In cherished tradition, last week Nageela Midwest held its Bar Mitzvah Evening, an annual celebration celebrating the boys who turned 13 during the past year, but didn’t have any ceremony to mark this auspicious birthday

Camp Nageela Midwest

Established in 2006 , Camp Nageela Midwest’s stated goal is to engage tomorrow’s Jewish leaders to be strong, proud, and affiliated Jews. Located on a picturesque lakeside campus in Ingleside, Illinois, CNM attracts campers from over 20 states across the US, and provides them with a summer packed with fun — and pulsating with authentic Yiddishkeit.

In cherished tradition, last week Nageela Midwest held its Bar Mitzvah Evening, an annual celebration celebrating the boys who turned 13 during the past year, but didn’t have any ceremony to mark this auspicious birthday. The camp hosted a gala meal with festive singing and dancing, and Rabbi Yaakov Robinson, menahel of the Midwest Agudah Vaad Harabbanim, came in from Chicago to address the gathering. 

Rabbi Ari Strulowitz, the camp’s dynamic director, had the last word: “At Camp Nageela Midwest, we believe that the bar mitzvah celebration isn’t a celebration of what was accomplished, rather it’s a celebration of what could be accomplished.”

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 922)