Monday Aug 3 – Chutz Day 1
Today all of our chanichim, hadracha and tzevet left for the Machane Chutz!
We have officially “set up camp” a 15 min walk from camp – and our director Yakov Fleischmann and some of our security team moved out there as well!
The breakout was unforgettable: Shaul (well, actually Josh, our Rosh Eida Bet) was starting to feel threatened and a bit paranoid over David’s (Nemi, Rosh Eida Gimmel) successes in battle. People really loved David and thought he would make a great leader. Shaul chased him from Aruchat Eser down to Chavalim and began to chase him up the climbing wall – all to a Pirates of Caribbean soundtrack over the ram kol – and then over to part of the ropes course. It was super entertaining!! Finally, David said “I need to escape and the only place for me to run to is ….. the chutz!!!” Everyone cheered and ran to pack.
When each eidah was ready to head out, the machane walked over to the chutz site and started to build up the different zones. We have a shul area, tents for learning, lots of spike ball sets, a melechet yad tent (for constant beading opportunities) and so many hammocks!! The whole camp is divided into twenty small groups, called plugot. Each plugah has a few eidah daled campers who are their roshim. What a great leadership opportunity! Together, they collect fire wood and build a fire. Lunch was brought from camp, but dinner they cook by themselves over the grill – hot dogs, corn, and smores. It was so yummy, and the whole day was relaxing and fun and full of inter-eidah and inter-anaf bonding. Tonight we had a movie “drive-in” style with a screen and a projector.
The weather cooperated and the forecast is for beautiful weather tomorrow too, so B”h we are looking forward to a fun-filled day of outdoor activities.
Pictures will not be uploaded by eidah, since everyone is all mixed up and hanging around together. Enjoy the pics!
Kaytana‘s two-week session is ending tomorrow, so they spent their morning packing up and then had their last day of peulot, including some favorites that they requested. The chanichim celebrated “entering Eretz Canaan/Yisrael” – led by Yehoshua- with a carnival-style bouncy castle and cotton candy. The campers had a great time these past two weeks, and when they were polled at breakfast this morning 87% of their hands shot up when I asked “who would stay longer if they could?” So… first attempt at overnight camp = Success!! Thanks again to Shaun Slamowitz and Sarah Nerenberg who ran these amazing two weeks, overseeing counselors, and creating, planning for and executing all of the special activities and events which took the campers from Avraham through all the avot and imahot, through the descent to Egypt, slavery, the Exodus, years in the desert, and finally entry into The Homeland. We can’t wait to see these youngest members of our Machane back here next summer for a full session!!
Machal is doing great in Virgina and we will hear more details when they return – so far they are working hard, playing hard and resting hard!
