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Friday August 15, 2008

Newman campers take to S.F. streets for human rights awareness

by amanda pazornik
staff writer

Picture a teenager away at summer camp, and images of staying up after curfew, sneaking junk food past counselors and gossiping about who kissed at the campfire are sure to come to mind.

During the Hevrah session of Camp Newman, campers were indeed talking, but it was in the form of protesting, lobbying and informing the public about the death penalty, child labor laws, child soldiers, genocide, AIDS, hunger and torture.

“When campers sign up, they know it’s a different session,” said Luke Reader, a unit head with the Santa Rosa camp, which is run by the Union of Reform Judaism. “They come ready to do programs and research, and hopefully they’ll take what they learn back to their youth groups at home.”

To mark the culmination of three and a half weeks of social action–inspired programming, the group of 50 teenagers, dressed in matching blue T-shirts, gathered Aug. 7 at Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco to spread a message of awareness about human rights to passers-by using pamphlets, posters and guerrilla theater.

The day included a visit to Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s office and a discussion led by Libby Marsh, director of the California Committee North for Human Rights Watch. A service conducted by the campers at Golden Gate Park concluded the day’s activities.

“We don’t really engage high school kids,” Marsh said. “It’s so important for us to help develop leadership qualities of human rights activists. They can make it their life’s work, not just a volunteer opportunity.”

As part of the guerrilla theater aspect of the day, the 10th and 11th graders followed Marsh’s talk with a rendition of Eric Clapton’s “Change the World.” Adding their own spin to the song, campers replaced Clapton’s lyrics with inspirational quotes from activists Helen Keller, Martin Luther King Jr. and the Dalai Lama. The performance was one of many throughout the day.

A member of the guerrilla theater troupe, Allison Schaffer waited seven summers to take part in the Hevrah session. She had watched teens in the social action programs in years past, and finally got her chance to join in.

“I learned a lot about human rights,” said Schaffer, 15, of San Francisco. “It made me appreciate being in a Jewish setting and learning. I’m really excited and really eager to share my experience.”

Incorporating Jewish values into the educational projects was imperative, according to unit head Samara Leader. For example, during a discussion about gay rights, campers simulated different roles in the debate, including rabbis with opinions based on Reform and Conservative standards. Participants also compared Jewish values with American beliefs as they relate to human rights.

“This was a really bright group,” said Leader. “They got really engaged and motivated to inspire younger generations and reach out to all the other parts of camp that don’t get to see what we do.”

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