Moishe House, a global leader in providing communal experiences for young Jewish adults, hosted their largest-ever Camp Nai Nai Nai, their summer camp for Jewish adults, in May.
Some 218 individuals attended from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. For many campers, the past eight months have been marked by pain, loss, anguish and loneliness since the Hamas terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7. Camp helped them heal.
“When I arrived at Camp Nai, the stress of the outside world melted away, and I was able to freely be my unapologetically Jewish self without any fear of judgment or hate,” a camper told Moishe House staff. “For a camp filled with 200-plus strangers, it’s truly magical how comfortable and at home you can feel with your mishpacha,” or family.
Camp Nai featured all the beloved traditions of Jewish sleepaway camp, like an all-white-dressed Kabbalat Shabbat, Havdalah under the stars, color war, hanging at the pool and time on a zipline. Campers were also able to learn clowning, Jewish astrology and Krav Maga; sample Israeli wines; and explore the connections between Talmud and Taylor Swift during “playshops” (as opposed to the more serious workshops).
The camp also provided space for young adults to discuss topics that are challenging to talk about, like the war in Israel. As many as 150 people showed up to a panel discussion with Israeli camp staff to discuss life post-Oct. 7.
Most importantly, Camp Nai offered the opportunity to make new friendships and mark milestones. Five campers celebrated b’nai mitzvahs, and each gave a speech in front of the camp audience before the start of Havdalah on Saturday night and the beginning of a new week. Twenty campers celebrated their fourth experience at Nai. These moments helped make the 13th season of camp so memorable.
