Fundraising UPDATE:

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to my Mitzvah project! As I make my donation (thanks to the generosity of my guests), I wanted to reach out one more time...

Three weeks ago I entered the Mikveh with my mother and the next day, I celebrated my Bat MItzvah with my friends and family at Camp Young Judaea in what was the best night ever.

As I get ready to celebrate the High Holidays, I wanted to ask one more time for donations to the camper scholarship fund. My mom just registered me for my Upper Gimel summer in 2020 and I was really hoping to raise the amount of one session at CYJ... Your donation would mean the world to me!

Below is my D'Var Torah:

My Torah portion, Ki Teitzei, is about Moses reviewing some of the Jewish laws regarding family, animals, and property. Most of these rules would seem a little crazy or absurd to us now but some of them are very similar to laws we have today. There is one law that really stood out to me because of how often much this happens in today’s world. That law says:

“There shall be no lewdness among the men and women of Israel.”

For those who don’t know what lewdness is, it is when people make rude sexual comments to another person or it can also be defined as being sexual in an offensive way. This is one of the most meaningful aspects of the Torah portion that I learned and I believe that people in our world today need to be reminded of this often.

Whether I am walking down the street in Hollis, attending a show in Boston, or hanging out on Foster Field at YJ with my friends; it is important to me as a young woman, especially a young Jewish woman, to treat other men and women with respect. One thing I have learned is that I need to not only act in a certain way myself, but that I must also try, even when it’s hard, to stand up for other people who may be the targets of lewdness, cruelty, or injustice. Being at Camp Young Judaea every summer has helped me to learn how to act appropriately in all types of situations and to grow into a mature young woman. While it may be hard to follow all of the 613 mitzvot proscribed in the Torah now that I am having my Bat Mitzvah, the laws that relate to respect and kindness are ones that I will try my hardest to fulfill.

That is why for my Mitzvah project I wanted to do something that would help other kids go to camp, so that they can have the chance to not only experience the fun and empowerment that comes from this experience but also so that they can be in an environment that encourages them to grow in their Jewish identity. Camp is such a special place to me, and I wanted to do something that could help kids have this experience too. As I became aware that summer camp can be unaffordable for some families, it became important to me to help raise money for the CYJ Camper Scholarship Fund. Money should never come in the way of having a fun summer camp experience and I hope these efforts make a difference in someone’s life like camp has for me.

For the past 7 summers (officially, 9, if you don't count the lower-lower-lower years), I have had the opportunity to spend my summers at Camp Young Judaea. Every year I count the days until I can go back home to YJ.

Camp Young Judaea is a place where I have made many connections, it makes me feel safe and comforted.

Everyone at camp has become family to me and I know that I can trust every one of them.

When I am at camp, I never have to worry about what is happening in the outside world. I think that every kid should be able to experience this. This is only one of the reasons why CYJ is so special to me.

I have recently learned that some kids cannot come to camp because of the cost. I have always taken for granted that I will be able to be at camp, and it makes me sad to think that money could come in the way of having a fun summer camp experience. For someone like me that lives in an area without a large Jewish community, CYJ is where my Judaism took root, grows, and becomes stronger. When I'm at camp, I feel I truly belong and can really be myself. I believe that every kid should be able to have an amazing camp experience without having a financial burden.

As my mitzvah project, I have decided to help to raise money for the Camp Young Judaea Scholarship fund. My hope is that by raising money, all kinds of families will be able to have the opportunity to send their children to Camp Young Judaea.

Please consider contributing any amount you can and I'll try to post updates when I can.

L'Shalom,

Elise Nordstrom

Daled 2021

Camp Young Judaea Camper Scholarship Fund

By Elise Nordstrom

Camp Young Judaea Camper Scholarship Fund

Elise is celebrating becoming a Bat MItzvah by helping other children experience the magic of camp.