Camp YavnehCamp Yavneh
July 24, 2018

Kerem Blog – First Week of Second Month!

Author - Camp Yavneh

Dear Kerem Blog Readers,

This week was a whirlwind of activity! We started off our week celebrating Cheese Day, where Kerem dressed up in cheese colors, watched cheese-related videos, and ate cheesy snacks. That evening we swam in the University of New Hampshire pool, even though it was freezing cold. On Tuesday, Kerem enjoyed getting to know each other better through Yom (Day)First Date! We were coupled up through “Campadibility” Tests, wrote love poems to each other, had a dance off, and after a few intense rounds of the Newlywed Game, finished off the night with boundary breakers.

Wednesday began the intersession period between first and second month. After a refreshing visiting day, Kerem enjoyed a wacky and spontaneous performance from Aussie Alakazam! The next morning Kerem battled it out in a life-size game of Risk. Using canoes, kayaks, pool noodles, and animal crackers, we traveled between the Agam beach and the public beach, conquering lands until only one team was left! After lunch (fish tacos!!), Kerem was plunged into second month opening day. Between continuing fundraising, welcoming new campers and families, loading and unloading luggage, and spreading our incredible ruach(spirit), Kerem set the right tone for what is sure to be a fantastic second month!

On Friday, we finalized our Tisha B’Av Tekes (Performance for the Ninth of Av fast day) and began preparations for KTV! Kerem decided on the theme and categories for the annual lip-synching competition which we will be hosting this Thursday. Since both boys and girls have won and placed in many KTV’s in years past, we jumped into action to facilitate what has been such a fun experience for all of us, for the rest of camp! Kerem brought in the first Shabbat (Sabbath) of second month with even more excitement than first month! In a change of pace, right when Shabbat ended, the fast of the Ninth of Av began. Kerem ushered in the fast for the whole camp with song dance, food for thought, and Chesed (Kindness) projects, and then participated in the reading of Aicha (Lamentations). Much of our aydah (unit) fasted through the very dreary Sunday, and found meaning through davening (prayer), planting a tree in honor of the summer’s theme “Hazorim B’Dima, B’Rina Yiktzoru”(Those who sow in tears will reap in joy), and remembering Ezra Schwartz and Chava Minder.

On Monday, all of Kerem was woken up to the “Pirates of the Caribbean” soundtrack and spent the rest of the day hunting for buried treasure and battling each other on land and at sea for Yom (Day) Pirate! For Peulat Erev (Evening Activity) we played “Pirate Paint”, and had to steal each other’s pirate flags while dousing each other in paint! After cleaning up, we enjoyed a BBQ, where the winning pirate team enjoyed grilled pineapple, and the boys began to learn the choreography for their KTV dance! We’re looking forward to KTV and all the other adventures next week will bring!

With Love,

Kerem 18 Staff