Though it's a great way to practice democracy, it doesn't just happen before Independence Day

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Every Friday after lunch, we have a nearly twenty-year-old tradition of doing an activity we call Hyde Park. Based on the Hyde Park in London, England where people go up to the

talking rock and can say anything they want just as long as it doesn't insult The Queen, our chanichim (campers) follow a similar practice...but clearly with much more swagger. Here's how it works: all of the chanichim sit on a circle of benches in the location we have conveniently named after its purpose (Hyde Park), and in the center of the circle is a multi-colored tire.

Chanichim must "strut" up to the tire, without running, and the first person or group to reach the tire in a creative and fair way gets to go up to our talking rock and say pretty much whatever they want.

For the most part, comments include things like "I want more meals that include bananas" or "Last night's tochnit erev (evening program) was so cool, we should have it second session too." One of the mazkirut (administrators/directors) members writes down

all of the comments so

that the people to whom the feedback is given, can receive it constructively and make necessary adaptations or changes. This time is highly valued by are community for the sheer reason that we give each individual the option to voice their thoughts, feelings, and opinions in a constructive and safe way. Some people are only in it for the strut, which

is a great way to express your goofiness and creativity to the rest of the machaneh (camp) and others are in it because they know that we are all capable of being agents of positive change.

...Check out, Shabbat Shalom, and see you on July 4th!

M.C. SHMOLLY

So much to Gan in one summer!

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In the summer of 2006 we built the gan (garden) next to Hyde Park. It took a group of overzealous seventeen-year-olds with a strong love for wearing overalls and seven hard-working weeks, but at the end of that summer we had the first real functional gan in a long time.

We started out small with plants like mint, basil, and snap peas, but four years down the road, our gan has nearly trippled in size. We still grow peas, mint, and basil but now we have the space to grow lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant. So not only is the gan a great source for our seasonings and salads, but it is also a great place for informal learning and growth to take place.

Every day we work on and water the gan, we pick the herbs and vegetables, we run peulot (programs) with Jocelyn our Gan Specialist, and we sit and enjoy the aromatic mint and basil that grows four-years strong in our free time. At this point, the gan is a fantastic way for us to actualize upon our agricultural roots, seeing as the origins of Habonim camping trace back to farming communities modeled after the Israeli Kibbutz. It seems more than appropriate that

once every decade or so we make a concerted effort to reconnect with the roots that got us to where we are today. How fitting then, that we use plants and their roots to help connect us with ours.

Here is a picture of our beloved gan.

...Check out and Viva la Dance Party

M.C. SHMOLLY

Five Years Ago, Today, and Five Years from Now

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In the summer of 2005 the Sayarim (post 6th graders) wrote letters to themselves

for the summer of 2010 when they would be in Madatz (our post 11th grade counselor training program). Each of the chanichim (campers) addressed

future aspirations, the status of their friendships, and their feelings about that summer. Their madrachim (counselors) wrote letters too, addressing some of the same points including their thoughts about that kvutzah (group), what their chanichim would be doing in the summer of 2010, and what they would be doing as well. After the summer of 2005, one of their madrachim and one of their madatzim buried all of the letters and keepsakes in a large plastic tub in a secret location only to be revealed, well, today.

Time capsules happen all the time here--perhaps one every summer.

Seldom though, are those who buried the time capsules present for the follow-through and reveal. So about one foot under Galil's historically-rich ground there are probably enough letters and keepsakes from chanichim over the past 64 years to fill a museum. But this summer and this time capsule happens to be different. That particular madatz who helped bury the time capsule five years ago happens to be at Galil this summer. A former Sayarim madrich from that summer also happens to be working at Galil (not the one who buried the time capsule though, he is getting a PhD in Colorado). So at 10:45 this morning, the Madatz were lead to the secret spot with two shovels and they began to dig.

Remarkably, all but two of the madatz here this summer

had dampened, but legible, letters from their twelve-year-old selves--along with bracelets, a fan, a few pictures, and two pairs of boxer shorts (?). For the greater part of an hour, the madatzim read their letters and shared funny anecdotes with one another and with their madrachim both past and present. Now with chanichim of their own, the madatzim discussed what it takes to connect with a chanich/a that they might have trouble relating too, or try and get behind what would motivate a twelve-year-old to leave a pair of boxer shorts in a time capsule. They acknowledged the power in reconnecting with their past to better understand their present. A lot can happen in five years, perhaps in 2015 those same madatzim will be digging up time capsules that they buried in the year 2010 and then blogging about it.

