Capturing the friendships, traditions, and moments that make Trybal Gatherings so much more than a summer camp experience.
Every once in a while, a photograph becomes part of a bigger story. Recently, one of my photos was featured in an article by the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles about Trybal Gatherings, an organization bringing the magic of Jewish summer camp to young adults. It was a great reminder of why I keep coming back with my camera year after year.
Since August 2021, I’ve been documenting Trybal Gatherings retreats, and I haven’t missed one. What started as photographing an event has become an opportunity to document a growing community, the friendships that develop, and the moments that make these weekends so meaningful.
Bringing the Magic of Camp to a New Generation
The article, written by Kylie Ora Lobell for the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles, highlights Trybal Gatherings’ annual retreat at Camp Ramah in Ojai, California, held September 24 through 27.
More than 100 young adults came together for a weekend filled with classic camp activities, including a ropes course, mountaintop yoga, a pool party, and color war. Participants also celebrated Shabbat and gathered under the stars for Havdalah, marking the end of the Jewish Sabbath.
For some, it was their first experience with Jewish summer camp. For others, it brought back memories of summers spent at camp as children. The weekend also welcomed 10 participants from Israel, creating opportunities for cultural exchange, new friendships, and stronger connections between American and Israeli Jews.
As Trybal Gatherings CEO Carine Warsawski explained in the article, the goal is to bring people together through a shared experience that builds a real sense of Jewish community.
That connection is what makes these gatherings special. People step away from their everyday routines, put down their phones, spend time outdoors, and rediscover the joy of making new friends and reconnecting with old ones.
The Importance of Documenting These Experiences
As a photographer, my job is to capture what happens. But at a retreat like Trybal, there is so much more happening than what appears on a schedule.
It’s the spontaneous laughter between friends. The excitement during color war. The conversations that continue long after an activity ends. The moments of reflection during Shabbat. And the friendships forming between people who may have arrived as strangers.
Those are the moments I look for.
A photograph can freeze a moment in time, but its value often grows as the years pass. An image taken during a weekend retreat might become a favorite memory, a reminder of a friendship, or a way for someone to revisit a time when they felt connected to something bigger than themselves.
For the people in the photographs, these aren’t just pictures from an event. They are pieces of their personal stories.
And for an organization like Trybal Gatherings, photography helps tell that story to the people who weren’t there. It shows prospective campers what the experience feels like, gives the community a way to relive the weekend, and helps communicate the organization’s mission long after everyone has packed up and headed home.
A Photograph That Tells the Story
Some photographs capture an event. Others capture a feeling.
This group portrait from Trybal SoCal 2026 at Camp Ramah in Ojai is a reminder of what makes these retreats special. With the mountains in the background and the last of the afternoon sun lighting up the group, everyone came together for a photograph that represents more than just a weekend away.
After documenting Trybal Gatherings retreats since August 2021, I’ve learned that the best part of this work isn’t simply photographing the scheduled activities. It’s documenting the people, the friendships, and the sense of community that develop along the way.
A photograph like this gives everyone something to look back on. It’s a way to remember who was there, the experiences they shared, and the connections they made. Years from now, these images can bring people right back to that moment, reminding them of the friendships and memories that started at camp.
That’s why I keep coming back with my camera. The weekend eventually ends, everyone returns to their everyday lives, and the next retreat begins to take shape. But the photographs remain, preserving a little piece of the experience for everyone who was part of it.
Every Year, a New Story to Tell
One of the things I appreciate most about returning to Trybal Gatherings is that no two retreats are exactly alike. The locations, activities, and people may change, but the underlying purpose remains the same: bringing people together.
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to document the energy of these retreats, from outdoor adventures and group activities to the quieter moments that can be just as meaningful. Being there year after year also means seeing how these experiences fit into the larger story of the organization and its community.
It’s easy to focus on the big moments, the group photos, the organized activities, and the events everyone remembers. But sometimes the most meaningful photographs happen in between those moments, when people aren’t thinking about the camera and are simply enjoying being there.
That’s why I believe documenting experiences like these matters. The photographs become part of the history of the community, preserving not just what happened, but the people and connections that made it matter.
More Than Photography
The Jewish Journal article is a reminder that Trybal Gatherings is about much more than recreating summer camp for adults. It’s about giving people a place to connect with their roots, build friendships, and find a sense of belonging.
I’m grateful to play a small part in preserving those experiences.
Being invited back year after year is meaningful to me because it gives me the opportunity to keep documenting a community as it grows. And when one of those photographs finds its way into a publication covering the impact of the organization, it reinforces why the work is worth doing.
Long after the last activity ends and everyone returns to their regular routines, the photographs remain.
The friendships continue. The memories stay with people. And the images give everyone another way to revisit the experience.
That’s the part of photography I value most. It’s not just about documenting a weekend. It’s about helping preserve something that matters.
Read the original article: Trybal Gatherings Brings Jewish Summer Camp to Young Adults in Ojai, by Kylie Ora Lobell, published in the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles.
Links
Link To ALL Gear – https://www.amazon.com/shop/jaybelsky