For a few reasons, I’ve been homeless and stateless for the past several years, in part because I lived for two years Washington, DC, which is not actually a state, followed by spending this past year living in Israel for my first year of rabbinical school at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion. At the same time my parents moved their home to Knoxville, TN, my best friend graciously stored all of my prized possessions in his parents’ home in Rhode Island, though my microwave and coffee maker still reside in a friend’s apartment in DC, and the most recent year of my life is packed in two heavy suitcases which are too large to move – both physically and figuratively. In August, I will finally make a new home for myself in New York City for the remaining four years of school. I think my permanent address is still in Fort Wayne, IN, where I grew up – but I’m pretty sure my mailing address is at my brother’s house in Saint Louis. You know when you sign into an online account and they ask you to confirm your HOME zip code or some other secret information about your home address? I always fail and get locked out of my accounts– because I don’t have any idea where home really is.

I tried to change my address online yesterday to a special number that is posted on beautiful signs throughout all of our cabins. I memorized it years ago. 9-3-4-9…Zip code 46077. Even though I’ve taken a few detours over the past years to zip codes and camps other than G-U-C-I, I’d argue that according to a Webster’s dictionary definition of Home: a place where something flourishes, is most typically found, or from which it originates - GUCI is the address I should probably make permanent for the US Postal Service. Like many of the staff and campers at GUCI, this has been a haven for me since I was 11 years old.

Last night, we encouraged GUCI staff to consider the following: “Remember as you post the bright and sparkly address sign in your cabin, next to the work wheel you labored over until all hours, that probably matches the name tags on their bed – these things are not there just for campers to know how write a return address. On a grander level, it’s to imprint in their minds for years to come that this place can be their permanent address…their home. It has been home to thousands over the past 50 years and god willing will continue to serve in this capacity for 50 more.

We’re so excited to create a home for your child this summer!