The Separation of Shabbat and Week Days

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Though the blog has not been posted on Shabbat for the past two weeks, due to a Madatz

Revolution, a day-long internet malfunction, and less than 24 hours before visitors day, we owe you an update.

First of all, for those of you coming to see us tomorrow, here is a list of which tzevet (staff)

members work with each shicvah (age group) so you know who to keep an eye out for.

Amelim (Post 3-4th Grade)

Josh R

Erez
Shaun
Molly B

Yuval

Tal

Chotrim (Post 5th Grade)

Elie
H Pot

Shira PN

Shira L

Lois

Sayarim (Post 6th Grade)
Louis

Dan
Shula

Leora
Talia

Tzofim (Post 7th Grade)

Max

Adiv

Yaron
Allie

Jodi

Nuri

Bonim (Post 8th Grade)
Pele

Eli

Amit K

Shuli
Elissa

Danielle

Bogrim (Post 9th Grade)

Nate

Mikey

Levi

Anna

Nitzan

Sara

Matatz (Post 11th Grade CIT Program)

Amit Bob

Kali

Melechet Yad (Art Room Staff)

Shira S

Carla

Matzilim (Life Guards)

Jacob

Julie

Gan (Garden Specialist)

Jocelyn

Driver

Zack A-S

Melavim (X-Factor/Supervision Liaisons)

Shiah
Zac LG

Tzevet Mitbach
Naomi "Bubbis" - Rosh Mitbach (Head of Kitchen)

Phil

Chef Nick

Lev

Dustin

Gili "G Unit"

Hillary

Mazkirut (Directors)

Dave - Rosh Machaneh (Director)

Josh - Merakez Techni (Technical Director)

Molly - Merakezet Chinuch (Educational Director)

Ronit - Shilicha (Israel Programs Director)

And now down to business.

We use shabbat as a time in the week to relax, check in within ourselves, and with one another. Because of this, we have an entirely different schedule to separate ourselves from the rest of the week. We don't do our daily avodah (job), where the chanichim (campers) and tzevet (staff) each are responsible for maintaining a certain part of machaneh (camp) throughout the week. So in addition to the elimination of the work aspect of the week, we operate a very low maintenance and "chill", as the chanichim call it, day.

A really nice example of this is the way that we do Saturday lunch. Throughout the years, lunch on shabbat has always remained the same in menu: cheese, tuna, egg salad, bean salad, and chips but it's content used to move around a lot. There were years where people would eat by

their machaneh-designated mishpachot (families), or by region where all of the chanichim from Cheltenham would eat in one location, the chanichim from New York and Connecticut would eat in another, etc..., but the version we have settled on has been the most successful is having the chanichim just eat lefi shicvah (with their age group). This way they get an opportunity to be with one another in a structured, yet informal way.

One new addition to Saturday lunches is that the Amelim have started to eat with the Bogrim in groups called "AmBo Buddies." In the beginning of the session, each chanich/a in Amelim is paired with 1-2 chanichim in Bogrim to be a friend

and mentor to them throughout the summer. So as lunch was served today, the AmBo's could be found sitting in front of the Chadar Ochel (Dining Hall) and chatting some quietly and some loudly with their AmBo Buddies. One interaction seemed better than the next!

And for tomorrow:

Visitors Day starts at 12PM and ends at 4PM. There will be some time in the beginning to eat lunch and shmooze to your heart's desire, then a short program featuring Machaneh Galil 20TEN and some of our camp committee members, and then time to see your chanichim in motion during a peulah (program) planned by their madrichim (counselors) specially for all of you!

We will be selling some food and drinks to keep you cool, because tomorrow in Ottsville will be hot! And we will also be selling some of our new merchandise in addition to the t-shirts we sell to benefit the Camper Scholarship Fund.

Can't wait to see you all here!

...Check out

M.C. SHMOLLY

BoZman Breaks and Rainy Days

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Now that we have previously explained our extreme-heat adaptation, it's not too much of a

stretch to have a rain plan as well. Considering the four straight weeks without rain, it was hard

to imagine that we might actually need a back up plan--for all we knew the oceans could have

dried up, but the rain has finally come. It must have been the rain dance that the bonim (post 8th grade) created last week and performed for the machaneh (camp). The one major changes we have on rainy days, oddly like on hot days, is the way that we operate our sports. If the ground isn't too slippery then we will have the options of rain soccer, or the more preferred option: a movie in the refet (barn). Over the past two days we have watched all of Space Jam,

due to it's sports and team-work orientation, and half of Mrs. Doubtfire.

