The Camp Gilboa Blog

Sof Machaneh Choref 2009! What an inspiring week it's been. Your kids are on the buses and headed safely toward the Ontario Airport, Irvine, and Los Angeles. The Ontario/Irvine bus left about 8:45am, followed by the LA bus, leaving at 9:30am. Hugs were given all around and some tears hit snow, but everyone left in high and happy spirits. Thank you all for sending your kids to machaneh, it would not be the same without each of their spirits, minds, and hearts. Aleh v'Hagshem, we'll see you at the ken!

Final day at Machaneh Choref… time flies when you’re having fun! Today has been crazy fun, starting with a nice sleep in after an intense day yesterday. A bunch of younger chanichim were in the chadar ochel starting pretty early, as usual, playing games, guitar, and munching on a yummy breakfast of bagels, cereal, and fruit salad. Once everyone joined us, Bogrim led some stretches in Hitamlut Boker, followed by Chugim and Peula Shikvah (PISH). We’ve had some packing and cleaning time, and boy are we impressed by your kids! They really know how to step up for the collective. These five days have been jam packed with lots of Kef (fun) and Chinuch (education), largely based on our theme of ‘Lihiot Hashinui – Be The Change.’ Today we rounded-out this process with a peula called Be The Carrot; you can ask your kids for the explanation- it’s hard to put on paper to say the least. In the end, however, we all met the Carrot Guru who explained that all change, social, personal, poli...

This morning kicked off with three birthdays: Shaina Lavine, Coby Parker, and madrich Daniel "Hasaki". The love was felt strongly at the toren. Avodah was swell and the pancake breakfast filling and full of ruach. Zman sheleg/sport (snow time) was bumping with music and snowballs with the entire machaneh smiling in the snowy sunshine! Why is this night different from other nights? Because tonight we examine and celebrate resistance in Jewish history… Yom Chanukah has gone incredibly well so far. The Chanichim returned from post-lunch chofesh (break) to the “fireside lounge,” finding themselves in the Warsaw Ghetto, circa 1942 on the fifth night of Chanukah. We were greeted by Judenrat officers asking us to concede to ghetto restrictions. We then met members of youth movements, including Dror ( of Habonim Dro r ), who encouraged us to practice our Jewish religion and culture in spite of the risks, because without this action we would be succumbing to the Nazi reg...

Tuesday, December 22, 2009… What a beautiful boker it’s been! Late last night the snow started drifting down, dusting roofs and leaves, and by kima (wake up) machaneh looked like one big snow globe. The skies have cleared to a bright blue and the sun is shining, however, so the new inches of snow are a welcomed pleasure. Considering the success of yesterday’s Machaneh-wide Veida peula, tzevet has decided to continue the process today, offering each group ample time to present their proposals and amendments for the Gilboa community. It is incredible to see everyone so engaged in a purely democratic experience. Tomorrow we launch into a special half-day of Yom Chanukah, focusing on youth movement organizing and liberation in the Warsaw Ghetto. The plans for the day are ambitious and very exciting… that’s just how we roll here at Gilboa! This afternoon we all took a walk up the hill in “Snoccer” (snow soccer) teams to the snow-covered migrash(field) sport. We spent the next while playing...

Veida Wheel barrel Race! Fun in the Snow Ameiliem Looking oh Soooo Cute! Getting our Groove ON!!!!!! It’s Day 2 of Machaneh Choref and all is wonderful! The day started with an 8am kima (wake up), and everyone actually made it to the toran (flag) on time, it’s incredible. All the kvutsot had cheers that they made the day before, and sang them loud and proud. We then broke up into avodah (work) groups, encouraging collective responsibility. Later in the day, we had our first, and very successful, Machaneh-wide peula which mirrored the Habonim Dror North America democratic process(HDNA). In a few days there is an HDNA meeting on the east coast that includes winter seminar and veida, a space for all movement members above 10 th grade to participate in making proposals and amendments for our national movement. Your kids were incredibly engaged, creating proposals for Gilboa. PISH (peula shikvah) is just coming to a close, with Chugim (interest groups) to follow. Our you...

