The return of faith-based summer camp
When it comes to packing for summer camp, 13-yearold Beryt Scott is a pro. She sets up a table in an extra room at her house, grabs the list provided by Greene Family
Camp in Bruceville and assembles all the T-shirts, shorts and sunscreen that the seasoned camper’s three-and-a-half-week stay will require.
“I’ve been going since I was born,” said Beryt, who even as an infant accompanied her mother, Adrienne Scott, rabbi at Bellaire’s Congregation Beth Israel, where she served as camp faculty.
Beryt started attending
Greene on her own at age 8 and has returned almost every summer. Until COVID-19 shut inperson camp down.
When Beryt heard the news last summer, she had mixed feelings.
“My parents told me we weren’t going,” she recalled. “I was kind of upset, but I was also kind of relieved.”
“We were all so scared last summer,” Rabbi Scott said. “We were all nervous. We were just really concerned about everyone staying safe and healthy.”
Beryt stayed connected with fellow campers through text and video chats; they even gathered for Zoom shabbats. But she missed the campfires and camp songs.
“My favorite thing is seeing everyone I haven’t seen for a whole year and connecting with them,” she said.
Now, it’s been about two years since the campers have seen one another. And at age 13, that’s a long time. Beryt celebrated her bat mitzvah during the pandemic, as did several of her friends.
“I don’t think we’ll even recognize some of the girls,” Adrienne said with a laugh.
Regardless, Beryt can’t wait to see her friends. “A lot of them live in different parts of Texas,” she said. “And we stay in the same cabin every year.”
She is packing again now for her session that starts June 12.
This year, there are a few additional items prepped to go into her bag: masks, hand sanitizer and a reusable water bottle.
“I’m excited, but I know things will be different,” she said.
Different this year
Greene is part of the Union for Reform Judaism camps and youth programs — and follows the organization’s COVID-19 protocol. That means that camp will require masks and rapid tests within 72 hours of arriving. Outside vendors will be limited, and there will no longer be field trips off site.
Campers will stay in pods with their bunks, and visitor days are also no longer allowed.
“I’m happy with the changes in place,” said Rabbi Scott, who receives regular email updates. “It’s a well-oiled machine.”
Summer camp at the Tajweed Institute, 16205 Westheimer, will also adapt its structure to follow COVID-19 procedures this year.
Organizer Afreen Rangoonwala said the camp started in 2018. In the past, about 80 students attended sessions full of activities and field trips.
“Every day there was something fun for them,” she said.
Last summer, Tajweed went digital. “But you cannot do crafts online; you cannot splash each other online,” Rangoonwala said.
Still, the camp found a way to adapt with virtual classes, designed to appeal to all students.
“We couldn’t do summer camp, but we still didn’t want it to be nothing,” Rangoonwala said. “We wanted to do the best we could.”
This year, camp is resuming in person through July 14.
“But it’s not like our usual program,” Rangoonwala said. “You have to stay 6 feet apart and wear masks. There will be temperature checks and limited capacity. We hired extra teachers and opened more classrooms.”
The sessions will also be shorter. “We reduced the time and removed the physical activities,” Rangoonwala said. “You’re sitting down and learning.”
She explained that Tajweed is taking all measures to keep campers safe.
“Hopefully, next year we can open just like we used to, but this year, it’s a more concise summer program,” she said. “It’s not normal, but we’re making the most of it.”
A whole new normal
At Hindu Heritage Youth Camp, the pandemic has prompted even more changes. After months of debate, which camp director Shamal Shah called “a waiting game,” the camp went virtual last year.
“The whole draw of camp is being there in person,” said Shah, a former counselor.
Around May, Hindu Heritage Youth Camp made the call to move online. For five weeks, the camp hosted daily one-hour sessions. In addition, each camper received a kit in the mail, complete with a T-shirt and craft supplies.
“It went pretty well,” Shah said. “We had a lot of return campers. Overall, it was a success.
We were able to do something.”
