Wednesday July 22
Boker Tov Sugar Grove! Each day our chanichim daven in one of four minyanim: Machal is always on its own schedule and at the other side of our campus so they have their own minyan. Eidah Daled has its own minyan, separate from Gimmel and Bet, so that more boys have a chance to lain and be chazzan. And then Eidot Vav, Aleph and Kaytana have their own minyan which is abridged and has more singing. On their way to tefilah, each eidah meets for a morning mifkad. The Roshim kick off the day with a smile, a nice message, some quick stretches and the singing of haTikvah.
After breakfast all chanichim have shiur and nikayon (time to clean up the bunk!) Small groups of chanichim meet with a tzevet member who has been given the shiur topic from our Roshei Beit Midrash, Hillel and Naama. This moreh or morah can fit the shiur to his/her students as they see fit. Today everyone learned about the centrality of Torah learning in the nation’s new life in Eretz Canaan. Hashem told Yehoshua to keep learning and observing all Mitzvot and only then will the nation be successful. They reviewed the skits and stations from yesterday to make sure all the chanichim understood the time period we are studying.
Our day was full of the peulot the campers love: ropes course, ceramics, basketball, archery, Limonana-making, ultimate frisbee, beach voilleyball, etc. But the day ended a bit early as we prepared for Tisha B’av. Dinner was served and then each bunk went back to their bunk house with plain bread and eggs to eat the traditional Seudah haMafseket.
Kaytana learned about Yitzchak and Rivka and even had a wedding for them (thanks to an already-married couple who played the parts under the chuppah). The chanichim enjoyed sparkling cider and lollipop rings in honor of the occasion. These youngest campers had time with the bunnies today, made shrinky dinks and played Capture the Flag. They are blending in well and look like pros here.
Machal had their first hike today, nicknamed “The Northern Lights Hike”,but returned by 6:00 pm for dinner pre-fast.
The whole camp will daven marriv together and then walk by eidah in a procession lit by tiki torches to the Indoor Beit Knesset for Eicha and kinot. Older eidot will have a round robin of skits after…more about our Tisha B’av schedule tomorrow night after the fast is over.
