Welcome to the last (INSERT WEEKLY TRADITION HERE) of Machaneh Galil 2010

Check in...

With a little less than 70 hours left in Galil's 2010 summer, every hour and minute start to count. Big time. Some chanichim (campers) have started to filter out for sports pre-season or family vacation, leaving the rest of us bracing ourselves until the end for the end. We tend to start our weekly traditional programming with a welcome, "Welcome to the first Musicale of summer 2o1o," which at the start of the summer fills us with all of the excitement to come. However, when we have just completed "The last Hyde Park of Galil 2010" and madrichim

(counselors) making announcements about how many hours we have left in the summer, the chanichim tend to respond angrily, but really it's because they are incredibly sad to leave.

Chanichim send their last slew of letters home to their families that may possibly arrive on the days that they all get home. Strange to think about. And yet, these last three days will feel like an eternity and fly by all at the same time. During the last shira (song time) before our last pizza lunch, va'ada shira (the song committee) teaches the song Hahamerosh about welcoming the Sabbath Queen, as if they were teaching it for any

other week. In the meantime, the Madatz (CITs) worked in the chadar ochel (dining hall) making the challot for shabbat for the last time. They cover the tops with cinnamon sugar for a sweet shabbat and they braid the last of their dough. They chat with their kvutzah (group) mates about not just running their last peulat shicvah (age-group program) for their chanichim, but also about what appears to be an end to their growing up process at machaneh (camp). Little do they know, as well as the rest of the chanichim, that the growing from here never really stops.

Last night tzevet mitbach (the kitchen staff), had

dinner with a former rosh mitbach (head of the kitchen) from over ten summers ago who shared with the group that he tries very hard to run his business with the same practices that we use here; everyone sitting in a circle with a time to share their piece and establish equal playing ground. For the parents, families, and friends out there it may be easy to quantify how a summer here has impacted the life of your friends, children, families, etc... but for us in the inside, it's impact gains clarity over time. Whatever it is though, whatever we do here touches everybody who crosses our bridge.

*The sentimental and nostalgic nature of this post was only to make way for all of the excitement and mayhem to take place over the next three days. Deepest apologies for the sappiness.

...Check out until Sunday and Shabbat Shalom!

M.C. SHMOLLY

PS. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KALI S, ROBYN P, BEN H, and HANNAH B!