How I envied the camaraderie he described

My father reminisced about the camp that he knew, back in the Old Country, There he sometimes ran barefoot in the long grass — even in the snow! He and his friends would arise before dawn and go on long walks early in the morning while singing the Pesukei D’zimra together. How I envied the camaraderie he described. Was I the only avid listener at the table? Did my sisters realize that our father was talking about Russian work camps where he was imprisoned, not about a summer camp in Wisconsin? I never went to sleepaway camp. I stayed home and imbibed the legacy of my father, who chose to emphasize the bene. cence he was granted and the words of praise they sang.

-Zelda Goldfield

Camp Memories

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 754)