Tues July 2

Our second day of the Machane Chutz – Such beautiful weather to be living outside!!  We are so grateful, and everyone is really enjoying the time together just bonding and gathering around the fire pits! The night was chilly, but everyone was cozy in their sleeping bags. Shacharit was at 8:30, followed by a quick cereal-and-milk breakfast. The camp went on to enjoy a creative shiur – more of a skit that involved them all – and then they received lots of ingredients and set about making their fires and cooking for a few hours. Eggs, shakshuka, french toast, pan grilled cheese etc etc. Cooking competitions and taste testing got intense, but it was delicious and all in good fun! The chanichim played volleyball, spike ball, kickball, football etc, did beading in the art tent and sat around shmoozing and playing cards. Tzevet had an opportunity to take some time and go horse back riding with our very own “Cowboy Dave” and enjoyed two shiurim today with Rabanit Rachaelli Frankel (see yesterday’s blog about her special visit with us this week).  Mincha, shekem and onto dinner – hamburgers over the fire pit. Eidah Daled is stepping up and taking care of their plugot (fire pit groups) and making sure younger kids eat first 🙂 One more sleep out and then everyone will head back to Machane in the morning,  after shiur and  a massive clean up.

Kaytana had their last day at a very quiet machane, where they were able to spend a few hours packing and a few hours doing lots of activities that they love around camp!  They learned about the final exciting chapter in the Jewish history of Chuamash – Bnei Yisrael crossing the Jordan River and entering Eretz Yisrael with Yehoshua.  Tonight they get to enter their own “Promised Land” – a carnival in Indoor World, special for Kaytana!! We have loved having these youngest chanichim here and look forward to their return for another summer of Kaytana or when they join the big leagues: a full session!! They leave tomorrow morning right after tefillah and breakfast, Nesiah Tova!! Enjoy having them home!

Machal set out for DC today and began with some volunteering – half went to play sports with at-risk young kids and half went to clean up a city park. Way to give back, Machal! Then they went to the Lincoln Memorial and talked about what President Lincoln fought for and believed in as a leader of the US of A.  More DC tomorrow….