One afternoon this week, while driving my car, as soon as I stopped at a red light, the air conditioning began blowing hot air. It was a hot day, and the air conditioning was on at full blast, so the effect of the hot air was immediate. As soon as I began driving again, the air reverted to being cold.

In Camp Dora Golding, we invest a lot of time and effort to develop a Tish’ah B’Av morning program that will inspire our campers and hopefully resonate with them. As is the practice in many shuls and camps, we don’t recite too many kinos. But each one that we do say is introduced by one of the camp rebbeim, followed by an inspiring and relevant video.

It’s ironic but, as an eighth-grader, I did not want to attend Yeshiva Shaarei Torah. My older brother was there, and my parents felt it would be a good fit for me as well, but I didn’t agree.

Looking back, 30 years later, I am ever grateful that my parents insisted on sending me to Yeshiva Shaarei Torah. The Yeshiva became my second home for many wonderful years.

Shortly after we arrived here in camp a few weeks ago, I opened one of our kitchen cabinets and an odious smell wafted from it. I quickly closed it, hoping it was my imagination. But a few hours later, my wife confirmed that there was a terrible smell emanating from that cabinet, like something was rotting.