It’s hard to believe how quickly time has flown by during this session, and we can’t help but feel a mix of excitement and nostalgia as we approach the final day. It feels like just yesterday we were welcoming our campers with open arms, and now we find ourselves cherishing every moment together before our First Session campers head back home.

Throughout this session, our campers have been having a blast, creating lasting friendships, and immersing themselves in a variety of activities and adventures. From roasting marshmallows around the campfire to conquering challenges on the ropes course, each day has been filled with laughter and joy.

As the days have passed, we’ve seen our campers grow and flourish, gaining new skills and discovering their strengths. It’s been heartwarming to witness their personal journeys and watch them become more confident and independent.

While we’re sad to see this session coming to an end, we are also grateful for the memories made and the bonds formed. As we soak up the remaining moments of First Session, we’re reminded of the fleeting nature of time and the importance of treasuring every moment we have together. We’re excited to make the most of our time, with more fun activities and opportunities for our campers to shine packed in before Sunday morning. We look forward to celebrating their accomplishments and ensuring that the memories they’ve created here will last a lifetime.

Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey with us, and we can’t wait to share more about the amazing experiences our campers have had in the upcoming newsletter. Until then, let’s make the most of the time we have left and create even more wonderful memories together!

Camp Activities

This past Monday, we participated in three Basketball tournaments. Our Tsof teams played at YJ, our Bog teams visited Tel Noar, and our Ole team competed at Tevya. It was great to be in such great competition with nearby camps. 

This week brought our nighttime trips. On Monday night our Oles went to Chunky’s Movie Theater to see the Spiderman Movie and our younger Tsofs went to Cedarland for an evening of fun in the pool, with mini golf and ice cream. While these groups were away, our Older Tsofs and KTY had camp to themselves. Our Older Tsofs had a Duct Tape Fashion Show in Elbess, KTY had a fun dance party in the Pavilion, and BTC kept working on their Banquet, followed by a surprise ice cream party!

On Tuesday night it was the Older Tsofs and Bogs turn for trip night. The Bogs joined in the movie fun for a showing of Indiana Jones at Chunky’s, while the Older Tsofs went to Boundless Adventures for a zipline adventure course in the trees. Bogs had Counselor Hunt, Tsofs had a game night, and Oles had yard games to round out their week.

Last night, all of camp was together for our last night of regular programming at Tevya Night of the Arts (TARTS). It was an amazing showcase of all the creativity that has happened in our Performing Arts electives this session including hip hop, cheerleading, and our original production of Frozen.

Midat Hashavuah

The value of this past week, which was introduced last Shabbat, was Respect. Campers and counselors were asked to keep their eyes open throughout the week and nominate people around camp who were demonstrating the value of Respect. Counselors read the nomination sheets aloud with their bunks during Shabbat Prep and rewarded individuals or groups with a bracelet that states the week’s value in English and Hebrew. Nominations included examples of friends cleaning up after themselves, treating themselves and others with admiration, and listening to their friends and counselors. It was great to see the sheer number of respect bracelets that were handed out this week around camp!

Upcoming Events

After our final Shabbat tomorrow morning, and more packing time, we will gather in Elbess for our First Session Department Award Ceremony. All session long, campers have been learning new skills in their daily bunk activities and electives. Campers will be recognized for their efforts in these areas.

Tomorrow evening we will all attend our First Session Banquet prepared by Birya and Tel Chai. They have been hard at work for the past few weeks planning this special themed dinner. After dinner we will have our last Havdalah followed by the First Session Banquet Slideshow and Shira in Elbess. It is sure to be an emotional evening as we prepare to say goodbye to our First Session campers Sunday morning.

We are looking forward to welcoming Season families on Sunday for Visiting Day, followed by our Second Session campers on Monday morning.