It's day one at machaneh Choref (winter camp) and everything is going swimmingly! Although we've had to push things back a bit time wise, the chanichim have met their madrichim (counselors), toured machaneh, and are currently participating in Peula Shikvah, (PISH), in which they're meeting members of their kvutsah(group), reconnecting with old friends, and playing games. Transitioning into machaneh has been packed with immense amounts of ruach and love! We are 68 chanichim strong today, with four chanichim planning to join us tomorrow. Snow is all around us, but the weather during the day was pleasant. As night falls, the cold is ushered in quickly, but with the heaters on a lovely and cozy atmosphere spreads over machaneh. Tonight will be the first machaneh-wide Tochnit Erev (night activity), 'Hagshama Hero,' in which the chanichim will be challenged to collect "hagshama" (actualization) points from different historical activist groups such as Shalom Achs...

Shalom! Any good links to pictures or videos from the summer? Post them as comments here and share them with the Gilboa community!

The end of camp has been emotional. After Havdallah last night, we had our final medura (campfire) of the summer.   Chanichim performed acts, sang, and danced.   Following medura, everyone went to the chadar ochel for Final Mesiba (party), which featured such activities as face painting, a moonbounce with a slide, postman, cotton candy, and—of course—dancing. We woke up early to do hitkansut, eat breakfast, and prepare to depart.   The first bus picked up the chanichim (campers) going to the Ontario Airport, Irvine, and San Diego.   After a flood of hugs and tears, the chanichim on the first bus drove away as the Los Angeles kids waved goodbye. Not long after, the second bus arrived to take the chanichim from Los Angeles home.   There was hugging and crying as madrichim (counselors) and chanichim said their goodbyes.   The tzevet (staff) sang a heartfelt rendition of “Splendor Bridge” as the Los Angeles bus pulled away. Thanks all for a great summer!   We miss you!  See you a...

It’s Friday evening and we are currently in the middle of some energetic rikudei am (Israeli folk dance).   We just saw an oneg performed by the Amelim and the Chotrim after a chicken and matzo ball soup dinner. Yesterday was our last Yom Ragil (regular day).   In addition to our normal activities, we did a peula (activity) for Tisha B’Av.   The chanichim walked through a museum of tableaux representing various tragedies in the history of the Jewish people.   Then each shichva had a sicha (discussion) related to Tisha B’Av and prepared a speech to give at the machaneh-wide tekes (ceremony) that followed.   The mood was somber and commemorative as the tekes unfolded. Emotion is at a high right now as we enter our last Shabbat of the summer.   Already we have seen the tears of several chanichim who are going to miss being at Gilboa.   We are going to make the best of the last two days of the summer!

Shalom! Second session has been packed!  Take a look: The day after Revo—Yom Sheni (Monday)—was a yom ragil (regular day).   The tochnit erev (evening activity) was a variant of “Zap,” a Gilboa tradition.   During Zap, the chanichim (campers) wear dark clothing in order to sneak across the machaneh (camp) with getting “zapped”—a madrich/a (counselor) shining a flashlight on a chanich/a and saying “Zap!   Go back!”   This year, the chanichim sneaked from the medura pit to the migrash sport in order to escape the oppressive political regime of their home country. Yom Shlishi (Tuesday) was tiyul.   However, instead of going on a hike, the machaneh took a day trip to a local apple farm.   The Bonim and the Bogrim left for the farm first.   Upon arrival, they were greeted with a delicious caramel apple snack.   On the farm, they learned about apple farming, rode a tractor, shot BB guns at soda cans, tasted preserves and apple butter, used a cider press, brushed a pig named blossom a...

Shalom! The weekend saw another beautiful Shabbat with rest, relaxation, and a little bit of rain to settle the dust.   If you haven’t been following the blog all summer, the post from Tuesday, July 7, 2009 can give you a better idea of what makes a Gilboa Shabbat so special. Yom Rishon was Revolution, when the madatzim (counselors-in-training) kick the madrichim (counselors) out of camp and assert their hadracha (leadership)!   This year, Revolution was circus themed.   The chanichim (campers were divided into different circus members—acrobats, fire-breathers, jugglers, etc.   Throughout the morning, they did fun activities to fine-tune their circus skills. Later in the day, the kids discovered that the circus had been purchased by a couple of wealthy entrepreneurs.   Although this did not seem initially problematic, it became increasingly clear that the new owners were attempting to eradicate the individuality of circus members. Unwilling to put up with the oppression, the ...