Along with the rain has come a day full rebellion, in the way that we encourage. Part of our leadership training, is an opportunity for our oldest campers, the bogrim (post 9th grade) to run a part of the day. In tonight's case, and

unbeknown to the chanichim (campers), the bogrim are running the tochnit erev (evening program). This happens every year during first session and we call it BoZman (the Bo is for Bogrim and Zman means time). The Bogrim, in desire for their independence, "kick out" the madrichim (counselors) and (CITs) madatz. The quotes surround "kick out" because what the chanichim also don't realize that we are all just 100 ft away in the next building. It's empowering for the bogrim and the chanichim and reinforces the notion of taking a stand, which we so thoroughly encourage in this tiny community of ours. But more on that tomorrow.

In this picture, three of our Bogrot, Reba, Heather, and Naomi, pose as "The Plastics" for their fake BoCoup (Like BoZman, but a half day program they run second session), themed after the movie Mean Girls. In the fakes situation, the bogrim pretended that today was BoCoup and then brought the chanichim to the refet to "watch a movie" where they found their madrichim waiting for them when they arrived.

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M.C. SHMOLLY

World Cup 2010: They'll Call me Freedom Just Like a Waving Flag...

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Somehow we have managed to keep the results of the World Cup final secret to

everybody at Camp Galil--and it will remain a secret until the entire machaneh (camp) watches the game tonight. All of the chanichim (campers) knew it was coming, but they didn't know how big it would be until we broke World Cup Night after lunch today. There was a buzz in the chadar ochel (dining hall) as lunch ended and hodaot (announcements) began. The whistle was blown and the mayhem began. Six fully-painted

madrichim and madatzim (counselors and CITs) sprinted into the chadar ochel representing the team colors of Spain: red and yellow, and Holland: orange and white.

All of the chanichim have been split into the two teams, Holland and Spain, in an almost old-

school Maccabiah style. They are currently stationed at their team headquarters where they will get decked out in their country's colors and learn their country's cheers. And where would we be without an educational component? The headquarters is also the location where each team learns about the history of their country and the history of the World Cup tournament.

This way, when the game begins, everybody at Machaneh Galil will be ready to bring out the ruach (spirit) as we bring on the game.

We are even distributing 200 kazoos to synthesize the sound of the Vuvuzela, the iconic noisemaker horns of this years' World Cup.

This year is the second time that we have hosted a World Cup Night, a tradition we hope to continue. Yesterday with Yom Yisrael and today in South Africa, we are literally trying to give our chanichim the world. In the video, the chanichim get up to sing the K'Naan song, "Waving Flag" which amplifies in chorus,

"When I get older, I will be stronger. They'll call me freedom just like a waving flag"

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M.C. SHMOLLY

Yom Yisrael, the FJC, Galil and HD

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When we close shabbat at the end of havdallah on Saturday night

we wish everyone a shavuah tov (a good week) before we head off to our weekly medurah (camp fire). Last night as everyone wished one another a shavuah tov, they had no idea what kind of great week they had in store. As the chanichim (campers) slept peacefully in their beds, the tzevet (staff) and madatz (CIT's) worked late into the night preparing for Yom Yisrael (Israel Day), so that when hashkamah (wake up) rolled around, Galil would be transformed into Israel...to the best of our ability.

Like all special days at Galil, this day followed a plot: Theodore Hertzl's 150th Birthday.

What would the founder of modern-day Zionism think about the happenings of Israel today? We sent Hertzl on a journey through the cities of Israel, featuring the music scene in Tel Aviv and the shuk (market) in Akko, we sent him to see different communities within the Israeli population, and we even sent him to a good-old-fashioned Maccabi Haifa vs. Hapoel Tel Aviv soccer/frisbee/basketball game.

Since the day is not yet finished, it is unclear about Hertzl's feelings about the here and now, but upon being asked about improvements to Israel and Israeli society, he replied "Im tirtzu ein zo agada" (if you will it, it is no dream). Classic Hertzl.

