Dear CW Families and Friends,

It seems as though we always save the best for last and this week was no exception! We kicked off the week on Sunday by welcoming our Rishon campers to camp and they have already tried all the best camp activities. We also continued our out-of-camp adventures when Noar and Solel left for more trips. Solel went on their final overnight trip of the summer with a visit to Darien Lake in Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Splash Lagoon – they were pretty tired when they got back but it was all worth it when they got to wear their Maid of the Mist ponchos to breakfast the next day! While Solel was out Noar also left; 8th grade had their afternoon out on Lake Erie while 9th grade braved the rapids on Ohio Pyle.

This week, out of an abundance of caution, we made the decision to temporarily close our high ropes course. While the course was inspected and certified before camp started, we have noticed that some of trees in the area need to be removed before we continue running activities. The climbing tower, leap of faith, vertical playground, and giant swing are still in use and our campers have been enjoying those high adventure activities. We hope to finish the tree work this weekend and open the course after Shabbat.

By midweek, the action really picked up when Maccabiah started on Wednesday evening. Our judges represented the most treasured planet of Storyverse where our cherished stories and their characters were being threatened by a dark power called the vortex. The vortex was sucking stories away starting with their leading characters. The sidekicks from the most important stories were recruited to step and save their stories! Throughout the day and a half of activities we saw campers rise up to challenges, support friends from across teams, and show their true ruach (spirit) through sports competitions, arts and performing arts, and, and team cheering.

Today we welcomed our 27 teens back to the Home of Happiness after 4 weeks of travelling in Israel. Their staff, Stallz and Eva, shared the following with us just as they left for the airport to start their travels home: “Over the last month, we interacted with a wide range of Israeli citizens and members of society – soldiers, tour guides, entrepreneurs, men and women who are deeply connected to the land of Israel and non-Jewish immigrants who face significant challenges. We discovered and discussed the politics of the state, giving our teens a chance to think differently about Israel and develop their own understanding of this place. Above all, our teens had the chance to learn about themselves as a part of a larger Jewish community and as leaders who will soon return to camp to make their mark.” Over these last five days, we are excited to hear all of their stories firsthand and to learn more about what the teens’ time in Israel meant to them.

It’s hard to believe that tonight is already our final Shabbat of the summer. This Shabbat holds a special place in Camp Wise as this is the only Shabbat of the summer where our oldest campers in Solel join with their buddies in the youngest village of Chalutzim to lead us through Shabbat! This week, as we continue to recap our journey through the desert, we read two of the most famous passages of Torah.  First, we read about the Israelites receiving the Ten Commandments from God through Moses. The Torah tells us there were the blasts of horns to get the people’s attention and there was thunder and lightning. We read that Mount Sinai was covered in smoke and that God came down the mountain in fire. The awe of this moment is unimaginable.

Additionally, it is in this week’s portion that we read the Shema and V’ahavtah, the Torah text and the prayers, that speak about our relationship with and our love for God and our promise to pass Judaism on to future generations. We learn that we are each unique, we each have a unique and special relationship with God. Each one of us experiences the world in different ways.  Some of us are kinesthetic and we feel our way through the world, others are visual and we use our eyes to take in what is happening, and still others of us are auditory and we use our ears. Revelation, the receiving of the Ten Commandments and the renewal of our covenant with God, was meant for everyone, and in that moment God made sure there was something for each one of us to experience. And this revelation can continue each and every day if we only open our eyes, our ears, and our hearts.

This week’s core value is B’tzelem Elohim – In the Image of God. The Torah teaches that everyone is created in the image of God, and this means that we all have inherent value and holiness. We must treat every person, including ourselves, with respect and dignity as we celebrate what connects us and honor what makes us unique and special. At Camp Wise we talk about B’tzelem Elohim with our staff as a way to understand that when campers come to camp they have every opportunity to be their best self and to express themselves in many different ways. Over these last five days we will continue to do just that. We will celebrate campers as we share in their many accomplishments both individually and as a part of a group.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rachel

C1

C1 has been very busy this past week! We started off with tie dying our camp shirts! The kids all made REALLY cool designs! The kids have also been preparing for Shabbat with Solel on Friday! We had Tower on Wednesday and the kids were VERY good at it! It was amazing watching every kid climb the wall! Even if they didn’t complete it, it was still amazing to see them try it! We’ve had a fun week and we can’t wait to see what is in store for the last week of camp!!

C2

C2 got the opportunity to try out many different activities around Camp this week. From pottery all the way to tennis. They also received their 2018 tie dyes that I’m sure they will be excited to wear home! They also spent lots of time with their Solel buddies playing volleyball and soccer. C2 had lots of fun in the evening programs like the chalapalooza and the pool party! I’m sure the kids are excited for their final week of camp.

C3

C3 have had lots of birthdays in the cabin this week, they’ve had exciting pool parties, enthralling kitchen raids and lots of birthday cake! They’ve also been busily preparing for the Chalutzim Shabbat; dances, decorations and Yasha is even going to be reading Torah! Plus if that wasn’t enough they’ve been cheering and stepping up to take part in tonsof activities for this summers amazing sidekick Maccabiah! What a crazy fun week it’s been, and there might only be a week left but there’s so much more exciting stuff to come!

C4

C5

One of the best highlights from this past week for C5 was splashing around with their neighboring cabin at the lake! While some chose to brave a wild ride on the tube, others got to sit back and relax on the jet ski. We bonded as we talked and laughed while we waited for our turns and cheered for our friends who were riding.  We had so much fun experiencing our first night of Maccabiah, and can’t wait to see what other cool things we will get to try this summer!

