Second Session: The Time Whirlwind

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During second session at machaneh (camp) everything just kind of happens--days feel like weeks and weeks like days. The end sneaks up on all of us even though we know it's coming. There is something about life here where we are all present in the here and now and not really the past or the future. It's part of the bliss of summer, just to live each day for what it offers. It's actually quite calming, we don't have to deal with the hustles and bustles of home life so it's easy to forget that the rest of you do.

We definitely get reminders from time to time though that the outside world still exists, like

when we enter into it. Yesterday morning as the Bogrim (post 9th graders) finished breakfast and cleaning their tzrifim (cabins), they put on their Galil 2010 and they piled onto the bus to Camp JRF for a Ultimate Frisbee tournament. Chanichim from around the same age from Camp JRF, URJ Camp Harlem, and Young Judea's Camp Tel Yehudah and Galil played four Ultimate games against one another all throughout the afternoon. Though we try not to overly emphasize competition, there are a few ways to succeed at this tournament, aside from winning the tournament itself (We came in 3rd place, but that's not the point...for us).

One way to succeed at the tournament is

befriending your competitors, which our Bogrim did within 15 minutes of our arrival. They brought the trigger games/ice breakers that they use to start their peulot (programs) and then proceeded to play them throughout the day in conjunction with their Ultimate games. Also by doing this, we can't help but infuse parts of our culture within other Jewish camps. Another camper from Camp JRF said to some of our chanichim "I can't believe how much cooler than us you are" to which our chanichim responded "You guys are really great too, and it's not cooler or better or worse, we're just different"

This leads to another way to succeed in the tournament, in which each camp rates one another after their initial games on a scale of 1-10 for "The Spirit of the Game Award." This is rated by support for one another and the other team, great ruach (spirit), and the way that they approach the game. So Galil, for a fourth year in a row, got the Spirit of the Game Award! So we didn't win the actual game, but by the end of the day it just didn't matter that much. We all had a great time, made new friends, and spread some of our fantastic ruach throughout some Jewish Camps in our area. Great success!

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M.C. SHMOLLY