The Camp Gilboa Blog

Last weekend was our annual Fall Seminar! Chanichimot came together from Los Angeles, the Bay, and San Diego for a weekend of camp fun!  If you missed it or can't wait for the next one, make sure to mark your calendar now for Spring Seminar - March 29-31, 2019! Keep scrolling for pics and to hear from Sophia, a first-time madricha (counselor)! Friday As chanichimot arrived on Friday evening we played games and hung out by kvutsah (age group) to get to know each other and our madrichimot (counselors). High schoolers from our justice-oriented program Tzedek led us in a Shabbat dinner. As per Friday night tradition, we did rikkud (Israeli dancing) in the library before we went to bed. Saturday After breakfast Saturday morning we had pish (experiential learning activity) by kvutzah around themes of creation as a means to challenge consumerist norms. The younger kvutzor learned about the environment and why we need to find more sustainable options. They loo...

Hi everyone!  We've written extensively about Amelimot's creations and building projects, and the resulting frog wedding. Here's the wedding video for your enjoyment.

Hello!!  This is Tzevet Shomrot 2018 here to talk about our favorite subject: our awesome girls.  An all-girl kvutza isn’t something that happens often at Gilboa and we wanted to make the most of this unique opportunity. Having the whole kvutza in one tzrif (cabin) meant double the time for bonding, stories, and LOTS of card games. It also meant that we could focus the education for the session on topics that we felt the Shomrot would feel especially passionate about. They had a lot to say in our peula (educational activity) on capitalism and body image as well as many thoughts to share about the education system. On Yom Kvutza, a half day where each age group gets to spend time with each other, the Shomrot transformed into the Frog Scouts - an experience that was described partially on the blog already - they earned badges for aquatic skills, plant knowledge, and for taking down the Beast that had been terrorizing Gilboa for weeks.  But the best part of wor...

Hey all!    It’s Tzevet Amelimot 2018 here! The kiddos just left and we hope it isn’t too cliche, but we’re all feeling a little sad! It was a wonderful session and we weren’t ready for all the fun to be over. As such, we thought we would share a story about the kvutzah (age group) that we think really captures their experience this summer…   There’s a water spigot near their tzrifim (bunks) that, if left on for long enough, creates a tiny river in the ground surrounding it. Once the kids realized this, they began building a river; complete with filters, damns, walls, and pools. And as we know, if you build it they will come. Soon frogs and toads from all over machaneh (camp) flocked to the beautiful water oasis! The kids named the frogs, knew who was who, and carefully observed their interactions. They noticed that two particular froggies, Tiny Tina and Mini Mike, spent more time together than most— which obviously meant they were in love. What followed was the most b...

In yesterday's Yom Kvutza - a special day chanichimot spend together with their age group connecting and collaborating on different projects, Amelimot (5th graders) built a beautiful fort and maze and designed a whole adventure around it. They divided into groups and designed, built, wrote riddles and then tied it all to enjoy together as a kvutza. The Goofimot went on a quest to find Benny's stolen treasure. They had challenges to complete, the pool to brave, and the thief to chase away.  Once they retrieved the treasure (it was dog's food - it is a treasure for Benny), they decorated and ate cookies!  The Shomrot turned into girl scouts for the day, and earned badges as they completed different experiences. Here they are earning their aquatic skills badge. The Chotrimot (7th graders) went on a family road trip. They were assigned different roles in the family ranging from yoga mom to basketball star to musical prodigy and acted out di...