This gracefully written book is an outstanding ethnographic account of how Shabbat is created and transmitted at three different camps, which highlights the power of the quotidian of music, dance, prayer, community, and leadership. An especially timely work, as religious life is changing dramatically, and Reimer has offered many insights that should be helpful to anyone interested in how meaning is made and transmitted in religion.
—Riv-Ellen Prell, Professor Emerita, Department of American Studies, University of Minnesota

From ruach mosh pits to post-havdalah hugs, Shabbat practices at camp differ from year-round Jewish life. This smart, engaging book sheds light on this phenomenon through historical analysis, rich ethnographic descriptions, and beautiful photographs from three contemporary camps of diverse denominations. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Jewish education - and camp alumni who want to take a trip down memory lane (or dirt path).
—Sarah Bunin Benor, author of Hebrew Infusion: Language and Community at American Jewish Summer Camps

This book is for anyone who has experienced Shabbat at a Jewish camp and wondered what made it so special. Reimer unpacks the core values of three camps and the ‘rituals’ that allow some seemingly conflicting values to co-exist. Finally, he brings in key theoretical constructs to explain how lore and ritual intertwine to make Shabbat at camp so memorable.
—Isa Aron, Professor Emerita of Jewish Education, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion

Joseph Reimer is associate professor of Jewish Education at Brandeis University. He is author of Succeeding at Jewish Education: How One Synagogue Made It Work and co-author of Promoting Moral Growth: From Piaget to Kohlberg.