C6

C6 has had an amazing week full of fun and exciting activities. We spent time at the lake jet skiing, flew through the air on the giant swing, and tie dyed our camp wise t-shirts. Last night we had a special late night pool party and watched the sunset. We can’t wait to see what the next week brings!

C7

C7 had so much fun at Chalapooza! Throwing water balloons at their counselors, face painting, sucking on popsicles and ending in a giant glow stick dance party! They also snuck out with their supervisor and bonded telling silly stories over a special breakfast! And they planted seeds which will flourish in to flowers around Camp, to observe Tisha B’av an important day in the Jewish calendar! They can’t believe it’s already the final week of camp but the last few days are going to be full of special memories!

C8

C8 were in trouble this week, just joking it was chipwich trouble! Their counselors thanked them for being super awesome with some tasty ice cream and cookies! They also met up with their Solel buddies to play some Nukem on the volleyball courts and they worked together on cute summer memory books! Plus they worked as a cabin to make an amazing and colorful plaque to leave their mark on Camp Wise!

O1

“How many shrimps do you have to eat, before you make your skin turn pink” O-1 way rocked the road as they learned a new dance to the song Flamingo by Kero Kero Benito. With a birthday in the cabin, we couldn’t help but noticing that the rest of camp was eating lunch upside down, or maybe it was just us?
P.S. the doughnuts are all around the cabin! Seriously what’s going on?!

O2

This week O-2 had a great time dancing in the rain. But we found a haven in the Moadon where we feasted on chipwiches in secret, and continued to bond and come together as one Route 66.

O3

This week O3 embraced the American dream. We chowed down on some deep fried Oreos and watched as the International Staff face off against team USA in the soccer game! We may not have won the game, but our spirit was out of this world!

O5

O5 Road Work Ahead has been having a blast! So far we’ve had countless cabin dance parties, made some fire songs at podcasting, and played some chipwhich related tricks on the Noar staff. We’re having so much fun and are ready to have much more this week!

O6

This week O-6 spent a magical evening under the stars exchanging compliments and giving piggy back rides while enjoying some classic homemade chipwhiches. The next day we celebrated “Middle Monday” at lunch by listening to our favorite songs and dancing along too!

O7

O-7 got LIT as we danced our hearts out on the upper courts in the pouring rain. We paused to enjoy evening snack and look up at the stars even though they were covered by clouds, but that didn’t stop us from having a great time!

O8

O8 had such a meaningful week together! Between making wishes on the wishing rock for the rest of the session and participating in our Tish Baav program, we had an absolute blast. Some of our other favorite activities included making an awesome podcast together and having a crazy dance party’s in the rain!

O9

This week O9 Dead End created many special memories together. We had fancy cupcakes with cleansing face masks. We channeled our inner zen with meditation on Monday and a song session on Sunday to relax everyone after a busy few days. We are continuing to grow closer and closer and can’t wait to see what the rest of camp brings!

O10

O10 have had another eventful week! We have had the most trouble deciding whether the Ohalim dance party in the rain or jet skiing on the lake was the best part of this week. Team USA put up a good fight against the Internationals in the soccer game, and the girls were cheering them along the whole way! We will continue to have fun and grow as a cabin in the coming week!

N1

The week N1 started off stretching and relaxing the body in yoga. Following this, they turned in to artists when designing their own tie dye t-shirt. This week, 9th grade Noar had their overnight where they conquered the whitewater rapids at Ohio Pyle.

N2

This week N2 went on an amazing whitewater rafting trip to Ohio Pyle, Pennsylvania. The trip was an overwhelming success with every member of the cabin having an amazing time. When they returned they were straight back into cabin activities taking advantage of the new camp wise ping pong tables to show off their skills. This was then cooled off with a relaxing yoga session.

N3

N3 showed off their creativity during the Pirates of the Noarribean evening program, many of them came up with hilarious cheers that the whole village loved. They also got the chance to let out some energy in our special nighttime version of dodgeball with their fellow 8th grade boys cabin.

N4

N4 have been really focused on leaving their mark for the 2018 summer and made an amazing plaque together at the art shack. They can’t wait to spend this next week making their presence known all around camp.

N5

This week, N5 celebrated Prince Felix of Denmark’s birthday with cake followed by s’mores the next morning, around a teva bonfire. They also made new friends while bouncing along the river at Ohio Pyle in a whitewater raft before celebrating the life of their counselor alpaca, Theodore!

N6

The N6 pappipoos with periwinkles have had a zen week with a harmonious yoga cabin activity. We had the best time catching some waves at Ohio Pyle and none managed to stay dry. We even got to sleep in a barn for the night but without the horses!

N7

N-7 started this week strong with a chipwich surprise! The next day we had a free cabin activity where we practiced our campfire songs for Friday! Stay tuned to hear all about our amazing campfire performance next week!

N8

N8 had a fantastic week! We started off the week with the leap of faith and boy did we fly high! We then rounded out the week making pizza over a fire! Can’t wait to go home and show off our cooking skills!

Solel

This week solel has been up to so many fun things! Earlier this week we headed to Buffalo, New York where we had an incredible time. Our trip started off at Darien Lake where we got to ride more roller coasters and play more games to win awesome prizes! The next day we headed to Niagara Falls and took an incredible ride on The Maid of the Mist. That was one of our favorite parts of the trip! Lastly, we headed to Splash Lagoon and showed off our laser tag skills and had a ball going down so many water slides and laying back in the lazy river! We can’t believe this session has gone by so quickly and want to savor every moment we have left at the home of happiness!