The Firefly: Live Stories of Camp Tavor

By Randy Lubratich

Camp stories don’t fade, they glow.

They linger in our hearts, lighting the way during hard moments and reminding us of who we are and where we come from.

Habonim Dror Camp Tavor (www.camptavor.org) invites the Washtenaw County community to The Firefly: Stories About Camp Tavor, Told Live: an upcoming program featuring true, personal stories from the people whose lives have been shaped by Tavor.

Hosted at the Love Building (4731 Grand River Avenue, Detroit), on Saturday, March 7, at 7 p.m., The Firefly will bring together a small group of storytellers to share moments of growth, challenge, connection, mischief, and transformation rooted in their experiences at Camp Tavor in Three Rivers, Michigan. Tavor board member and Moth StorySLAM winner Etta King-Heisler will host the event as master of ceremonies.

For 70 years as of this summer, Tavor has been a place where Jewish values are lived — not just taught — through communal living, shared responsibility, and youth leadership. These experiences help young people entering second through 12th grade build confidence, resilience, and a lasting sense of belonging. The Firefly shines a light on how those values show up during the summer and long after it ends. “My time at Camp Tavor made me the Jew and the person that I am today,” said Tavor Board Chair Mira Sussman. “I was one of those kids who lived 10 months of the year for the two months I got to be at camp, and I know that so many others can relate, and have their own stories of how camp made them the person that they are today.”

While the stories center on Camp Tavor, the event is open to the public. “Whether you went to camp or not, everyone can relate to the feelings of being part of a community, making mistakes, learning to trust yourself — that’s what these stories are about,” says Heisler. Through The Firefly, attendees can share in the joy of Jewish community and get a behind-the-scenes view of how summers at Camp Tavor turn campers into counselors and counselors into leaders. At its heart, The Firefly celebrates the power of an immersive Jewish community that shapes identity, strengthens values, and influences the paths we take into adulthood.

Come listen. Come remember. Come be moved.

Join us, and help keep the glow alive, one story at a time.

Tickets available now: https://tinyurl.com/TavorFirefly