PIKESVILLE, Md. — Behind the gates at this home in Pikesville is pure simcha.
Simcha is Hebrew for joy and happiness. And that’s what Camp Simcha Without Borders is all about.
It’s a day camp for children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Talya Shoshani of Silver Spring is one of the campers.
“They’re just really amazing,” Talya says. “There’s not really like words. Like you can’t describe it unless you came to the camp.”
This is 12-year-old’s second year at the camp. Last year, Talya was undergoing treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
“It was really nice because other people were like, also, I saw them struggling,” she says. “So, I felt like I had someone who had my back, and my counselor was also really helpful.”
While Talya was in treatment, she kept up with a few friends she made at camp. Now, she’s in remission.
“I can study. I can do this. I get to go to camp at the end of the year. That’s what pushed me through,” she says.
Siblings are also invited to camp. Talya is here with her little sisters. And they all get one-on-one counseling.
“It’s really nice because I get to come back,” she says. “Now I see all these other kids that I can help. I see this camp’s still helping me, even after.”
Forty girls ages 4 to 14 are at this week’s camp. They come from around the state and the DC area. The day camp is for children who can’t travel to Camp Simcha’s overnight camp in the Catskills.
“It’s developed to bring the magic of simcha to children who are affected in any way with medical illness,” says Goldie Dicker, head counselor, Camp Simcha Without Borders.
They swim, dance, do crafts and eat. On Taco Tuesday, when we visited, they had a cross-cultural exchange. A mariachi band came and taught the girls a couple moves.
And it’s all free. Thanks to donors like the Warschawski family, who are hosting the camp at their home. And Chai Lifeline, an international support network for the Jewish community.
“Chai means life,” says Racheli Daniel, director of Chai Lifeline Mid-Atlantic. “And what we try to do is to help so many and give life to those who are vulnerable and going through a very difficult time in their lives.”
Next week, it’s the boys’ turn at Camp Simcha Without Borders. And while there may not be tutus, there will be plenty of smiles.
