THE LONGEST DAY of the year occurred this week as summer officially kicked off.
For many PJ Library families, the arrival of summer means it’s time to gear up for the summer camp experience -- and nothing sets the mood quite like music. In his song, “Summer of Our Lives,” Rick Recht puts it very well. He sings, “Wishing camp would never end … this is the time of our lives.”
To help inspire your summer-welcoming plans and activities, we pulled together a few music videos worth a look (below).
In addition, PJ Library commissioned in 2011 a compilation of summer camp favorites called We Sang that at Camp, which was produced by Oy Baby!. It's perfect for summer listening.
SUMMER OF OUR LIVES
From the Jewish Rock Records album Halleluyah, “Summer of Our Lives” is written and performed by PJ Library musician and spokesperson Rick Recht. Watch the music video below to enjoy his performance of the song.
HUG A TORAH The video below comes from Great Barrington, MA-based
Camp Eisner (made especially popular by Lisa Stern Burch, an Eisner Alum and current camper parent). It depicts the opening ceremony of last year’s summer camp.
Burch wrote about the event on the Eisner Alumni Facebook Group, and it was later picked up by the Union for Reform Judaism Blog. At the ceremony, the Torah was passed among campers. Each camper had the chance to hold -- and hug! -- the Torah.
ONE DAY!
Eden Village Camp is a Putnam Valley, NY-based Jewish nonprofit that is “a living model of a thriving, inspired, sustainable Jewish community, grounded in social responsibility and vibrant spiritual life,” according to the camp’s website.
In the video below, Eden Village campers sing "One Day" by Matisyahu. The camp’s three-week Yesod Tribe performs right there on the farm (with blessings at the end of the video!).
CONCERTS NEAR YOU?
Videos and CDs are great, but you may also want to be on the lookout for musical performances in your area. To start, check out the summer tour schedule of Rick Recht or the summer tour schedule of Sheldon Low. Both musicians are PJ Library artists, and both offer great summer experiences!
June 21, 2012