Camp YavnehCamp Yavneh
July 17, 2017

Kerem – July 17th Updates!

Author - Camp Yavneh

Our brave champions were last spotted on Wednesday night sleeping after an evening at UNH’s luxury pool.  Well, they continued to sleep, parents.  And while they slept they did something radical: they dreamed.  They dreamed of far away lands and new homes, of dangerous adventures and flying, and that weird dream where maybe you’re at the circus but its also a soccer field and for some reason your third grade teacher is performing was likely dreamed.  This dream sparked a revelation: the chanichim (campers) were having a dream within a dream, for camp itself was a dream of the most fantastic proportions.  Of course we know that the waking world is itself a dream with no phenomenological superiority to the “dream-state” (see further “A Dream Interpreted Within A Dream: Oneiropoiesis and the Prism of Imagination,” Wolfson 2011, also “Inception”), though we can table that for a moment.  They awoke Thursday morning to a new dream with new fantastic adventures.  Similar to a bard of yore who was rejected by the crown because he just wasn’t that good at describing things poetically, I will attempt to recount these shared dreams below even though I’m just not that good at describing things poetically.

After Thursday’s usual morning suspects of mifkad (camp-wide flag-raising, Hebrew world learning and morning prayer-starting), tefillah (prayer), aruchat boker (breakfast) and nikayon (bunk cleaning), we went to our morning peulot (activities)  Recently the chanichim (campers) have had extra chazarah (practice) for the machazeh (play, this year Damn Yankees) because it is being performed tomorrow!  We spent the afternoon running lines and getting some extra free time to unwind.  We have also been practicing quite frantically for Zimriyah (Yavneh’s singing competition where every aydah [age group] performs three songs coming up this Thursday) as it is coming up this Thursday!  This year Kerem (our aydah, the CITs, your spawn) is running all of their song choosing, creating and teaching so get excited to see your progeny’s amazing performances!  The machazeh and Zimriyah will both be live streamed so make sure to check-check it out.  Our play practice ran into Thursday night, interrupted only by zman miklachot (shower time) and an amazing aruchat erev of Sloppy, Sloppy Joes.  Sloppy, Sloppy Joe is also my old high school nickname.  Upon the ending of our play practice we had an exciting prospect: a dodgeball tournament!  As the tzevet (staff) was also having their dodgeball tournament that night, the winners of our dodgeball tournament competed against the tzevet in the tournament.  They actually won like four games and smoked last year’s tzevet winners in like five minutes.  It was hilarious and the crowd went wild.  Although our chanichim were eliminated after four rounds (it was double elimination), it was awesome.

Friday again repeated our usual morning.  We spent the morning doing iyun tefillah (our once a week time where we discuss matters in prayer) and discussing theurgy and the nature of good and evil.  Pretty light stuff for a Friday.  In the afternoon Kerem covered the bunks and acted as madrichim (counselors) while the tzevet had their pegishat tzevet (staff meeting).  We finished a read through of all the play together as Shabbat approached.  Finally it was upon us.  The sublime feeling of deep contentedness and fulfillment crept into our bunks and hearts.  It is said in the Jewish tradition that more than the Jews have kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept the Jews.  I heard it said once as well that every deep question a Jew has can be answered by Shabbat.  These have been proven time and again at Yavneh, and as Kerem led all of camps Friday night zemirot (fast-paced songs), as they belted their hearts out at their tisch (a meeting in the dark with slow songs and stories), and as they took the day to themselves on Shabbat to unwind and reflect, they were proven true once more.  Saturday night the Kerem again covered in bunks for their other pegishat tzevet of the week.
Sunday morning we awoke at a bright and early 5:30 am to eat a quick aruchat boker (breakfast) before departing for Taunton, MA for our chesed (literally kindness, also charity) project for the summer: a 5K walk to raise money for ARC Bristol County, an organization that provides funding for individualized support for folks with disabilities and special needs.  The Kerem walked with all their heart, and as many of you have probably heard, we’ve raised over $2,000 thanks to your support!  There is still time to donate and most Kerems raise at least $3,000 so spread this link around to help us reach new heights.
After the walk we needed to cool off.  Luckily, our madricha Mollie Schwartz lives in Sharon and has a bricha (pool) where we could achieve peak coolness.  We went there and ate much deli before boarding the bus to return to Yavneh.  Upon returning we had a quick Zimriyah practice and dinner to meet the rest of camp for the end of Yom Yisrael (Israel day, Yavneh’s day-long celebration of Israel) with a ceremony.  Torches were lit, losses were felt, triumphs were celebrated, and we even led the camp in singing Im Eshkachech (literally “If I Forget,” a song to the words of a selection from Psalm 137 recounting the importance of remembering Jerusalem).  We went to bed a little more mature, a little more excited, and a little more ready.  If you don’t see us on the live streams coming up, you’ll hear from us next on Thursday!!
<3,
Talia & Tibbetts