Motzei Shabbat June 20
Sha-sha-shavua Tov!!
We had such a beautiful smooth first Shabbat in Machane, b”h. The weather was solid, the food was yummy and the singing, tefillot, dancing and overall energy were, as our director said before havdalah, “the best he remembers it ever being on a first Shabbat”! We could tell it was going to be great when the Kabbalat Shabbat had everyone singing and dancing from the end of the first mizmor all the way through Lecha Dodi and until the last mizmor. Chairs were folded up and the chanichim, tzevet and hadracha were all in circles, including our youngest gan staff day camp kids with their counselors. The cheering already begins Friday night in our Chadar Ochel after a first course and soup – ask your children to go through the whole order of cheering. Take a seat first, because it takes a while but is quite entertaining!
Our morning Shabbat tefilot begin here at 8:40 and a special kiddush & parsha happens after, followed by lunch, more singing, dancing and cheering, Mincha, and then….Chavrutot. A highlight of the week for many chaninchim, “chavrutot” means a chance to sit together in small groups, sometimes even just pairs – a tzevet member or madrich/madricha and 1-3 chanichim – to learn anything the chanichim want. There are many (many) choices of chavruta sheets to choose from that are prepared by Bracha Krohn, Rabbanit haMachane (in the time she has when she is not writing this blog) that are a text with interactive questions about Pirkei Avot, Mitzvot, Seudah Shlishit songs, Sefer Yonah, parts of Tefilah etc. You name it, we have it! An opportunity like this, which facilitates hundreds of young Jewish kids of all ages sitting around on the grass learning, talking and sharing Torah thoughts is one of the most beautiful parts of our machane.
The chanichim have some rest time, a game with their eidah and then seudah shlishit, followed by…yes, more singing. This time calm, slow, prayerful songs. Again, a highlight of the camp week for many campers and staff. We all have song sheets, and Yaffa and Didy, our Roshei Moshava, call out song numbers and we all flow right into the song. Each week, we hear a story before Birkat haMazon. This week Rav Rick Schindelheim told us about the ship called the Exodus and about Jews who believed in the Zionist dream and its unfolding, the birth of a Jewish homeland, and tried to force their way in against the British.
Maariv and Havdalah are followed by a night activity. Yes, after all of that, these campers are raring to go – basketball, karoke, swim, climbing wall… let the week begin!!
