Shabbat Shalom from Machaneh Gilboa 09!!!

If you are having as much fun as we are here, you’re in great shape!

Madrichim (counselors) and madatzim (counselors-in-training) waited enthusiastically as the buses lumbered up to machaneh (camp) on Yom Revi’i (Wednesday) with chanichim (campers) arriving from locations as disparate as Los Angeles, Irvine, the Bay Area, San Diego, and Las Vegas.  Upon arrival, the kids moved into their tzrifim (cabins) and then returned to the chadar ochel (dining hall) to enjoy a pizza and salad lunch.

Following lunch, the chanichim travelled in schavot (age groups) around the Machaneh in order to take a swim test, hear the rules, learn machaneh songs, and receive a lice check.  Then everyone gathered together to choose their anafim (morning work groups) and chugim (interest groups) for the session.

The tochnit erev (evening program) obliged the chanichim to pull out their metaphorical magnifying glasses in order to solve the mystery of the missing rosh (camp director).  After interviewing and getting to know the tzevet (staff) for each kvutsa (group), it was discovered that the rosh had merely been baking cookies for kibud (snack) before bed!

Yom Chamishi (Thursday) was the first yom ragil (regular day).  After hitkansut boker (morning flag raising), the kids divided into their morning work groups.  The avodah (work) groups include tending to the gan (garden), doing bruit (bathroom cleaning), picking up ashpa (trash), making kishutim l’shabbat (Shabbat decorations), building cubbys for tzrifim, setting up for aruchat boker (breakfast), doing tikkun olam (healing the world) projects, or working with anaf noy (beautification) to clear paths, and writing the Gilboa iton (newspaper).

Avodah was followed by Shira (singing), Zman Sport (sport time), and Sadnaot (workshops).  During Sadnaot, each kvutsa does a different activity: rikudei am (Israeli folk dance), drama games, climbing the rockwall, Zman Shaliach (Israeli emissary time), Zman Gan (garden time), instructional swimming, or melechet yad (arts and crafts).  The half hour before lunch is Zman Hafta’ah (surprise time)—a period dedicated to learning about Ivrit (Hebrew), Israel, and various related topics.

After lunch, the chanichim had some free time before hatzagah (the daily skit) and peulat shichva (age group activity), which is prepared for the kvutsa by their madrichim.  Then the chanichim had their midday snack before splitting up into chugim for an hour.  At hitkansut erev (evening flag-raising), each kvutsa tried to best each other by proving that they had the most ruach (spirit).

Thursday’s tochnit erev was Internet night.  After the evil E-tator Edward Keyboard Hands weblinked the mazkirut (directorial staff) and trapped them in cyberspace, the chanichim surfed the web, in order to uncover the password to unlock the mazkirut.  En route, they completed several activities at different websites and defeated annoying pop-ups by squirting them with their ad-blocker water guns.

Today—Yom Shishi (Friday)—has been filled with avodah, rikudei am, shira, and peulat shichva.  Additionally, each kvutsa prepared for the sabbath with a pre-Shabbat activity, including tye-dying challah covers, learning about the brachot (blessings), preparing a song for Kabbalat Shabbat , or practicing for the Friday night oneg (play).

Now, chanichim are showering, cleaning their tzrifim, and preparing to greet the Sabbath queen.

See you after Shabbat!

P.S.   Don’t forget: Visitor’s Day is July 12!

Chanichim (campers) take in skits introducing their chugim (interest group) choices.

Mazkirut (Directorial Staff) explains the rules of machaneh (camp).

First day of swimming!

The chotrim (going into 7th grade) enjoy the rules presentation.