Hi! My name is Becca Winograd and I was a member of K’18, and more recently a member of K’22. I had the pleasure of being a madricha (counselor) for the most wonderful, talented, and special group of kids this past summer. I had only known them for one month prior to their Kerem summer, having been switched from the aydah K’firim (11-12 year olds) to Ma’alot (14-15) year olds for second month in 2021. Despite me only having known them for a short amount of time, I fell right into my new role as their Kerem counselor. I came into this past summer with one goal: give these kids the absolute best summer of their lives. Little did I know, they were the ones who were going to give me the best summer of MY life! The way Kerem ‘22 welcomed me into their aydah is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I got to watch them grow as people and I grew right along with them in my own ways. I got to watch them laugh and make memories, all the while I was right there with them making my own. They taught me things I didn’t know about friendship and mentorship. They pushed me to be a better person! I formed bonds with them that were incredibly meaningful.
Kerem is an extremely special summer. You are given a brand new role: Leadership. Having been through it myself, I remember the feeling of stepping into this role my Kerem summer. It can be difficult and a little nerve-wracking at times, but all in all, I would say it was one of the most formative and gratifying experiences of my young adult life. I will forever be grateful for the things Kerem taught me. Yet, somehow, watching this fantastic group of chanichim/ot go through it themselves was even more gratifying. They surprised me and inspired me with the things they did. Their creativity was astounding. They worked so hard to give all of Camp experiences they would never forget, and I wholeheartedly believe they succeeded. Kerem ‘22 was definitely one for the books! I, for one, will forever be grateful for Kerem ‘22.
