When presented with the opportunity to A) Go on a summer trip to Europe, or B) Go to a Jewish leadership camp, you could only imagine the look on my parents faces when I chose option B! Priceless! This summer I ventured across the country to Upstate New York to attend the URJ Kutz Camp. This camp is NFTY’s (North-American Federation of Temple Youth) summer home. I was fortunate enough to meet other teens from Canada, Hungary, Romania, the Netherlands, and Israel. It is open to participants from all over the world; however, most who go live in the United States.

   This camp is unique because it is designed as a leadership camp. Each teen who attends chooses a major, which they keep throughout the duration their camp visit and learn valuable lessons through specific programs. They also choose two minors, which change each week. My major was called “Teva Outdoor Adventure.” In this I learned a lot about spirituality and how to connect to G-d through nature. The first program I participated in was a camp trash audit. My major weighed, sorted, and recorded information taken from thirty bags of trash. With the results of the data, we informed other URJ camps of ways they, too, could help reduce waste and set up a more effective way of recycling around their campuses. It was a very eye opening experience that I will never forget. I also went on numerous hikes with Teva, where I learned the names of different species of plants as well as learned how to lead a group of peers. One of my favorite trips in this major was when I went to New York City! Teva went to the Highline. The Highline used to be a rail system in the meat packing district. It has been transformed into a magnificent park. In Teva we always talked about discovering nature in the least likely of places. This definitely is one of those! Although the park is in the middle of the bustling city, it is so serene and peaceful. There was so much nature all around and it didn’t seem as if something so beautiful could exist in such a large city.The Highline used to be a rail system in the meat packing district. It has been transformed into a magnificent park. In Teva we always talked about discovering nature in the least likely of places. This definitely is one of those! Although the park is in the middle of the bustling

(Haley Roberts (left) and a few OCTY members)

city, it is so serene and peaceful. There was so much nature all around and it didn’t seem as if something so beautiful could exist in such a large city.    On top of learning, camp was a great way to make new friends. Going to Kutz I only knew five other people from attending events in my region. But now I have so many new connections. Everyone in the community was eager to meet new people. It was such a cool experience to get to know people from all walks of life. It was especially nice to all be Jewish and have the religion barrier removed. The people I met at Kutz as a whole always made me feel at home and welcome. I know the community I met on this amazing adventure will be long-time friends. I also know that going to Kutz has been one of the greatest choices of my life and I will never forget the amazing people or the experiences I had there.

    Haley Roberts
   Current President of OCTY (Or Chadash Temple Youth)