Sitting among a circle of LGBTQ+ campers, the visiting facilitator posed a powerful question: “Where do you feel most authentically yourselves?” I wondered if I already knew the answer, but listened intently as nearly every camper declared they felt most themselves, right here at Sci-Tech. Over the past 11 years, counselors and leadership have built a magical community you can only truly understand by experiencing it firsthand.
Yes, we know Sci-Tech is unique. It’s the only camp in the world that begins the day with singing “Modeh Ani” moments before a science experiment that usually involves a spectacular (but safe!) explosion. It’s where science, technology, and a deep connection to Judaism seamlessly intertwine, creating a transformative experience for every camper. But what many often miss is the special magic of the Sci-Tech community: camp’s commitment to inclusion and diversity. I think that this is a leading reason why campers return year-after-year, and why many become senior staff. (As a side note, seeing my former campers leading the next generation is SO COOL!)
My own Sci-Tech story began in 2014, when I joined as a Ramon Counselor for 5th and 6th grade boys. That summer, we all pitched in to design camp from the ground up. Belonging, inclusion, and accessibility have always been core tenets of camp culture. Making sure that everyone not only belongs but feels welcome is a cornerstone of everything Sci-Tech stands for. That’s why returning as a Unit Head in 2016 and now, in 2024, as a rabbi on faculty were easy decisions.
Many ask, what does the faculty actually do all day? Honestly, I wasn’t entirely sure until this session! Here are some highlights of my favorite moments:
- Mentoring budding Jewish professionals and clergy hoping to one day go to school at the Hebrew Union College with song sessions, services, and with their Jewish leadership.
- Teaching a “Magic Tricks through Jewish Values” Shalective (Shabbat-Elective) to Lower Camp, a program I first developed at Sci-Tech 11 summers ago.
- Helping campers and staff bridge the connections between Judaism and Science through our Sci-Tech Values and the magic of Jewish tradition.
- Collaborating with the Game Design Workshop to introduce a “twist” based on the Torah portion. It turned out that the rock Moses smashes in Parshat Chukat inspired campers to have something in their games *break* and create a major consequence for their players!
- Partnering with the Digital Art Workshop to share *why* it is so incredibly Jewish to cite our sources, inspired by the Talmud’s way of citing scholars and how that influences up through to today.
- Witnessing our Machon “Jewish Life“ Counselors-in-Training wear LGBTQ+ Pride Flags as capes for “Pride-Day Friday.”
- Answering questions about Reform Judaism for our Israeli staff, and about Progressive Judaism for our non-Jewish staff members.
- Seeing my synagogue’s campers each have fun with their camp friends. I am the rabbi educator of Temple Shalom right outside of Washington D.C., and I do not have words to describe how amazing it is to be with our Temple Shalom campers here.
- Sharing words of Torah during the Boker Big Bang, something I’ve not-so-secretly been wanting to do for 11-years now.
As a magician, I knew my Boker Big Bang talk last week needed to be special. I spoke about Balaam the Sorcerer, who has a premonition about the Jewish people that saves us from an evil king’s curse. Balaam famously recites the words many Jews say every morning, “Mah Tova Ohalecha Yaakov Mishkenotecha Yisrael” (Numbers 24), admiring the Israelite encampment and saying, “How good are your tents… [and] your dwellings.” I shared with our Sci-Tech campers that I believe Balaam saw just how special our Jewish family is—and if they are anything like Sci-Tech, I think he was admiring our sense of family. Sci-Tech embodies this Jewish Vakue as a tight-knit family that supports and includes everyone in all that we do.
I also shared that our campers are a part of a chain of tradition linking us to figures like Miriam and Moses, Ruth and Devorah, Rashi and Jayme, Rabbi Dan and Lydia all the way through to their amazing counselors, families, and clergy at home. I shared that I believe that all of our voices are important in understanding Torah, and that Sci-Tech embodies that spirit of inclusivity.
Sitting in that circle, I was happily not surprised to learn that the place that most of our Sci-Tech campers feel most authentically themselves, is right here at URJ 6-Points Sci Tech Academy.
Rabbi Josh Gischner, Faculty