Dear CW Families and Friends,

So much excitement has happened in camp these last few days! On Saturday we had Israel themed chofesh (free choice) activities and joined in with our Israeli staff for special evening programs in each village. The highlight of the night was definitely the opportunity for Noar and Solel campers to have a late-night Q&A session with our entire mishlachat (delegation) from Israel. Over the last few days we have been celebrating the many accomplishments of our campers. From our performing arts showcase to our very own production of Beauty and the Beast it was incredible to see all the talent each of our campers possesses. These activities along with every activity that we do at camp help mold and shape our campers.

When your camper returns home to you tomorrow they will be more mature, more confident, and more resilient. Your camper will come home with stories where they were pushed out of their comfort zone to achieve new goals and stories where they bonded with their bunkmates in ways they could have never imagined. At the start of the summer, during our opening campfire, I asked the campers to take a moment and think about their wishes and dreams for the summer. I asked them what they wanted to accomplish this summer and to find a buddy who would help hold them accountable to reach their dreams. Tonight as we gather for CW Night, our closing camp program, I am reminded of the honor I have to spend my summers with your children. And the honor I have to help your campers reach new goals.

The videos and slideshows we watch, the songs we sing, and the speeches we hear tonight are all a reminder of the Camp Wise magic. Over the course of the summer, campers learned to appreciate their Judaism and discovered new talents within themselves. Thank you for seeing the Camp Wise Magic and allowing your child the opportunity to experience it for themselves.

While we are sad to say goodbye, I want to remind you that there are several opportunities to share the Camp Wise magic with the entire family –  Family Fun Day: August 19, Women’s Weekend: August 24-26, & Family Camp: August 31-September 2. For more information visit our website (http://www.campwise.org/) or call the CW office!

B’shalom,

Rachel

*** While we were busy getting ready for our closing camp slideshows, we did not have time to capture a new photo of each cabin ***

CHALUTZIM

C1 kicked off the week with yoga it really helped stretch the time we had left as a cabin. The boys started to embrace there inner dances breaking it down in hip hop some still say they’re doing the robot, this lead perfectly onto outdoor cooking where they all became experts in the skills of how to be a chef in the wild cooking up crazy meals. Finally the week ended with a surprise which took us up to the covered gym for a midnight game of basketball where a few glow sticks made an appearance. It’s been a summer which both campers and staff will remember, C1 Monkeys out!

C2 was able to go around to many different places at camp this week, and try out so many new things. They did things like tennis, outdoor cooking, and even improv! Another big part of this week was sidekick Maccabiah where all the kids screamed until their voices were gone rooting for their teams. On Saturday, they got their final chance to hang out with their Solel buddies playing nukem, ping pong, soccer and playing with bubbles. They also had fun in many different evening programs like trying to figure out if potato bar is a meal! I’m sure the kids are sad to leave, but I think they have had an amazing time at Camp Wise!

C3 answered one of the biggest questions at camp in a fun evening program, ‘is potato bar a meal?’. They played lots of potato themed games and got to make their own potato buddies. They also spent time in the radio room making a cool podcast that will be shared with everyone! Plus they got to try their hand at shaping some pottery down in the pottery barn! It’s been an incredible summer for C3 and they’ve all made so many friends but it’s time to say goodbye…. until next year!!

C4 enjoyed a special campfire with s’mores and a cool trick that changes the color of the flames. They also got to spend a whole morning down at the lake on the jet skis and tubing. We can’t wait to see the boys at camp for a full session next summer!

C5 touched the tree tops as we all did the giant swing for Zora’s birthday on Sunday! The girls dominated any fears of heights as they swung through the air while the rest of the cabin cheered them on. As we waited for our turns we listened to music and watched as our friends had the experience of a lifetime!

C6 had a super fun last week to close out the summer. As a cabin, we spent a lot of time in the sky as we got the opportunity to do the giant swing and climb the tower! Additionally, we were able to showcase our talents and watch our friends in the camp-wide preforming arts showcase and play!!! We finished up the week with a late night party to celebrate Kyla’s 9th birthday! It was super fun!! We are so sad the summer is coming to an end but we can’t wait to see you all at home!!

C7 loved celebrating Israel day dressing in blue and white, cooking shakshuka and learning some awesome Israeli dances. Also most of the girls in the cabin took to the stage and dazzled in the Camp Wise production of Beauty and the Beast! D.R.A.M.A. You wish that you were in the play! Wow what a fun summer it’s been at Camp Wise, bring on summer 2019, see you there girls!

C8 have had a fun filled last week! One highlight was the prank war they started with the boys! They took over their dinner tables and made them sing some Taylor Swift so they could get them back! It was very silly and fun! They also bonded as a cabin whilst making their own donuts with lots of toppings! That’s it though for 2018, see you all next summer girls!

