Good day dear Gu-reader!!!!!!!!
I’ll admit it’s been one of the most distinct starts to a session ever. In just five sun cycles we’ve had five wildly different days: Move in day, Erev Shabbat, actual Shabbat, Tisha B’Av, and our first normal camp day.
On day one, Thursday, we gladly gave our giggly Gurs a hearty hello. Gleefully welcoming them to their gorgeous new bunks, we walked around camp grazing through a camp tour and prepared bunk rules with our new bunkmates. Dinner, obviously dairy during the nine days, was delicious calzones. In our first peulat erev, evening activity, we completed a round robin of name games.
The next morning began at the regular time of 7 AM. We held our first spirited tefillot then went into the Chadar Ochel (Dinig Room) for a yummy french toast breakfast. We then returned to the bunk for our first ever nikayon – clean up!!! No, your kids were not as enthusiastic as those exclamation points suggest. But with the promise of ice cream as a reward, they all stepped up to the challenge. Afterward, we had the chance to decide on our two morning chuggim – electives!!! We had the g-awesome opportunity to choose from boating, rock climbing, Omanut (art), baseball, archery, basketball, and cooking to name a few.
Friday afternoon we jumped into the Agam – lake – for a chance to test into our Red Cross certified swim levels 1-6. Since erev Shabbat is long and dinner doesn’t come until 8, we then had a big pizza nishnush (snack). That night we participated in all the camp classics, many for the first time. From mifkad, the normal evening lineup, we all went into the Beit Am (gym) where we sang ReleSh (Shabbat songs). Followed by Kabbalat Shabbat in Gilboa (amphitheater).
Saturday morning we ran down to the Chadar Ochel for our Shabbat snack: Brownies! After tefillot we enjoyed Gurim’s favorite meal of the week. Shabbat breakfast consists of sugar cereals, coffee cake, fruit and yogurt! YUM! Services concluded with a campwide musaf together in the Ben Zvi. The next two hours before lunch was filled with beautiful free time of tetherball, swimming, and cards. The classic Shabbos lunch was deli buffet. Followed by 2 more hours of free time. Shabbos always closes with a sicha (discussion) with a morah and then we went into our final meal before Tisha B’Av.
The Ninth of Av is the major fast day which commemorates the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash (temple) in Jerusalem. We had a day of thoughtful programming which included building the Beit Hamikdash out of legos and watching a movie to close out the day.
Monday we had our first day with a normal schedule. The chanichim played kickball and all had time in Omanut. Monday night every bunk had a peulah with their tzrifim (bunks). Some highlights included cookie making and erev pet rock. The chanichim were very excited to to go to water country yesterday!! Looking forward to the rest of the week with all of your amazing kids.
B’ahava,
Benji and Meital
