Shalom Galil Parents!
This last week has been a busy one, full of excitement and joy for all the kids. On Wednesday we left Machaneh to go on our Kupa Trip. The excursion commenced with some rousing rounds of mini golf! Alex S. in Amelim got a hole-in-one. The kids also got a chance to run rampant in an arcade filled with video games and classics like skeeball and air hockey! When the kids won big, they pooled their tickets by schikvah (age group) to get the biggest prizes in the arcade. They had pizza and ice-cream before going roller-skating. At the rink they did the hokey-pokey and turned themselves around. That’s what it’s all about.
The following day was Bo-coup. Bo-coup is a unique leadership opportunity for the oldest chanichim, the bogrim (10th graders) to run fun activities for the younger children. The theme was board games and the kids played twister and a giant chess match. Everyone had a great time.
Tonight the whole Machaneh enjoyed tochnit erev (evening activity) Air Bands. All the kids rocked out to their favorite tunes. After that we went to final mesiba (party), which was spectacular. We watched a slideshow of pictures from camp that our wonderful photography Ohad took throughout the summer. We ate ice-cream and danced to pop music.
We are saddened to see Machaneh come to a close, but we are looking forward to seeing all of you one last time, tomorrow afternoon. Not to worry, we’ll see you all year around at ken events! Eizor Galil has a fantastic year in store for the chanichim.
Have a good year and see you next summer,
Dusty and Nora
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Shalom Galil parents!
Recently, here at machaneh, we have been all about the arts! Last night, the Bogrim (10th graders) addressed the timeless question, "What is art?" in a serious discussion about the way we define and use the word. To get the conversation going, they perused a 'gallery' that included famous paintings and photos, headphones playing classical and pop music, and some kitsch lawn decorations from the local dollar store. Everyone learned something and thought a lot, and the importance of creativity and expression for all was emphasized.
Today the Madatz (counselors-in-training) received a special visit from Theater Ariel, a theater company that focuses on conflict education. Members of the company ran drama exercises that explored the multi-faceted nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Meanwhile, Chug Soapstone (run by our illustrious Associate Director, Bart Davis) used their carving skills to create Judaica items. Alison S. from Bogrim made a hamsa, a mystical Sephardic symbol traditionally thought to protect against evil.
Love,
Nora and Dusty
Recently, here at machaneh, we have been all about the arts! Last night, the Bogrim (10th graders) addressed the timeless question, "What is art?" in a serious discussion about the way we define and use the word. To get the conversation going, they perused a 'gallery' that included famous paintings and photos, headphones playing classical and pop music, and some kitsch lawn decorations from the local dollar store. Everyone learned something and thought a lot, and the importance of creativity and expression for all was emphasized.
Today the Madatz (counselors-in-training) received a special visit from Theater Ariel, a theater company that focuses on conflict education. Members of the company ran drama exercises that explored the multi-faceted nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Meanwhile, Chug Soapstone (run by our illustrious Associate Director, Bart Davis) used their carving skills to create Judaica items. Alison S. from Bogrim made a hamsa, a mystical Sephardic symbol traditionally thought to protect against evil.
Love,
Nora and Dusty
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Shalom Galil Parents,
We just finished a very busy week here at Galil. On Wednesday the entire Bogrim schikva went to an Ultimate Frisbee tournament for Philadelphia area Jewish camps at JRF, a Reconstructionist machaneh. We had a fun time meeting other Jewish youth and playing them at frisbee. Although we didn’t win the tournament, we were given the award for best ruach (spirit).
That night the entire machaneh played Zap. Zap is a great game where the kids have to run and crawl their way across the camp. The madrichim patrol the grounds with flashlights and if they “zap” a kid, he or she has to go back to the beginning. Even though it’s a very simple game, everyone gets very excited. The kids dress in black and try their best to find hiding spots as they come across the fields. In the end, everyone gets to the other side.
The following day was Revo, when the madatz (CITs) run all the activities. This session’s revo theme was Life in a Day. Starting at birth and ending at old age, the Madatz ran activities themed around the major events in one’s life. For example, there was a Mock Bar Mitzvah, complete with a torah portion and a DJ, and some raucous games of Coke and Pepsi.
