Thursday, August 9

The Camp Stone Mishkan opened today!

The Stone mishkan is a large impressive structure built in the center of campus that mirrors the actual dimensions, colors, and textures of the Mishkan described in the Tanach. It has been an important element of tochnit skits and a highly visible part of the campers’ environment. Today, the campers began an interactive and immersive experience inside the mishkan.  The mishkan activity includes a competitive scavenger hunt to decipher clues and solve challenges related to the different Keilim: menorah, mizbeach, ketoret, lechem hapanim, parochet, keruvim, and aaron, in the chatzer, kodesh, and the kodesh hakedoshim. Challenges to be solved also relate to the melachot that are forbidden on shabbat based on the creation and function of the mishkan. To reflect the holiness of the holiest – and most restricted – part of the mishkan, campers are only permitted to peek inside the Kodesh HaKedoshim but not to enter. When they figure out a clue, they win a piece of the asseret hadibrot that they reassemble and return to the Kohen Gadol.

As they embark on their mishkan adventures, the campers explored several ideas connected to the mishkan. The mishkan is a space for us to connect to Hashem. The campers discuss the connection between shabbat as sanctity of time and the mishkan as sanctity of space. They also reflect on the unexpected position of the mishkan when Bnei Yisrael were conquering  Eretz Yisrael, the period we are covering in tochnit. Bnei Yisrael had lost track of the mishkan while they were busy conquering the land and it only resurfaced later in their lives. The campers related to the concept of all relationships requiring intention and effort.  Relevant to the intense and special relationships they develop at camp, they discuss how all relationships need to be nurtured – with Hashem, friends, and siblings.

And, today the campers fulfilled a Stone tradition of throwing their beloved Roshim and Camp directors into the Camp Stone Agam (lake)!  The campers cheered as  Yaakov, Estee, and all of the Roshim fulfilled their annual rite of passage and cooled off on a warm summer day.

During the pre-lunch skit, Shmuel annointed Shaul to become king. and today in shiur, the campers studied the rise and fall of Shaul’s Malchut.  Tonight, the campers will have a fun night activity connected to Bnei Yisrael’s war with Amalek!

Sending love from Sugar Grove!