HaMirpeset Shelanu - Issue 41: Nivonim Speech from Tali Zuckerman
Nivonim 2010
By Talia Zuckerman
There are many mysteries in life that people ponder for years and never come up with an understanding to, such as: the Bermuda Triangle, where Amelia Erhart's plane is, and many more; but the most mysterious one to me is why the people we meet at camp mean so much more to us than anyone else in the world. Everyone has his or her own solution to why this occurs, and here's mine. There's something special about the people at Ramah and the relationships everyone builds with one another. It's one that no one can explain and no outsider can understand. People always talk about how their best friends are like their siblings, but the truth is they don't know what it's like to live with their 51 best friends every summer for six years. The first day of Chalutzim, I walked into a cabin filled with strangers and had no idea what to expect. It didn't take long before I understood that I would have a relationship with these people like one I'd never had with anyone before, other than my family. Just as siblings have to learn to love one another, each person in the aidah also must learn to love one another and once love is found, it's never lost. It starts with the nurturing of our parents, the Roshei Aidah. When we're younger, the Roshei Aidah were seen as older people who were just there to have fun with and tell us where to be and when to be there. They helped us grow up and watched, as we became the people we are today. They get fed up at the little mistakes that we make, but at the end of the day they're always smiling looking prouder than ever that these were the little children that they raised and watched grow into wonderful young adults.
Similar to the Roshei Aidah, our counselors too play a great role in the people we are today. Our counselors are like the older cousins that we always looked up to and wanted to latch onto when we were younger because we thought they were the coolest people ever. As we grew, our relationships with our counselors, just like our cousins, progressed, and now, we are seen more as equals than we were as children. Now we can go to them for advice or just to hang out. There are times when they too can get annoyed at us for acting a little immature, but they always end up going back to the valuable older cousins that we know they are.
יש הרבה תעלומות בחיים כמו משולש ברמודה, היכן נמצא המטוס של אמיליה איירהארט וכולי..
אבל התעלומה הכי גדולה בעיניי היא למה החברויות שאנו יוצרים במחנה משמעותיות עבורנו יותר מכל דבר אחר בעולם? לדעתי, הסיבה היא שיש משהו מיוחד ושונה באנשים פה ברמה ובקשרים שאנו יוצרים פה.
כל מי שלא חלק מהמחנה חושב שהחברים שלו הם כמו משפחה בשבילו אבל הם באמת לא יודעים מה זה לגור עם 51 החברים הכי טובים שלך כל קיץ למשך 6 שנים. כמו אחים היינו צריכים ללמוד לאהוב אחד את השני וברגע שהאהבה הזאת נמצאה, היא לעולם לא נעלמה.
זה מתחיל בהורים, הראשי עדה, הקשר איתם התחיל בכך שהם היו המבוגרים שנהנו איתנו ודאגו שנהיה במקומות הנכונים בזמן הנכון. הם עזרו לנו לגדול וצפו בנו הופכים לאנשים שאנו היום.
אפילו אם הם התעצבנו עלינו כל הדברים הקטנים שעשינו, בסוף היום הם מחייכים אלינו בגאווה ומסתכלים עלינו כילדים הקטנים שלהם שהם גידלו לאנשים המדהימים שאנו היום.
Although the counselors and Roshei Aidah have helped us shape our family, the best part of it all are the siblings that it's made up of. To all the banim, you really are my brothers and I'm sure the rest of the banot could not agree more. You guys are the over protective brothers that every girl wishes she has or is so grateful if she has them. You guys know when to be funny and when to be serious, when to go insane and when to chill. Even though you may pretend to hate us at times, we're not fooled. We know you'll always be there to protect us and just to have fun with. Any outsiders may say that you guys go above and beyond the level of craziness that's needed, but they're all wrong. You guys really make us proud to be the Nivonot of 2010. From the outside, our family is insane and just likes having fun, but behind the scenes it's even better. For instance, before we left for our canoe trip the girls were all scared about what you were going to do to all of our belongings during your prank. Rather than destroying our cabins, you guys did the opposite: you celebrated with us. We got back not knowing what to expect, but being greeted by a group of 28 guys singing Christmas carols was not only hilarious, but also really touching. The way you care for us isn't the only good thing about you guys though. Individually, you're all amazing people. You turn our tears of unhappiness to tears of pure joy and you turn the dullest moments into the greatest moments of the summer.
The family doesn't stop here. This family would be nothing if it weren't for the best sisters anyone could ever ask for. Nivonot 2010, you are my best friends in the entire world and I just want you to know that I would never have been able to be the person I am today if it weren't for all of you. Before Chalutzim summer, I never knew what it was like to live with girls because in my other family in Chicago I have only two older brothers. Living with all of you has really shaped my life and helped me in every way possible. I realized how unimportant drama and petty fights are and how important it is to simply love one another. I know that sometimes, like sisters, we get in small arguments about silly things, that in the grand scheme of life don't really matter, but at the end of the day I can always count on all of you to be there for me. Whether you were an Indian or a Cowboy on that wonderful first day of ymai banot, by the end of the relay race we were all cheering for the individuals and we were no longer on separate teams: We were a banot.
The reason I originally came to camp was because of my family back in Chicago. My mom was a camper here and then she sent both of my older brothers here and I had always wanted to come too. Finally, in Chalutzim it was my turn. I had been anticipating it every year since I had been in Rishonim, but that first year, the only reason I had for coming to camp was to get away from Chicago. After Chalutzim summer I had a new reason for coming, and I had found a new love for everything about it. Now, I come back every summer for my other family, Nivo 2010. All of you have always been those people I could lean on if I was ever in need of anything. You know me more than I think I know myself and that's what a true family is about. As a whole, our aidah is full of the best people in the entire world and we help everyone out and try and make sure that nobody is ever alone and whenever we get the chance, we show people who we are and make sure that they know that we are Nivo 2010, an aidah with a rocky past, who proved to camp this summer who we truly are. We are a group of people who embrace each moment, even when nature hands us a bad hand, something that it's done multiple times in the past few years. One moment especially that is stuck in mind is the first Shabbos on the point Machon summer. We were waiting for our peulat Shabbat to start, when we looked out onto the lake and saw rain rushing towards us. We stood in awe as we watched the rain quickly approaching land, seeing the drops fall onto the reflecting water. When the rain did reach us, we weren't sure what to do, run into the nearest cabin or run around through the falling rain. We chose the second option. We embraced the moments we had, dancing with each other, getting completely soaked in our Shabbos attire. Just as we stood, anticipating this rain, so too in Chalutzim we anticipated Nivo. It was exciting, watching this monumental summer become a reality, but it was also frightening. When we got off of the busses this year, it was a little bit confusing. How did we get to Nivo so quickly? But, instead of running away, we embraced it. We chose to dance the summer away, having as much fun as we could - getting soaked in water fights, building fires, rushing the lake, and dancing like no tomorrow at the talent show. Instead of counting down days, we just lived. Nivo is the summer to take action, not sit passively, to find yourself through the hearts of your brothers and sisters.
Nivonim 2010, I want to thank you all for the best six summers of my life and for being the greatest family one could ever ask for. People may say that leaving you guys on Monday will be like having 51 daggers piercing your hearts, but in truth it's the opposite. The family we've made here will be with us forever and even though our lives will be changing and we'll be moving on in life, the bonds we've made will never die. I love you Nivo 2010.