Wed June 18

Today in Machane, at 7:30 am,  we had our first “Boker Tov Sugar Grove” kima (wake up). By 8:00 everyone was at their mifkad site, with their Roshei Eidah, for a little wake up routine and shmooze, with some strecthes! 8:15 is Shacharit. We have five minyanim daily here (!!) at Machane Stone: the early 7:oo “Mishpachot minyan” for some of our “grown ups” and early morning risers from plugah (maintenance) and mitbach (kitchen), the 8:15 minyanim of Kaytana/Alef/Vav, Bet/Gimmel and Daled, as well as the Machal group (sometimes on site, sometimes off at a camp ground).

After breakfast, everyone had shiur and then nikayon (clean up time in the bunk with some fun pump-up music!) Today, in our first shiur, we beagn learning about HOPE. Imagine the Jews in 1492, expelled and wandering  -all they could hold on to was hope!! The chanichim learned some sources about tikvah from Tehillim and Don Isaac Abarbanel, a Jewish finacial advisor to Queen Isabella nd Kind Ferdinand (and a famous Biblical commentator). They discussed our modern day heroine Rachel Goldberg-Polin’s message that “Hope is Mandatory”.  Our shiur teachers are members of our Beit Midrash program, along with many tzevet (non-counselor staff) who volunteered to teach the daily shiur. Each day, rigth after lunch, our Morim hear about the next day’s shiur from the Roshei Beit Midrash, Ariella Borah and Ruben Prawer,  who have developed each of the 28 daily shiurim with so much research, thought and intention. These are some examples of the leadership opportunities being given to the young adults here at camp – curriculum development and education,  in the hands of 17-24 year olds!

Today’s first-day schedule had everyone’s favorite peulot (activities): susim (horse-back riding), agam (fun by the lake), swimming (in the pool), basketball, ceramics, baking and ceramics to name a few. After dinner, each age-group had a night tochnit (activity/program) on its own to continue learning names and gain some familiarity/comfort.

Kaytana learns their own topic each Summer, and today began with Avraham’s tent and his freeing Lot from captivity. A game of freeze tag was the experieintial learning part of the day These chanichim/chanichot (campers) look like pros and have madrichim/madrichot (counselors) showing them what to do and where to go. They kept up with their busy schedule (gaga, music, swim as examples from the schedule), had dinner early and got into bed at a reasonable hour to rest up and be ready for Day #2.

Machal, Shevet Chaim, had a hike today and then slept back in camp because of some light rain. They were happy to “be back at home” for a good night’s sleep, but hopefully they will have a chance to sleep out tomorrow and show us what they’re made of

With prayers full of HOPE for Medinat Yisrael,

Yours Truly,

Bracha the Blogger