About the prompt: We asked each Peer Ambassador to share with us a pivotal moment in their Jewish journey, what being a Peer Ambassador means to them personally, and what value speaks to them. Stay tuned over the next few months to hear from all of the Peer Ambassadors.
Check out Simone's blog post below as she shares how JCC Camp Chi shaped her Jewish journey.
Attending Camp Chi, a Jewish camp in Wisconsin, was a pivotal moment in my Jewish journey. It was one of my first exposures to Jewish culture and religion. I did not grow up in a religious family, but we celebrated Shabbat and a few other holidays. We had a lot of Jewish family friends, but they were also not very religious. My mom sent me to Camp Chi because she had gone there herself, and I fell in love with it. Camp Chi was my first real Jewish experience, where I learned prayers, traditions and history. I have been going for 5 years, and plan on being a counselor next summer. I love the community I was so quickly accepted into. I made many friends and learned so much about my own culture.
Simone on PNW, a
wilderness adventure program that Camp Chi does!
Since then, I have become more involved in the Jewish community. I am part of a Jewish club at school and a member of BBYO. I am so grateful that I went to Camp Chi and that I met so many wonderful people there. It was a very meaningful part of my journey in discovering my Jewish identity, and it led me to become a Springboard Ambassador. Being an ambassador means helping others on that same journey I went through, and hopefully showing them some of the amazing parts of Jewish culture. It means connecting people with programs that they can fall in love with and become a part of. I am looking forward to connecting other teens with programs and people that can make them feel welcomed in the Jewish community.
About the Author: Simone is a current junior at Jones College Prep, where she plays on the varsity lacrosse team. She enjoys reading, shopping and spending time with her friends. She began to discover her Jewish identity when she attended Camp Chi, and has since become more involved with Jewish organizations and programs.