at least one Orthodox Jewish family that would have something good to say.

Years ago, there was a movie made about the same subject that starred Melanie Griffith. Due to the Hollywood touch, A Stranger Among Us was farfetched in some ways, but it did offer a glimpse into Orthodoxy, from a Gentile’s perspective, that was very respectful without fawning. I’d much rather see something like that rather than an intensely negative portrait of Orthodox Judaism.

Documentaries are exciting because they offer a slice of life that may otherwise remain unknown. It’s too bad One of Us deliberately chose to present a biased account.

If you’ve seen the documentary, what did you think of it?