Hey Everyone!
Hope you had a great weekend! Let’s fill you in on the things you missed since the last blog was sent. On Friday, the חניכים (campers) started with an iyun tefillah (st
udy of prayers) that led them to discussing the importance of Israel and whether or not תפילות (prayers) should include sections on the state of Israel and its army. After that, they had a very normal day full of gardening, volleyball, soccer, and more.
Then came שבת (Shabbat)!! After a delicious dinner, the חניכים had their first tisch of 2nd session, which included lots of singing, a few heartfelt stories, and learning new songs (taught by the חניכים themselves!). As one of the campers said: “That was such a spiritual moment, I loved it.”
The next day, the חניכים met with a woman named Paula Gris, who is a Holocaust survivor. She told her story about how her father was taken and she was put in a work camp. The חניכים really connected to her story, and many of which even wanted to stay longer to talk to her more.
After Shabbat, Tisha B’Av started—a fast day commemorating the destruction of the 1st and 2nd Temples in Jerusalem. The חניכים were in charge of putting on a טקס (ceremony) in which they spoke about the fast day, sang a song, and performed a dance in order to set the tone for the somber day.
The next day, the חניכים had an amazing talk with Rabbi Yoav about conflicts within Israel and how it is important to view people with different perspectives as a friend with a different view rather than an opponent. They then watched Defiance, a film about Jews who survived the Holocaust by living in the forest.
Then, on Monday, the חניכים participated in an amazing yom Yisrael (Israel Day) in which they learned all about Israel and had discussions about the average life of a teenager in Israel. The past 4 days hav
e been amazing for discussions and learning, and they have loved it all.
Stay tuned for our next blog when we talk about our amazing achla yom (trip day) coming up and a possible wedding that will occur on Thursday night!
See you next time!
-Shai and Dani, Roshei Ayda (Heads of Unit)
