When I hear the phrase L'dor V'dor, "from generation to generation," I usually think about families. I picture grandparents passing traditions to parents, who then pass them on to their children. It is one of the most beautiful aspects of Jewish life, preserving our values, rituals, and identity across generations.

Over the years, however, I have come to appreciate another expression of L'dor V'dor: Jewish summer camp.

At camp, traditions are not only passed from parents to children. They are passed from one generation of campers to the next. Older campers mentor younger ones. Songs, rituals, stories, and leadership are handed down year after year, creating a living legacy that shapes every camper who arrives.

Our family's camp journey began with what felt like an enormous leap of faith: sending our daughter away for two weeks.

The struggle was real.

The house was suddenly too quiet. The refrigerator no longer needed to be stocked with endless snacks. The usual piles of laundry disappeared. We did not step on a single Lego brick for two whole weeks. We wondered how we would survive with her so far from home.

Meanwhile, she was thriving.

Although campers did not have access to phones or email, they could send letters home. Camp Newman also has a wonderful tradition of photographing campers throughout the summer and posting the photos on a secure website for families. Searching those daily photos quickly became one of our favorite rituals. Every smiling face we found reassured us that she was making friends, gaining confidence, and discovering her own independence. She was exactly where she needed to be.

As she grew older, two weeks became four. An entire month away from home.

Each summer, she returned a little different. She was more independent, more confident, and more capable. Her Jewish identity had deepened, and she carried the friendships, values, and lessons of camp with her throughout the year. Camp was not simply a summer experience. It became an essential part of who she was becoming.

The summer before her junior year of high school, she was accepted into Camp Newman's Avodah leadership program, an intensive eight week experience centered on three pillars: service to self, service to the community, and service to the world.

The experience transformed her understanding of leadership. Alongside other teens, she helped raise more than $20,000 for causes they selected while learning collaboration, communication, responsibility, and the power of meaningful service. They were not simply participating in camp anymore. They were becoming the next generation of Jewish leaders, preparing to inspire those who would follow them.

That is L'dor V'dor in action.

Today, when I think about L'dor V'dor, I still think about families. But I also think about Jewish camp, where each generation of campers teaches, inspires, and nurtures the next. I think about counselors who once were campers themselves, teens learning to become leaders, and educators, Jewish professionals, and clergy who dedicate their summers to ensuring our traditions continue to thrive.

Generation after generation, they are building not only memories, but the future of Jewish life.

To support your Jewish Federation’s efforts to bring the Jewish camp experience to our community, please contact our office, or visit www.jewishsgpv.org/give.