Infinite Responsibility: In Memory of a Camper
Twenty-six years later, I can still picture myself counting my campers on the bus.
In the summer of 2000, I led the oldest camper division at Camp Ramah in the Poconos. Now 42 years old, many of my campers have children of their own. Yet some part of me still feels deeply responsible for them. Amidst all the sleepless nights and long days, what I remember most is the two weeks of that summer that we spent on the road. I still look back on that time with trepidation, realizing the huge responsibility of being In loco parentis.
This Latin phrase, In loco parentis, translates as “in the place of a parent”. It is a legal doctrine allowing a non-biological adult or organization to assume some of the rights, duties, and responsibilities of a biological parent. Originating in 1640s English common law, the doctrine allowed schools, universities, guardians, and camps to temporarily assume parental rights, duties, and disciplinary authority over minors without formal adoption. As such, I was acutely aware of my unique responsibility.
Day after day that summer, I counted the campers making sure they were present and expressing the most basic level of accountability for them. Looking into their faces I assumed a liability for every single one of them. When you take on this kind of responsibility for people; it never really wears off. This idea was captured by 20th century French Jewish philosopher Emmanuel Levinas when he said, “The face puts into question the sufficiency of my identity as an I, it compels me to an infinite responsibility.” This is to say, that it is not just that we see people when we look into their eyes, but in doing so we become responsible for their souls.
Every summer at camp, hundreds of young people are taking this cosmic responsibility for other people’s children. That sense of responsibility weighs heavy on me, particularly today on the 20th Yahrzeit of one of my campers, Michael Levin z”l.
Mike was an American who chose to serve in the Israel Defense Forces. The 2nd Lebanon war broke out while Michael was home in Philadelphia on leave. He ended his trip early to return to Israel and join his unit. On August 1 2006, at the young age of 22, Mike fell fighting for the country he loved. I remember Mike not only for the courage, dedication, and the highest ideals of service to others that would later define his legacy, but also for the goofy, playful, and stubborn young person I knew as a camper.
Despite all the time that has passed, having been Mike’s division head and having looked into his eyes all those years ago, I still feel connected and accountable for him. I am filled with a palpable sense of loss. Mike’s legacy is his uncompromising expression of infinite responsibility and I am humbled by his sacrifice for our people.
With this, I am left asking how we honor Mike’s memory and pay it forward? Close to home, I hug my children a little longer, call them to remind them how much I love them, and remember how I am forever beholden to my campers for making me the father I am today. Thank you G2K.
I also take a moment to sing the praises of the young adults in all of our camps who have stepped into this role of In loco parentis. There is no doubt that these experiences will make them better people today and parents in the future. At its core, camp is an exercise in mutual trust and responsibility, where we as parents place our children in the care of young adults who will protect them, teach them, guide them, and help them grow. From one generation to the next we carry a profound tradition of shared responsibility. The Jewish people are a big loving family with a mandate to be there for each other. Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Bazeh —we are all responsible for each other.
