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Aug. 19, 2011
Music and spiritual life lessons
Matisyahu visits Camp Solomon Schechter for the second year in a row.
COREY SALKA
“That’s really what Jewish mysticism says. What G-d is trying to do with this world is to figure out who He is through us,” music superstar Matisyahu told campers at Camp Solomon Schechter on a recent surprise visit.
On Friday, July 29, Matisyahu, known for his fusion of reggae, hip-hop and beat box sounds with the wisdom of Chassidic Judaism, performed for 200 campers, his second visit in as many years.
“We are so blessed to be able to have him share his message about peace, being proud of being Jewish and pride in Israel,” said Sam Perlin, the camp’s executive director. “I’m thrilled that he feels passionate about Jewish camping; it’s a real joy to see the faces of our kids when he enters the ampitheatre. He is an incredible inspiration to our campers.”
After thunderous welcoming applause, Matisyahu said, “It’s great to be back!” and launched into one of his most popular hits, “Jerusalem.” Between songs, Matisyahu engaged in a warm conversation with the campers, at times offering humor, as well as more serious messages. Included in the 45-minute set were his songs “Thunder, “Temple,” “Darkness” and “King Without a Crown.” He capped off his appearance with his mega-hit “One Day,” which became the camp’s theme song after his visit last summer.
Beyond the music, however, Matisyahu’s message resonated with his audience. Before enjoying a swim in Schechter’s pristine lake with his two young sons, Matisyahu engaged in a personal question and answer session with the campers.
When asked what inspired him to become religious, Matisyahu spoke of always believing in G-d from the time he was young. “When I was a teenager, and I was going through things, whenever I felt alone or down, there were times I felt I needed to come back to myself. I always felt that I had a certain destiny – that I had something important going on inside of me, and I believed that G-d would help me manifest that. So, in times before I ever thought about religion or Judaism, when I would feel disconnected, I would just try to reconnect, whether that meant going down to the water, taking a walk, singing a song or writing some lyrics.
“But it wasn’t working well enough for me to just do it on my own; I needed help with it. I wanted to foster a relationship with G-d; I wanted to build it, figure out how to develop it. So I just started davening. I felt that somehow there was something real about the Hebrew words and the Hebrew language and letters. Even if I couldn’t understand them, I felt that saying those words, saying those letters was going to open up some doors.”
The lessons of Matisyahu’s youth serve as a powerful message for today’s Jewish kids. “It was unbelievable,” said Ran Sommer, a staff member from Richmond, B.C. “He had some really cool insights, and it’s really cool to hear him live as opposed to his recordings; they’re really different. It was so inspirational to see how he can connect to the kids and for the kids to learn about his life and how he chose to go on his path. He had some awesome things to say and was really inspirational.”
“There are not a lot of Jewish role models who are singers out there right now,” said 14-year-old Rebecca Kahn of Portland. “It’s really helpful and awesome to have him visit camp. I know people who didn’t come last year; they were so upset they didn’t get to see him. And now they’re here and they’re so happy.”
Lindsey Carmen, 15, also from Portland, commented on how Matisyahu has helped bring new kids to the summer camp. “I think it’s really special that we’ve been able to bring someone in from the Jewish community that represents so much for us, twice now … which is really cool, it’s really exciting. It’s definitely a draw for getting new campers.”
Rafael Kintzer, an 18-year-old staff member from Seattle, reflected upon the impact of the star’s appearance on the rest of the camp session. “I think Matisyahu injects amazing Jewish energy and spirit into everyone at camp. He gives everyone a burst of joy to come to camp being happy from the start. That’s so important, because Jewish camping opens doors in so many ways. Jewish camping changes how people think about the world. [Camp Solomon Schechter is] much more global than I think a lot of camps.... There is so much emphasis put upon peace and love and kindness towards others at Camp Solomon Schechter.”
The importance of these values was echoed by a group of Israeli Scouts, who are attending the camp this summer as part of a delegation. Ben Oz, a 17-year-old from Ashdod, said, “At first, it was kind of weird because we didn’t know anybody, but the kids are really friendly and now we know everyone. We were really lucky to get here. We heard that Matisyahu was here last year, but we didn’t expect him to be here again.”
“He has such amazing music,” said Merav Rosenberg, a 17-year-old from Jerusalem. “Seeing him here brings so much spirit and makes the camp experience so much stronger and alive.”
Reflecting upon the origins of his music, Matisyahu spoke of the bridge between his music and Judaism. “My whole life, all I really wanted to do is to make music. When I became religious and went to yeshivah, I just let go of it. I just said that if this is my destiny, if this is what G-d wants for me, then I have to figure out the other parts of my life first.”
For today’s generation of Jewish youth, Matisyahu’s message is powerful: to succeed at one’s passions, they must be integrated with the rest life. And, at the end of the day, this is the essence of Jewish camping: opportunities to grow, learn and experience nature and the joy of Judaism with friends – and at Camp Solomon Schechter, it’s happening with the Chassidic wisdom of Matisyahu.
For video of Matisyahu’s appearance, visit the camp’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/campsolomonschechter.
Corey Salka is a member of the board of directors of Camp Solomon Schechter and the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle.
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