Camp Kaylie at OHEL founding benefactors Gloria and Harvey Kaylie were met by hundreds of singing and dancing campers at Kaylie Day this past Sunday–an experience that, in their own words, was “so rewarding and brought such great pleasure.”
After some introductory remarks by Camp Kaylie campers Shira and Mindy, who personified the unique inclusion of Camp Kaylie, Harvey addressed the hundreds of campers and staff. Harvey spoke very movingly, illuminating that last time he spoke to campers in summer 2014, he was able to stand, but now he needs wheels to get around. “Am I different?” Harvey asked the campers. “On the outside it may look so, but on the inside, I am just the same. I feel very blessed. We all face some kind of challenges in life, and often we wish to be like someone else. But the lesson is to look at what we each have, because there is so much beauty in that, and once you understand that, you are truly blessed.”
In addition to “Kaylie Day,” the day was also “Israel Day,” although with over 20 campers and counselors from Israel, the camp has a strong Israel flavor every day! Campers started off their journey “making aliyah” in the Kleinman Center, where they were divided into families and registered with Nefesh B’Nefesh. Each family received passports and a list of cities to visit and activities to complete. Their first tiyul was to Tzfat and the challenge was to crack “the rebbe code,” a logic code that revealed the names of four rabbis buried in Tzfat. Their next stop was to Bnei Brak, where they visited a ‘rebbetzin’ to learn about the mitzvah of hafrashas challah and decorate a yehi ratzon prayer.
Next stop on their journey was Kibbutz Lavi where campers learned about the kibbutz lifestyle and the responsibility kibbutzniks have for one another, through team building activities. Then off to Chevron, campers visited Avraham and Sarah in their tent for cookies and juice. In Yerushalayim, families took a family picture at the kotel and enjoyed tunnel tours through hallways.
At the Beit Guvrin archaeological dig on the volleyball courts, campers had to find puzzle pieces in the sand in order to complete the puzzle to decipher the message.
At their final stop to Tel Aviv, campers visited IDF headquarters and wrote letters to our soldiers. Once campers had completed visiting all seven cities, they received their passports!
Camp Kaylie is a groundbreaking camp of inclusion, and in just three years has become the premier destination with a four week-long boys summer June/July program and girls July/August program.
