Nitzanim: A Taste of Galil

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It was really only a matter of time before we piloted a program to integrate younger chanchim (campers) into life at machaneh (camp). It took a lot of work to create our pre-3rd graders here, but we finally managed to do it. On Wednesday morning Margot, Maya, Rachel, and Sophie arrived at Galil not knowing much about what they would encounter over the next four days. The goal of the program is to give younger campers a taste of life at machaneh (camp) including varied parts of our seder yom daily schedule and even get to see shabbat! As you can see by this picture, these girls and their madrichot (counselors), Molly and Talia, are taking their time at Galil very seriously. Just the way we like it.

Even though the program is technically called "Taste of Galil," we gave them a shicvah (age group) name to fit into the swing of Galil life. We are calling them Nitzanim, which is the hebrew word for buds or blooms. Makes sense, right? The Nitzanim will be here until Sunday morning, and we hope to leave nothing but a sweet taste in their mouths and an eager feeling for the summer to come.

...Check out until Sunday and Shabbat Shalom

M.C. SHMOLLY

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!

...Check out

M.C. SHMOLLY

Kupa Trip: The Day the Zag Swag Was Born

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After a rough night of zombie survival we made it to the morning with nothing but a few scratches on us. And little did the chanichim (campers) know, they were in for another adventure--another day, another plot, and another opportunity to be quite silly. It all began like this: when sports was called on the ram kol (loudspeaker), the chanichim were informed that we were having special sports today in honor of the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth coming to the throne. Okay, so we made up a holiday, but it

helped explain everything

that would follow.

We ran a series of special sports: knitting, strolling, croquet, tea party, and cards where everybody acted with the utmost propriety and a certain swagger (if you will). Then, following sports we sent everybody back to their their tzrifim (cabins) to put on their queen's best for lunch. And upon the end of lunch, each of the kids were invited to a carriage ride in the parking lot where they boarded the buses and headed off to "tour the bridges of bucks county" or so they thought.

About an hour later, three buses pulled into to Pine Creek Mini Golf Course in Ringoes, NJ. This was not your ordinary Mini Golf course, it was much more...extravagant. It looked more like a challenge course, which we were surprisingly up for. Around 36 groups traveled the 36 holes of the upper and lower course, assessing and creating strategy for each and every stop. Some got two on a par four and some got a six on a par three, but just like these three fine gentlemen,

Ben, Ben, and Dan learned, it's not just about the skill, but it's also about the strategy and the support.

At the end of the day, when the course had been conquered, we had all bonded sufficiently, and Dan Zager putted on par or under for each hole (hence the Zag Swag), we loaded back on to the buses to head back to machaneh (camp). JUST KIDDING! We had one more stop before heading home: to Mamma D's, a local Ottsville Italian restaurant that cooks using nothing less than the food they grow in their own back yard. Good eats, no doubt.

We happily ate and digested Ottsville's best while reflecting on a day well spent. And now as tochnit erev (the evening program) winds down, we will all sleep soundly and brace ourselves for another day and another adventure.

...Check out

M.C. SHMOLLY

Zombie Survival Guide: Galil Style

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A little over two weeks ago Galil's tzevet (staff) gathered for a very serious peulah (program) to

discuss if we could seriously handle a zombie invasion while protecting machaneh (camp), the chanichim (campers), and ourselves. The verdict in our optimistic nature is that, yes, we could.

It is important to note that just because we are in the Galil bubble, it doesn't exempt us from the New Moon and tales from beyond media hype. Also, a zombie invasion serves as a great metaphor for what motivates us to take responsibility for one another and ourselves. In case you missed it, that's the take-home message: we need to do what it takes to protect and care for our community.

And so, the tzevet gathered to devise a real plan for real considerations of a real zombie invasion. So when it came time to plan a yom meuchad (special day) that is educationally based in an intensely creative way, putting our zombie plan to the test seemed like a totally viable option.

Last night the zombies came to machaneh, gushing

with the best stage make-up tzevet can offer.

And now in the most pacifistic way possible, we are training an army to fight the zombies. Of course we will fight the good fight and of course we will win and goodness will prevail, but not without

some crazy stunts between now and then. For serious training we have rented a forty-foot inflatable obstacle course to test speed and agility of our community (this may just be the highlight of everyone's summer). Currently, we are all testing out the use of massive amounts of shaving cream as a zombie repellent, and it may just take a visit from the Ottsville Fire Department (yes we went there) to use their hoses, flashy lights, and maybe the sirens to finish off the last of the zombies. Good triumphs over evil

yet again.

...Check out and beware of zombies

M.C. SHMOLLY