Monday Aug 15
Today we learned about the Italian diaspora, with some famous Torah giants, such as Rav Ovadia from Bartenura and some lesser famous like the first-ever known soferet – a Jewish female scribe, named Paula dei Mansi. She also wrote a work of halakhah and translated commentaries into Italian. But shiur was not the only time that we had Torah being offered today…During our third peulah slot, all of the chanichim were given the opportunity to hear Rav Moshe Lichtenstein, Rosh hayeshiva from Yeshivat Har Etzion give a sicha (a 30-minute talk). Rav Moshe and his wife, Dr. Michal Lichtenstein, have been with us for a week now; they have had many opportunities to teach and interract with tzevet and hadracha, and the chanichim were…jealous 🙂 One hundred chanichim (!!!) came to “the tile side” of our Beit Midrash to hear this Talmid Chacham, grandson of Rav Soloveitchik teach Torah. He spoke about the morning brachot we recite daily and the machloket between Rambam and R”osh regarding how and when to say them. He masterfully taught them the difference between praise and thanksgiving and the way our tefillot have a mix of both and blessings can sometimes be as a praise or as a “thanks” (Turns out Rambam believes the morning brachot are all “thank you”s but R”osh understands them as praise) The chanichim (from all eidot) participated and listened beautifully. And then a few escorted him down to mincha after. It was quite a site! He taught Torah again this evening to any chanichim who wanted, at our daily “301” – 301 seconds of Torah during hachanot erev, outside on the dining deck. This time, he spoke about Shabbat and the angels that we welcome during Lecha Dodi and in our homes, during Shalom Aleichem. He emphasized to them the need to sanctify the day and keep the environment appropriate for the visiting angels 🙂 Chanichim came over to him after to ask questions and to say thank you! We are so grateful for and inspired by the week he has had here.
Back to the day of activities – after lunch, Estee and Yakov were chased and thrown into the lake – there is an actual “Lake Day” each session, where the Roshei Eidah and Roshei Moshava let themselves be thrown into our agam, by their chancihim! Our directors had fun and played along as well!
Roshei Eidah (our divison heads) were acting weird today, refusing to perform their responsibilities and going around camp doing peulot, like chanichim. Then Adina and Ariel, our Roshei Moshava, refused to run mincha. Lisa came down from her office to do it! Everyone knew this was probably going to lead up to Color War break out, but we were a little concerned, to be honest. Then at maariv, Yakov came into the outdoor beit knesset and fired the Roshei Eidah in front of everyone! They handed in their walkie-talkies and walked away 🙁 He did the same thing to Adina and Ariel, but then asked them if they would just stay for one…no, make that two days…to run color war!!!! And that was that! Everyone started cheering and singing and saying “I knew it was all just a break out!” (But did they really??)
Let the two-day battle begin! We have Chachmei Sefarad VS. Chachmei Ashkenaz (The Sages from Sfardic lands VS. the Sages from Ashkenazi lands) All talents, strengths and creativity will be needed and used. Let the fun begin!
Details, schedule of activities and more info and insights coming soon… Happy Color War!!
