Twice this summer, the CRC House Band carried Central Reform Congregation’s sound to Camp Sabra — and turned Shabbat, singalongs, and staff nights into something campers won’t soon forget.
Some of the best things start with someone in the congregation. The CRC House Band’s summer at Camp Sabra began at home, in the CRC sanctuary, where St. Louis philanthropist Michael Staenberg heard the band play and imagined that same music finding the kids and staff at Camp Sabra — the JCC’s overnight camp on the Lake of the Ozarks. What started as an inspired idea quickly became a two-visit summer tradition.
THE FIRST VISIT · JUNE
Tiki lights and a 25-minute hora
On the band’s first trip down, Camp Sabra’s Julia’s Tiki Hut stage lit up with the group’s signature blend of roots, groove, and Jewish music. Then the evening moved from stage to sand: a Havdalah service on the beach at sundown opened into a hora that ran a full twenty-five minutes, the circle widening until the camp’s youngest campers were lifted high in a chair at its center. Later, the band kept the night going with a late-night set for the camp staff.
THE SECOND VISIT · JULY
Shabbat at the water’s edge
The second visit brought a large CRC contingent to the lake, with Rabbis Karen and Daniel Bogard on hand. On Friday evening, the band led a beautiful acoustic Shabbat as campers gathered in white above the water, followed by a Shabbat Players singalong and, once again, a staff party. On Saturday morning, the group played a CRC/Sabra hybrid service right at the water’s edge for a contingent of JCC board members who had made the trip up to take it in. Adding an extra spark to the weekend, Rob Koritz of Dark Star Orchestra sat in on drums.
The CRC House Band is grateful to Michael Staenberg and the entire Camp Sabra community for the warm welcome — and is already looking forward to what next summer brings.
See more from the weekend on Instagram → (instagram.com/p/DbT72o3D512)