In the midst of all of the day's festivities, Galil was joined by some very special visitors: the Executive Committee of the Foundation for Jewish Camp. Galil and Habonim Dror have been working with the FJC for the past couple years on staff leadership development programs like the Cornerstone Fellowship and the Launchpad Fellowship,

while the FJC finds a place in their camping world and heart for Habonim Dror camping. They seemed to be very impressed with the thought and passion behind our programming and structure, and said that they

even managed to learn something in the brief time they were here. This is no surprise to us Galilnicks, we learn new things here every day too.

...Check out, Shavuah tov, and a heartfelt goodbye to our two-weekers,

M.C. SHMOLLY

Galil heads to Camel Beach

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Yesterday morning, the sleepy chanichim (campers) were woken up by the ram kol (loud speaker) announcing that it was Yom Yisrael (Israel Day), and that we were going to meet in the city Eliat, aka the chadar ochel (dining hall), for a celebration. Yet, as everyone finished breakfast, our Merakez Techni (Technical Director) Josh, announced that it was not actually Yom Yisrael, but the Kupa Trip instead.

Every session we take our chanchim on one very special outing that we call the Kupa Trip, which is easily one of the most anticipated days of each

session. The nature of the trip changes from year to year, from the classic dinner and a movie to a day in an adventure park. Yesterday was much closer to the latter-- we loaded all of

Machaneh (Camp) Galil on to the buses, and sent them up to Camel Beach, a water park in the Poconos.

As the chanichim entered the park and saw literally a mountain full of water rides and slides, they were more than over-joyed, considering the sweltering heat we went through over the past week.

There we spent the day just going with the flow on rides like the lazy river, or sliding down and a round at full speed on rides like The Vortex, which can be best explained like the flushing of a toilet. Bathroom humor aside,

The Vortex was definitely the fan favorite.

And to all of you concerned friends an family out there, everyone was adequately sun-screened.

Upon arrival back to machaneh yesterday evening, everyone enjoyed a shower, baked ziti, and a machaneh-wide movie night. Now we await shabbat, the rain and another exciting week to come.

...Check out and Shabbat Shalom

M.C. SHMOLLY

Making the Rounds in Sadnaot

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Tzevet (staff) at Galil is broken down into a few parts. The bulk of our tzevet is comprised of madrichim (counselors), then tzevet mitbach (kitchen staff), tzevet techni (tech staff), the Mazkirut (directors), and last, but certainly not least, our specialists. The specialists do

things like open the melechet yad (our art room) and water the gan (garden); but they also have roles as vital resources for a lot of things at machaneh (camp) that regular tzevet just can't provide. Because of this, we have a block each day designated specifically for the specialists called sadnaot (workshops). Each sadna is visited by a different kvutzah on a

schedule that rotates every two days; so throughout the course of the session, our chanichim get the opportunity to connect to mediums that they may not have been exposed to by choice.

Duirng sadnaot, chanichim who do not consider themselves to be "out doorsy" do leadership training on our low ropes course, or get their

hands a little muddy in the gan, or some of our chanichim who spend a lot of time on the migrash kadorsal (basketball court) get a chance to work on their visual arts and

expression in the melechet yad. Also, though we make a concerted effort to incorporate

ivrit (hebrew) into our day-to-day activities, we have a special z'man Yisrael (Israel Time) with our Israeli Mishlachat (ambassadors/counselors) to teach the chanichim a little more ivrit and what's up in Eretz Yisrael (The Land of Israel).

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M.C. SHMOLLY

Dude, You Must Chill!

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Even though today was the hottest day that good ol' Ottsville, PA has seen since the summer of 2001, we are managing to get along just fine. How you may ask? Well essentially we turn yom hamsin (hot days) into yom mayim (water day).

We drink outrageous amounts of water, we play in the pool, with the hoses and sprinklers, and in our beloved creek. Everybody has to stay cool

somehow, so we have spent most of the day just...splashing around. We understand that plans need to change from time to time, and nobody really minds spending the hottest days in and around the water.

Along those lines, water bottles are the new hot commodity at Machaneh (Camp) Galil.

Everybody, literally, just has to have one. For those who don't, three tzevet (staff) members have been making the rounds all day, dropping off cool water bottles so everyone has the opportunity to get in on the newest Galil fad: hydration.

For a place that puts heavy emphasis on equality throughout our community, we couldn't deprive our tzevet and chanichim (campers) of getting in on the action! A group of people sitting together at lunch got so excited about hydration that they collectively drank over 600 ounces of water! Pretty refreshing, huh?

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M.C. SHMOLLY