On Shabbat, with not a storm cloud in sight, a bolt of lightning
struck three campers at Goldman Union Camp Institute GUCI. The lightning strike
that hit the camp was the only lightning strike in the area at all according to
the article on Indystar.com and
the storm was not close to the camp at the time. It was a "bolt out of the
blue."
In a conference call yesterday
afternoon, Rabbi Mark Covitz shared this news:
We had a lightning strike here at camp, and three campers were injured.
They and their families are at the hospital, and are receiving excellent care. Our faculty, rabbis, and staff have been with them throughout. As parents, I'm sure you understand that we will not be sharing the details of the camper's conditions. Nor will be releasing their names. They are from the following synagogues: Shaare Emeth, St. Louis; Rockdale Temple, Cincinnati; and The Temple, Louisville. Yesterday our focus -- as we know you would want it to be - was on the injured, and on our campers and staff. We reached out to the entire camp community as soon as practical, ensuring that we shared only completely accurate information. We will continue to do so as appropriate. I could not be prouder of how our staff reacted yesterday, nor more appreciative of the outstanding response from the Zionsville paramedics.
I do not have all of the details of what
happened. I do know from the Caring Bridge page posted by the parents of the
most critically injured child, a boy from Cincinnati whose name I will not mention, that the three injured
children were playing Ultimate Frisbee in the summer sun, something that the
kids do every single day of the summer and have played every day for well
beyond the twelve years that I have been coming to camp. Then as I understand
it, with a bolt out of the blue, what is truly exceptional about GUCI came to
the forefront.
Members of the camp staff acted
heroically and saved lives. I am not going to say that they became heroes. One
is a hero by nature. Life sometimes gives people the opportunity to demonstrate
their best. On this day of challenge, in perhaps the most stressful moments of
urgency that will occur during their lifetimes, they showed that the preparation
and training, compassion and passion, which have long been the hallmarks of
Goldman Union Camp and its staff, when put into action can make a difference
not just in theory but in real life.
Every morning at GUCI, the camp sings “L’takein”,
also known as the “Na Na Song” because of its introductory chorus. These are
the words written by Danny Nichols, who has been a part of the GUCI community
since childhood, words that inspire the faculty, staff, counselors and campers
at GUCI every day:
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha’olam shenatan lanu hizdamnut l’takein et ha’olam!
Blessed are you, Adonai, our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has given us the opportunity to mend the world!
Simply put, when that opportunity came
with urgency on Shabbat afternoon, people imbued with the concept that they
could mend the world, helped to save the lives of three children.
There are going to be times in our lives,
hopefully very few, when we will be struck by a bolt out of the blue, suddenly
confronted by a difficult challenge. For most of us, those words will only be
idiomatic. For three children on a Shabbat afternoon at camp, it literally
happened to them. When such an occurrence happens to us, may we be blessed to
be among those who have the compassion and care to reassure us as we face the
difficulty and the ability to help us to overcome the challenge. This past
Saturday afternoon, Goldman Union Camp Institute proved what I have known for
many years, that it is such a place. It is why I send my kids to camp, why I
spend time on faculty at camp, and why I encourage others to send their kids to
camp. GUCI is a special place and its faculty and staff are exceptional people.
