Simcha Madness by Ari Rosenberg
Thursday, July 23rd 2009
It seems there is an unspoken law in Camp Simcha Special that everyone knows about. The law states that every time a Minyan or more is together as a group they all, without hesitation or exception, MUST…go bananas. I call this law Simcha Madness because it seems more like a psychological disorder that turns otherwise normal people berserk. Though nobody questions it, everyone joins in it, and those who do not are labeled “slackers.” This points to only one possible reason- it must be the law. Nobody is allowed to refrain from Simcha Madness because it is Camp Simcha Special Law.
The first night activity of the summer, Sky Divers, captured entirely what Simcha Madness is all about- just a whole lot of jumping and screaming. The Sky Divers, a team of three trampoline acrobats –including one Olympic Silver Medalist/ Guinness World Record holder- showed off their abilities to flip, spin, play catch, and even surf and hula hoop ten to fifteen feet in the air. They would only do this though, if Camp Simcha Special were loud enough. The louder the screams- the higher the jumps. And so it went, another episode of Simcha Madness: A whole lot of jumping and screaming.
However, there is something compelling about it all. As every body soars into the air –and into each other- a fresh breath of unity enters the body, grabs any bit of sadness it can find and exits back through the mouth, in the shape of a smile, ear to ear. So at the end of the day, it is not only sore calves and headaches that put us to sleep at night, but also the sore cheeks, because grinning all day is tiring, especially when you can’t help but do it. If we define madness as a great enthusiasm or excitement for rash or thoughtless behavior, then this madness called “happiness” is all right with me.