In Hebrew, the word “kesem” means magic, and magic is precisely what Camp Kesem counselors in college chapters nationwide aim to create at their annual summer camps. These camps are made specifically for children whose parents have been diagnosed with cancer, as not just a lighthearted retreat in the midst of a serious situation, but also as a way for these impacted kids to connect with those going through similar experiences.
This August, the College of William and Mary’s chapter of Camp Kesem hosted 71 campers, aged 6-18, from the Williamsburg area at Camp Crossroads in Lowesville, Va. Unit leader and Make the Magic Coordinator Roshan Patel ’25 described the goal of the week-long experience.
“It gives the kids a week break from anything they have going on at home to just relax, and let the kids be kids,” Patel said.
This summer’s camp ran from Aug. 12-17, with counselors arriving a day early to set up and get acquainted with the campsite. Days at camp consisted of group meals, sports, crafts, drama stations and camp-wide activities, ranging from scavenger hunts to singing traditional songs. Counselors live in the cabins for the week with small units of campers, who are split up by age and gender identity. With a typical ratio of one counselor to three campers, personal relationships are prioritized.
“As a counselor, your main role is to cultivate a space where the campers feel supported,” counselor Libby Hellman ’26 said. “So your primary objective is just to really get to know the campers that are in your cabin.”
For the other 51 weeks of the year, Camp Kesem chapter members attend general body meetings, host fundraising events and plan for the following summer. An executive board of 20 coordinators is split into two- to three-person teams with specialized responsibilities, from recruiting campers to coordinating camp operations. And at the top, the entire club is overseen by two directors: Samantha Chaitovitz ’25 and Taly Leibowitz ’25.
With Camp Kesem being free for all attendees, fundraising is a crucial task during the school year. The Make the Magic Gala thrown each spring semester gathers major donors for a dinner and silent auction. Other fundraising efforts from the past year include a thrift sale and a mile run.
Camp Kesem also hosts a Friends and Family Day during the school year, inviting local campers and their families to campus to reconnect with counselors and friends they may otherwise see only once a year. Speaking to these friendships, counselor Dani Swartz ’26 reflected on the extraordinary strength of relationships built at Camp Kesem.
“You have this outside community that’s so accepting, always there for you, every single summer,” Swartz said. “It’s something constant, because things change so much, especially if you have a parent with cancer, and it provides important stability.”
The location of this summer’s camp was a change from previous years to accommodate a growing number of campers. Counselors noted that the terrain of this new campsite, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, came with its challenges.
“It was a pain for the younger kids, especially, because even us counselors were struggling to get up the hills,” Patel said. “I feel like last year we were able to do more stuff, because there was less walking involved.”
Regardless of the locale, counselors observed that the unique energy of the camp and the people there remained the same.
“It really showed me it wasn’t about the place, it was truly about the people that were there,” Swartz said.
As for just what shapes Camp Kesem’s distinct atmosphere, counselors pointed to the emphasis on vulnerability, especially given campers’ hardships at home. One major source of such vulnerability cited by multiple counselors was nightly “cabin chats,” where counselors pose a question to all campers in their cabin. Prompts ranged from lighthearted icebreakers to more serious reflections, such as highs and lows of the day.
“Most of the time throughout the day, it’s mostly just us hanging out, having fun, goofing around, but we do have those times where we allow them to share if they want to,” Patel said.
Camp Kesem hires mental health professionals to assist any campers who may require help beyond the comfort counselors hope to offer. This summer, both psychologists onsite were alumni of the College and former Kesem counselors. Hellman commented on the importance of such an emotional outlet when coping with a parent’s cancer diagnosis.
“It’s so easy to take on all of that weight by yourself,” Hellman said. “In those situations where you have a parent that’s affected by cancer, you don’t really want to talk about how you feel, because you’re so focused on what this other person is going through.”
Counselor Aida Tiouririne ’27 also noted the significance to campers of a community with shared experiences and struggles.
“It really helps the kids process how they’re feeling, and allows them to feel these emotions, and allows them to experience how they’re feeling without having to be nervous,” Tiouririne said. “Being surrounded in a community of people where you’re understood also really helps people speak their truth.”
Camp Kesem proves to be just as cathartic and uplifting an experience from a counselor’s point of view. Many counselors choose to get involved with the organization due to their own personal experiences with family members’ battles with cancer. Swartz remembered keeping her own feelings about her father’s cancer diagnosis to herself.
“Camp for me was very healing to actually talk about my experiences for the first time and feel completely safe to do so,” Swartz said.
As a transfer student who arrived at the College in fall 2023, Hellman described that her fears of struggling to connect with the established community as a first time counselor were quickly quelled.
“I was really pleasantly surprised at the way that people were so quick to pull me in and make me feel like I belonged, even the campers,” Hellman said.
Tiouririne, another first-time counselor, said she personally observed the camp living up to its name.
“Kesem does bring magic, especially for the campers, no matter the age,” Tiouririne said. “Being there in August, I saw how the magic spread through us.”
At the end of each day, campers and counselors traditionally sing Bill Withers’s “Lean On Me” in a group circle. Hellman remarked that the song’s lyrics capture the support and solidarity Camp Kesem hopes to offer.
“You lean on people who understand what you’re going through, and that’s how you get through life,” Hellman said.
CORRECTION (09/14/2024): Article was updated by the Standards & Practices Editor to correct camp dates and camper to counselor ratio.
