Dear Tevya Families,
It’s hard to believe we are already in our second week of camp! Our days are busy from wakeup to bedtime; there is nothing like your head hitting the pillow after a full day of activities. Your campers have been diving into everything Tevya has to offer, from trying new activities to building friendships that we know will last long after the summer ends.
This past week brought so many moments of growth and connection. We saw campers reuniting with familiar faces and warmly welcoming new ones. Activity areas across camp are buzzing with creativity, skill-building, and fun—from woodworking to sailing, arts and crafts to the climbing tower, and of course, plenty of time on the fields and in the lake. Whether it’s kickball, pickleball, or a peaceful hike, campers are jumping in with enthusiasm.
Beyond all the fun, what we truly love to see is the personal development that happens so naturally here. Campers are stepping into independence, learning to advocate for themselves, solving problems, and developing the resilience that will serve them far beyond camp. It’s only Week 2, and already we’re seeing meaningful growth. We hope you will witness these amazing changes in your children when you see them in a couple of weeks.
We also hope by now your camper’s letters have made their way to you and have given you a window into all the joy and activity they’re experiencing here!
Value of the Week: Courage
Each Friday night, we introduce a new camp value to reflect on throughout the week. Last Shabbat, we focused on courage—what it looks like in a camp setting, and how it shows up in everyday moments. Campers and staff were invited to think about both quiet and bold acts of bravery. Sometimes courage means reaching out to someone new or trying a different activity; other times, it looks like scaling the Climbing Tower, diving into the lake, or simply showing up and being themselves in a new environment. For many of our campers, and also our international staff, just coming to Tevya for the first time is a big leap of faith. We’re incredibly proud of how courage is being lived out across camp each and every day. If you get a chance, ask your camper how they were courageous this week—you might be surprised by their answer!
Around Camp This Week
One of our favorite Tevya traditions continued last weekend as our Dalia and Yavneh campers were matched with their Big Brothers and Big Sisters. This program creates such meaningful cross-age connections. Our younger campers love the special attention and support, and our oldest campers step into their roles with genuine pride and care. It’s been a joy to see these new bonds forming during Free Play and around camp.
Saturday night brought the return of MTV Night, our first all-camp evening program of the summer. Age groups choreographed and performed fun dance routines for the entire community, and it was a highlight of the week! We were so impressed by the creativity and spirit on stage—and even more so by the way so many campers embraced the opportunity to shine outside of their comfort zones.
Another beloved tradition came to life this week with the crowning of our Tel Chai Queen, Birya King, Yavneh Princess, and Dalia Prince. Congratulations to Queen Brooke Reiss, King David Hayes, Princess Leah Factor, and Prince Drew Shore! Since the early 1960s, campers have selected staff members who they admire, look up to, and just enjoy being around. These newly crowned royalty will get to enjoy some special bonding time with their campers throughout the summer.
We had an amazing time at our first ever Table Wars evening activity! Our Dining Hall mixed tables dressed up in a common theme–Hawaiian, sports jerseys, aliens, Shabbat colors etc. They competed in many events that were scattered around camp from water games and relays to name games and pyramid building. We ended the night with an ice cream sundae party, which was a big hit. This was an awesome way to build community at our tables.
We also kicked off our summer Game Day series, with Tevya facing off against Camp Tel Noar in several friendly competitions. Our campers showed incredible sportsmanship and team spirit in every match, whether it was Bog Volleyball, Tsof Softball, or Ole Newcomb at Tevya or Bog Softball or Tsof Volleyball at Tel Noar. We’re proud to report some great results, but even prouder of the energy and support shown by our athletes and fans alike.
This Week’s Evening Programs Included:
Yavneh & Dalia: Silent Disco (a camp-wide favorite!), Water Games, Trip Night to Chunky’s Cinema to see Elio complete with pizza and ice cream, and Big/Little Reveal with cupcakes
Tsofs: Minute to Win It, Bonfire Night, Older Tsofs: Trip to Boundless Adventures (high ropes), Younger Tsofs: Trip to Extreme Craze (laser tag + games), Dessert Pizza competition
Bogs: Open Mic Night, Manhunt, Silent Disco, Big/Little cupcake activity (BTC), Karaoke (KTY)
Tonight we are looking forward to Shabbat and Brookline’s fireworks display.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy 4th!