...Check out

M.C. SHMOLLY

Food's for Thought but Not for Waste!

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Each week all of the tzrifim (cabins) get inspected. Beds are made with the pillows head-to-toe, the floor is swept, and all of the lights and fans are turned off. Conservation. We flip off switches to conserve energy and in the chadar ochel (dining hall) we tell the chanichim (campers) to "take what you need, and eat what you take." Aside from being a clever phrase to chant, we are going for a zero-food waste summer. Our hope is that by drawing attention to how much food we waste at each meal, those numbers will decrease over the summer. We started on Sunday night with 42lbs of collective waste, to 18lbs at dinner Monday night, to 12lbs today at lunch. Another fun phrase to chant is "ein lanu bizbuz" (we don't waste), which a table gets to proudly chant if their table doesn't produce any bizbuz (waste) at a meal. At breakfast

three tables cheered loud and proud!

At the rate that these numbers are falling, a zero-food waste summer is no longer just a nice thought, but a very attainable goal. We'll let you know as the numbers get closer to zero. Also, something to note is that food that is considered compostable is not included in weighing the food that we waste. After each meal, we have a compost bucket in the middle of the chadar ochel for things like orange peels and apple cores that we then dispose of in the compost pile we

keep behind our mitbach (kitchen). In the meantime, this is a great way to practice what we preach and give our community something to work towards together.

Tzevet members and chanichim alike rejoice in our conservation efforts after lunch

...Check out

-M.C. SHMOLLY

Sporting Our Style Even on the Hottest of Days

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Though the weather today in Ottsville neared record highs we couldn't let that get in the way of everything we had to do. Sometimes you just have to add a hose to a soccer game or give schiah chofshit (free swim) as an alternative to running and yoga, we have to adapt whatever gets thrown our way. So on days like today, that means keeping the chanichim (campers) cool and hydrated. During hodaot (announcements) after meals we tell them "lishtot harbeh, harbeh mayim" (to drink a lot, a lot of water). This announcement was made after the chanichim got their first taste of Chef Nick's famous barbecue chicken and black bean burgers which left the chanichim and tzevet (staff) alike licking their fingers and asking for more.

This afternoon brings more fun as the chanichim start going to their daily sadnaot (workshops) lead by our excited specialist staff who will teach a new group of chanichim to explore some of the different things that Galil has to offer; like the gan (garden) and how all it grows, to low ropes and trust-building activities, to craft projects in the Melechet Yad, or to a taste of Israel lead by our Israeli staff. After sadnaot, the kids will find out their chugim (clubs/special interest groups) which they attend daily throughout the session. Some are pretty goofy, like acting like a pirate with Adiv and Leora, or celebrating the Holiday of the Day with Elissa and Kali and others take on more of a "serious" nature like making mini sculptures out of Soapstone with our Associate Director, Bart. No matter what the chanichim choose to do, chugim is definitely everyone's favorite part of the day.

Here are some madatz with chanichim keeping cool in the pool

And here is an all-ages soccer game going on with a hose ready on the other end of the field to cool off our hard-working players.

...Check out

M.C. SHMOLLY

Yom Rishon: The Start of a Great Summer!

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Opening day! Our chanichim (campers) nested in their new tzrifim (cabins) as their families got them all checked in and garbed out, and over the course of three hours, at least 300 silly bands had been traded. Dave, our Rosh Machaneh (head of camp/Director), schmoozed with roshim from the past four decades who were now moving their kids into Galil and entrusting our tzevet (staff) with their children and their children's well being. The chanichim said their goodbyes, and with the departure of the last family member, we could finally start our summer right: with grilled cheese, tomato soup, and 35 minutes of fun and rowdy shira (singing) that could easily be heard all the way from Route 611.

As the chanichim sit with their schavot (age groups) playing ice breakers, name games, and learning the ropes, there is a buzz in the Ottsville air about the start of one of those summers that just can't be beat. This is what we have prepared for and we are finally ready after an intensive staff training and a year of anticipation. Within days each shicvah will develop a personality of its

own and machaneh (camp) will develop its culture and life. More to come tomorrow!

(In the picture Josh from Tzevet Amelim help some of the Amels figure out how to use the wild water fountain without spraying everyone!)

The Bogrim play a round of the name game shoe toss to meet the new members of their shicvah and reconnect with the old.

More great Galil stuff coming your way tomorrow!

...Check Out

M.C. SHMOLLY