Happy Birthday to our director Yakov Fleischmann!!
Machal went on a 4 mile hike called Minister’s Creek which has a beautiful lookout they all really enjoyed. Tonight they had some indoor fun after the whole week outdoors – bowling and a trip to Walmart!
Kaytana enjoyed a jam-packed day of COLOR WAR! Their teams were Moshe and Aharon (blue and red). They had soccer and kickball games, a cake-decorating concert (Team Moshe made Har Sinai and the Luchot while Team Aharon made the breastplate with 12 gems), an apache race and lots of cheering! At the end, Team Moshe presented a banner and dance and Team Aharon put on a great skit about making peace between people (as Aharon was known for). All in all, it was fun for them and so fun for us to watch them really get involved. After all the points were tallied, the final results were announced: TIE!!
Eidot Aleph-Daled learned about the decrees that Ezra made for the Jewish nation back in Eretz Yisrael during the time of the second Beit HaMikdash. Our Roshei Eidah (divison heads) do daily skits after mincha or at the “Shekem Shack” during afternoon canteen/snack time. Today, however, they spent the day making up decrees like, for example, everyone has to wear a Camp Stone bracelet for Yakov’s birthday. This gave the chanichim a tiny sense of what it feels like to have new decrees being mandated and kept 🙂
A few bunks had a chance to work hard/play hard at the climbing wall today, and many had swim or Agam (all the activities at the lake) Susim – horseback riding – was a favorite of course too! We are so grateful for the many days of beautiful weather we have been enjoying.
Tonight each eidah had the same activity but in a different location – they each enjoyed team-building exercises and race-against-the-clock tasks, all in order to “earn the privilege” to rebuild the Beit haMikdash. They were having such a fun time winning back walls of the Beit haMikdash by succeeding at “Flip the Tarp” (while everyone stands on it) and rushing through the Water Brigade (filling up a bucket by passing cups of water down the line). Thank G-d, mission accomplished and the Second Beit haMikdash is back up… If it were only that easy in real life 😉
Each Thursday night, Eidah Daled is offered “mishmar” (late-night learning) and a yummy treat. It is optional, but most of the chanichim come. Last week they had a shiur (abut 20 min) with Rav Adi, the Rosh Beit Midrash and this week they learned with yours truly! To be learning and participating at 10:00 pm at night is quite impressive! Kol haKavod to them and their counselors who were great role models for enjoying this special Torah opportunity.