The massive blackouts, transportation failures, and floods that swept the east coast in the wake of Hurricane Irene did nothing to thwart 25 students from setting out on an unofficial Jewish pre-orientation camping trip.

Every year before Freshman Orientation, student members of the Wesleyan Jewish community organize the annual–and technically unofficial, as the University does not sponsor, condone, or theoretically know about it–pre-orientation Jewish camping trip.

The camping trip, a Wesleyan tradition that has grown steadily more popular over the past few years, has established itself as an integral part of the Jewish community’s outreach to incoming freshmen. Though the camping trip is entirely organized by students involved with the Jewish community, one does not need to be Jewish to attend. This year, about half of the participants were goyish.

The sophomore and junior leaders of the trip are usually only tasked with feeding the campers kosher vegetarian food and organizing fun-yet-awkward-get-to-know-you games for three days. This year, however, was different. The organizers grappled with plummeting enrollment for the trip, selecting a new campsite after Kettle Town State Park closed, and creating contingency plans given the impending threat of Hurricane Irene. In short, the leaders fought for the camping trip’s very survival

“When parents began emailing us with questions and worries about the storm, we were unconcerned,” said Isabel Rouse ’14, one of the camping trip leaders. “However, once it was apparent that the hurricane would affect the camping trip, we started to brainstorm for backup plans. Daphna Spivack [’13] lives in Riverdale, NY, and she offered her house almost immediately.”

A second back-up plan included transporting the entire group to a vacation home in Vermont. However, once it became clear that more leaders preferred Riverdale, that plan was put on the back burner.

“It was actually quite lucky that we didn’t go that route, because all of the roads in Vermont were closed,” Rouse said. “It was hit much harder than anyone expected.”

Soon, however, location became the least of their worries.

“Originally there were more than 40 people planning to attend, the biggest group ever,” Rouse said. “But once it was clear that Irene would be a major storm, people began to pull out. Some parents didn’t want their kids to come, while others had transportation issues. Some people dropped out because too few people were going. Daphna and I were calling and emailing each other about 15 times a day in panic. But in the end, it all came together beautifully. It turned out to be a great camping trip, even though it wasn’t really camping.”

For Spivack, the student who opened her home to 25 complete strangers in order to maintain this tradition, canceling the trip was not an option.

“It wasn’t about whether or not it was going to happen,” she said. “It was something that had to happen. I was going to do whatever it took to make sure this tradition was continued. The camping trip really strengthens the Jewish community at Wesleyan. It opened my eyes to being involved in the Jewish community at Wesleyan, even though I’m not very religious. I think it provides people with the knowledge that they can be a part of this community, even peripherally, regardless of religious affiliation.”

Rouse added that all of the new leaders had attended the trip the year before, and that at least half of the Bayit members this year had gone on the camping trip at one point.

As it turned out, the revamped program won praise from participants.

“The small group definitely made the entire experience a lot more intimate,” said Marguerite Suozzo-Gole ’15, who went on the trip despite losing power in her home the day before. “Instead of being overwhelmed by meeting a bunch of strangers on the first day and not remembering any names, we were able to take the time to really get to know our future classmates. Because there were so few of us, we all slept in the same tent and really bonded before the school year started.”

Suozzo-Gole, who is not Jewish, said the entire experience made her appreciate and want to be involved in Wesleyan’s Jewish community. She is now considering helping to organize next year’s trip.

Although Rachie Weisberg  ’15 hated the sleeping arrangements, she also appreciated the opportunity to make new friends so early in the school year.

“I had a great time,” she said. “The change of location made it more convenient for me to come, since I live in the city. Although the sleeping arrangements were pretty uncomfortable, it was a great bonding experience. It can be such a daunting thing to go into college not knowing anyone; it was really cool to get to know a segment of Wesleyan’s Jewish community before getting to campus, and let me know I could be involved, without having to conform to a particular religious identity.”

Organizers tried to maintain several of the camping trip’s traditions despite the change of venue. “Rose and Thorn,” an experience in which campers are given slips of paper representing their fears and anxieties for the coming year, was conducted as per usual. In the activity, each freshman openly discusses his or her apprehensions with the group, and then tosses the slips of paper into a bonfire.

“I am not sure the reason for it,” said Hannah Plon ’14, referring both to last year’s trip and this year’s trip, which she helped lead, “but there was a unspoken group-wide understanding that things said on the trip were confidential, whether it be past experiences, fears, or hopes for the new school year. With nothing to do but hike around and enjoy each others’ company, people got close in the days the trip lasted, and there must be a reason that ten people from the trip of only about twenty have chosen to live together in the Bayit.”

Other traditions, like the half-day hike to another lake, had to be canceled, but “Where the Wind Blows,” “Ninja,” “Your Least Favorite Chore,” and many other games continued nonetheless. Instead of cookouts with vegetarian chili, or oatmeal in the morning, students got kosher pizza—and bagels for breakfast.

Olivia Horton ’14, who did not go this year but attended as a freshman, had the slightly contradictory, yet common, experience of being a gentile on a Jewish camping trip. Nonetheless, she made dozens of new friends and felt that the camping trip heavily influenced her experience at the University.

“I had an amazing time on the camping trip,” Horton said. “I felt immediately included in a part of the Wesleyan community, even though I’m not actually Jewish myself, which was really comforting as an incoming freshman. It was interesting to learn a bit about Jewish culture, but for me it was more about meeting a group of wonderful, friendly people.”