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