On Friday the Bogrim (10th grade) left Galil to meet their counterparts from Habonim Dror Camps Moshava and Na’aleh for Mifgash. We took a coach bus (very nice!) down to Moshava Friday morning, and played a number of icebreakers and name-games with their Bogrim. We joined their whole Machaneh for the traditional Shabbat activities, shira (singing Shabbat songs), rikud (Israeli dancing), and an oneg (play). We got to see the ways those activities were similar and different at Moshava. The following day we did more activities as a regional Bogrim, learning about each-other and the Habonim Dror movement. Next year is MBI and kids from all the HDNA machanot (camps) will come together to visit and learn about Israel. The kids got to meet friends that they will be joining for the journey next year.
Sunday we joined the Jewish Relief Agency to help provide food to elderly Jewish people in the Philadelphia area. First we went down to their warehouse to load kosher food into boxes. Then we brought the boxes onto our buses and went door to door delivering the food. Many of the kids got to meet and talk with the people that were receiving the food. It was a very educational experience, as well as a great Mitzvah.
Shalom lekulam,
Dusty and Nora
We just finished a very busy week here at Galil. On Wednesday the entire Bogrim schikva went to an Ultimate Frisbee tournament for Philadelphia area Jewish camps at JRF, a Reconstructionist machaneh. We had a fun time meeting other Jewish youth and playing them at frisbee. Although we didn’t win the tournament, we were given the award for best ruach (spirit).
That night the entire machaneh played Zap. Zap is a great game where the kids have to run and crawl their way across the camp. The madrichim patrol the grounds with flashlights and if they “zap” a kid, he or she has to go back to the beginning. Even though it’s a very simple game, everyone gets very excited. The kids dress in black and try their best to find hiding spots as they come across the fields. In the end, everyone gets to the other side.
The following day was Revo, when the madatz (CITs) run all the activities. This session’s revo theme was Life in a Day. Starting at birth and ending at old age, the Madatz ran activities themed around the major events in one’s life. For example, there was a Mock Bar Mitzvah, complete with a torah portion and a DJ, and some raucous games of Coke and Pepsi.
On Friday the Bogrim (10th grade) left Galil to meet their counterparts from Habonim Dror Camps Moshava and Na’aleh for Mifgash. We took a coach bus (very nice!) down to Moshava Friday morning, and played a number of icebreakers and name-games with their Bogrim. We joined their whole Machaneh for the traditional Shabbat activities, shira (singing Shabbat songs), rikud (Israeli dancing), and an oneg (play). We got to see the ways those activities were similar and different at Moshava. The following day we did more activities as a regional Bogrim, learning about each-other and the Habonim Dror movement. Next year is MBI and kids from all the HDNA machanot (camps) will come together to visit and learn about Israel. The kids got to meet friends that they will be joining for the journey next year.
Sunday we joined the Jewish Relief Agency to help provide food to elderly Jewish people in the Philadelphia area. First we went down to their warehouse to load kosher food into boxes. Then we brought the boxes onto our buses and went door to door delivering the food. Many of the kids got to meet and talk with the people that were receiving the food. It was a very educational experience, as well as a great Mitzvah.
Shalom lekulam,
Dusty and Nora
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Shalom Galil Parents!
Yesterday was Yom Meyuchad, a day where we throw out the normal schedule and do machaneh wide peulot (activities) themed around a particular story or idea. This session our theme was Wicked and The Wizard of Oz. We told the Oz story through skits and peulot while incorporating chinuch (education) about bigotry and prejudice, a major part of the Wicked story. For one peula, we played The Weakest Link. Each schikva (age group) had contestants and they had to decide who to vote off after each round. We also played a game of capture the flag where all the tzevet (staff) and madatz (CITs) were flying monkeys and the kids had to recover Glenda the Good Witch’s crystal ball. That night we had a fun dance party with party booths like Arm-Wrestling with the Tin Man and Stuffing the Scare Crow. Kids danced, played the games, and had a good time. Everyone was very worn out by bedtime so we enjoyed a short sleep-in this morning.
Dusty V’Nora
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