This year, vaccines and lowering COVID cases meant camp could resume.
“Then we hit our first hurdle,” Shah said.
Because the Hindu Heritage Youth Camp did not rent its normal space the prior year, the host facility could not stay above water.
“We scrambled to find a new campsite,” Shah said. “Again, we were worried, ‘Are we going to do camp or not?’ ”
Hindus of Greater Houston, which partners with the camp, purchased 50 acres to build its own site. Still, there was not enough time for construction. Thankfully, the camp found Camp Victory in Alvin, which will host the campers for the summer.
“It fits all our needs,” Shah said.
This year’s camp will start in early August.
“We’ll keep most of our activities outside and maintain distancing,” Shah said. There will be doctors on staff, twice-daily temperature checks as well as requirements that campers quarantine and receive negative test results before attending.
“I’m so happy to be able to have a camp this year,” he said.
“I didn’t realize how much I missed it.”
Foundation in faith
There’s one main part of Greene Family Camp that Beryt looks forward to each year.
“Everyone is Jewish, and we connect about it,” she said. “You’re not with your parents, so the camp becomes your family.”
She enjoys the shabbat strolls every Friday night, when campers gather for dinner, a special outdoor service, after the sound of a shofar.
“Camp is a place of reunion,” her mother, Rabbi Scott, said. “These campers have been together since their first summer. They make lifelong friends at camp. They meet spouses at camp, future bosses at camp. They meet mentors at camp.”
And camp helps build a strong foundation in faith.
“You’re living and breathing Judaism and Jewish values each and every day,” Rabbi Scott said. “I couldn’t think of a better gift we could give to our children. How do we teach you to love Judaism as much as we do? This is the way.”
The same is true for Hindu Heritage Youth Camp and Tajweed Institute’s summer camp, where a sense of community built on faith is instilled at an early age.
At Hindu Heritage Youth Camp, students learn Indian dance, celebrate Holi and learn about the faith’s epics.
“You learn about Hinduism as a lifestyle,” he said.
It’s something the youth carry later into college, Shah explained. Many return to become counselors and directors.
At Tajweed, campers learn about reading the Quran in different phases, from beginning Arabic studies to memorizing passages to analyzing the meaning, depending on their age group.
“For Muslims, it’s important to learn to read the Quran,” Rangoonwala said. “It’s read a certain way. There’s a melody to it.”
Spreading her love of Islam to the campers is one of the most rewarding parts of hosting camp each year, Rangoonwala explained.
“It’s the smiles you see on their faces every day; it’s their excitement,” she said.
Tradition continues (with a few modifications)
At Memorial Drive United Methodist Church, children look forward to Workcamp each year. There are two separate sessions. Middle school students sign up for local outreach opportunities while high schoolers travel across the state for mission.
About 150 or more students spend a week working — from helping elderly homeowners with repairs to building wheelchair ramps. They also host a local food drive at their church.
“It’s a cornerstone of our student ministry, and it has been for more than three decades,” director of youth ministry Mark Bogart said.
During the pandemic, there was no way to move the servicebased camp online — or to accommodate out-of-town travel.
“For the first time ever, we had to cancel,” Bogart said.
This summer, Workcamp is back in business. The high school session starts June 15, the middle school June 21.
“It was clear from the beginning that this year would be different than normal,” Bogart said. “But we’re trying to do the best we can to re-create a typical experience.”
Both sessions will remain in Houston. Instead of staying overnight, campers will arrive at 8:30 a.m. and head home about 9 p.m.
Days will be dedicated to serving local organizations such as the Houston Food Bank and Rebuilding Together Houston. Then, the evenings will be spent in worship and small groups, where students can discuss faith with each other.
“We are the hands and feet of Jesus out in our local community,” he said. “There’s a spiritual transformation that happens in the students — and they spread that love throughout the city.”
“It’s an unforgettable experience,” Bogart said. “You make friends, forge relationships — and develop and deepen your relationship with God.”