Temple Judea

Nisayon Winter Camp

In the final weeks of 2011, Nisayon students continued this year's theme of Lifecycles for our winter camp sessions with a focus on Jewish Weddings.  Just like campers do at Jewish summer camps across the country, our students enjoyed tefillah each morning, sang birkat hamazon after meals, played gaga, engaged in song sessions, chose from creative chuggim (electives), made friendship bracelets and more.  Fortunately, we have full, seven-hour days together which allows us the time to build our Nisayon culture and community in the way it is done at camp.  

During these one-week sessions, students engaged in camp-style learning about Jewish Weddings from an experiential standpoint, allowing them to interact with the material in an authentic and fun manner.  Each class chose a "fairy tale" couple that they wanted to see married in a Jewish wedding, including Smurfette & Clumsy Smurf, Spongebob & Patrick, a couple of puppy dogs, and even a narwhal and a unicorn!  In order to plan these very creative and unique weddings, students needed to find out what ritual items were included, what blessings were necessary, and many other details.  Our learning came from a place of excitement as we worked together to design special chuppot, ketubot and more that would suit the values and personalities of our "fairy tale" couples!  We also created beautiful personal ketubot that detailing the kind of relationship we would want for ourselves in the future.  These personal ketubot are wonderful keepsakes to be pulled out and admired at the time of our students' future weddings.

None of us will soon forget the many creative weddings that were planned and celebrated during those two weeks of Nisayon!  We learned that Jewish wedding traditions are both beautiful and flexible, and were able to see firsthand how couples can express themselves through the laws and traditions in Judaism.