Save the rocks! Save the rocks! O1 had a week of fun trying to promote the protection of whales, trees, and -most importantly- rocks. The cabin booked a super secret activity that they only could participate in if they proved their skills in building a human pyramid, cartooning, and underwater basket weaving. Unfortunately this meant they didn’t have enough time to find out what it was, darn. O1 finally found the doughnut man after a long scavenger hunt, who apologized for leaving his doughnuts around the cabin with some doughnuts from the oven. It’s been an amazing week!

This week 02 Route 66 was bamboozled! Some masked figure stole our cupcakes and we were forced to follow a riddle filled scavenger hunt created by the perpetrator. After finally solving the riddles we were left with one option, our trusted Supervisor Jodi had fooled us. But we finally feasted on our frosted goodness.

This week O3’s evenings were jam packed with fun! We had a blast with sparklers and watched a lunar eclipse. The next night we joined O10 at the tennis courts for some stargazing. We closed out the week with some delicious s’mores.

O-5 had a blast this past week with awesome cabin activities like horseback riding and Lake! Yesterday during menucha (rest hour) we even went down to the lake again for more jet ski and tubing fun. We also can’t forget to mention that we got delicious chipwiches because we found the most Hebrew word of the day rocks around camp!

This week O6 was surprised with an early birthday party, which we celebrated under the stars. The nighttime spa birthday party included face masks, manicures and, of course, some late night birthday treats! We enjoyed our relaxing night in preparation for our crazy last couple days at camp.

Hey parents, didn’t see you there. Want some chipwiches? We know O-7 does! The girls got spooked and surprised on Sunday night with cookies and ice cream that they enjoyed as the final cabin only activity of the summer. P. S. Expect an invitation to the double wedding of Paddigton the bear and Nicole as well as Eva and Skittles.

O8 had an amazing time this week! We hung out with all of the 7th grade girls for delicious s’mores and bonding around the campfire while singing hey soul sister. We ended the week with Fun Day 2018 with bouncy houses and cotton candy! Although the summer is coming to a close, we will never forget the memories we made in O8!

This week has been a blast for O9! Although we had some wacky weather, we made the best of it by dancing and singing in the rain! To finish off a long week O9 celebrated a birthday by noshing on chicken nuggets and french fries. We are so sad to leave O9 Dead End but we can’t wait for next year!

O-10 has had another amazing week at the Home of Happiness! We kicked off the week with a bang in the form of stargazing with O-3! To finish off a crazy week, the girls unwound in order to celebrate Ella’s birthday- where they were treated with a spa night and chipwiches! We are so sad to see the summer draw to a close!!

NOAR

What an amazing final week N1 has had! Team building skills were essential when traveling through the Camp Wise forest with Teva. N1 had a chipwiches and face masks night which led to deep chats and cabin bonding session.

N2 celebrated the birthdays of their counselor Angus and their camper Dylan this week! They also went on a canteen raid, made their mark and personalized the big rock outside their cabin by spray painting it, and had some deep nightly conversations!

This week, N3 and N7 did a counselor scramble and got to spend time with new staff for their morning activities! They’ve also had some busy evenings, from stargazing with N8 and enjoying cookies and milk over a cabin bonding session.

This week N4 went zip lining to celebrate Emmett’s brother’s birthday! We had story time with Ryan and Ben last night, and had a surprise visit from the tooth fairy!

N5 worked together to make a beautiful plaque to commemorate a great summer in N5 Pugs wearing mauve clogs while eating apple orbits! We can’t wait for future campers to see what a great summer we had! This summer coming to a close is so sad but we can’t wait to stay in touch during the year! We can’t wait to see everyone soon!

During N6’s last week at camp, the girls bonded during a final camp fire with s’mores. They also had a blast being their creative selves tie dying their Camp wise shirts!

N7 had a fabulous day at the Fun Day 2018 carnival and had fun getting to know the counselors of N3 during our counselor scramble! They also did an amazing job of leading the village campfire in their favorite songs, including “One Day” and “Riptide”.

N8 had a fantastic final week here at camp! We celebrated a birthday with cheesy fries and a cabin dance party. We’re sad to be leaving but are topping off the summer with face masks and story time with a special guest counselor!

SOLEL

In the final week of Camp, Solel has made lasting memories that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives! The other night we had our Solel banquet where we ate delicious food at Kantina, and went to a drive-in movie to see Hotel Transylvania 3! It was a blast and we loved being all together, eating popcorn and watching the movie. We are so sad that our final years as campers have come to an end, but can’t wait to see what next year has in store for us in Israel!