Wednesday July 12
While Machal enjoyed their day of advocacy for inclusion and free time around the mall area of DC, the rest of machane back in Sugar Grove, PA had a nice regular day of peulot…maybe the last, actually. Lots of rumors are flying around about fun days ahead for all of us filled with surprises, trips […]
Tuesday July 11
Today’s fast day began with a late wake up and shacharit which included some skits to explain the slicha we say about the 5 things that we commemorate on this 17th of Tammuz. After the longer-than-usual tefilah, the chanichim had a short break while the tzevet got themselves ready for an elaborate program: each eidah […]
Mon July 10
The second day of color war was a hard-fought battle 🙂 The teams were really pushing themselves in their competitions and preparing their presentations. The special events of the day were the Chidon (Torah questions) and the 200-person Apache Race with 30 different tasks and parts… It was crazy!! The presentations went late into the […]
Sunday July 9
Yes, the rumors are true!! Color War is here… Bira (blue and yellow) vs Mikdash (red and black) Day 1 was busy and fun and…sunny!! Breakfast was set up by our tzevet (known as Team Avacado…don’t ask!) but breakfast and lunch had to be set up creatively and served by Team Mikdash and Team Bira, […]
Friday July 7
Machal is home and had an amazing change-your-life-forever week camping out, hiking, and being one with nature… We are all excited to catch up with them and hear all the details over Shabbat 🙂 Kol HaKavod!! Today was hike day: Eidah aleph went berry-picking. looking forward to eating those at Seudah Shlishit 🙂 Eidah vav […]
Thursday July 6
Today in camp we declared the state of Israel!! The chanichim watched the November 1947 UN vote reenacted and sang haTikvah. Shiur was about the mixed feelings of gratitude, on the one hand, for an autonomous state after 2,000 years of Galut but sadness and frustration that Yerushalayim was not a part of it…yet. The […]
Wednesday July 5
Aaaahhhh…back home!! The campers davened, ate breakfast and had shiur at the Chutz and then returned to machane for lunch 🙂 Their shiur today was, again, by plugah group. This time, they covered four halachik issues that arise only in Galut… e.g the two-day yom tov phenomenon and the status of the law of the […]
Tuesday July 4
The campers are all really enjoying the Chutz, cooking food, hanging out and being creative, crafty and resourceful 🙂 They love the ability to gather around their fire pit each meal time with representatives from each eidah, with eidah daled girls and boys as the Roshei Plugah (group). This is the first real leadership being […]
Monday July 3
As Machal continues their adventurous week in Algonquin… Kaytana had their last day here 🙁 They had their favorite peulot in the morning and then had to spend a few hours packing up their stuff. But tonight, it is back to fun n’ games with a carnival!!! A blow up castle and snow cones and […]
Sunday, July 2
Campers had a full day of peulot under clear blue skies – something we do not take for granted this summer 😉 Shiur focused on the way Jews needed to figure out ways to hold on to Jerusalem in their hearts, in their prayers, and with some practices that are “in rememberance” of the Mikdash, […]