JCC Camp Interlaken has given me many memories, from the Maccabiah games to the beauty of Lake Finley. I truly love every moment I am there. I know that I have made long lasting friendships and my best friend is from Interlaken. Camp Interlaken is my home away from home.
What makes camp extra special is that it is a Jewish camp. Shabbat is so meaningful when I am at camp — the bigger kids carry the little kids and we dance and sing by the lake as we have services. When you say prayers with friends in a big group it is very spiritual and happy. It incorporates more Jewishness, to have the cabins and chugs (activities) named in Hebrew, and everything we do is related back to Jewish ethics.
I intend to send my kids to Interlaken because they will appreciate it as much as I do. Camp is a place where I don’t have to worry about being judged because people appreciate me for who I am. It is a great experience to connect with other Jewish kids from all over the United States.
The camp has many activities to choose from and I love sailing and the colder summer in Wisconsin.
I am looking forward to being a counselor at Camp Interlaken when I am older because I want to help other kids have the same great experience I had. I will be going for my sixth summer this year and I always count the days until camp starts.
Brielle Kalish-LeBarge is an eighth grade student at St. Gregory College Preparatory School in Tucson.
