Dear CW Families & Friends,
This has been such an incredible week here at the Home of Happiness. After Shabbat was over and our entire camp received our negative covid results we had a giant dance party in the chadar (dining hall)! The next day we were able to start our chugim (elective activities) and we also celebrated Yom Yisrael (Israel Day). It was so much fun to learn more about Israel from all of our Israeli staff that we have in camp this summer but we are missing the teens that are traveling in Israel. Be sure to read to the end to learn more about what our 43 teens in Israel have been up to in the last week!
This session has been so energetic, we are cheering and singing at just about every meal; we even start to cheer at breakfast most mornings! So we took all of that ruach (spirit) and put it toward amazing evening programming and adventures. Just about every village had a special program at the lake or the pool and some of our campers had their overnights. Ohalim girls and Noar 8th graders slept in tents, had a chance to go stargazing, and enjoyed a cookout dinner. Our oldest campers in Solel even got to take some time away from camp at a couple of parks in the area. I’m also excited to share that we have some of our podcasts available to listen to, check them out by following this link: https://youtu.be/WMIYvA-rY4o. It’s been such a busy week that we’re all looking forward to a relaxing Shabbat!
This week as we read Parshat Va’etchanan, we will read some of the most well-known words of Torah: “Sh’ma Yisrael, Adonai Ehloheinu, Adonai Echad” – Hear (pay attention) O Israel Adonai is our God, Adonai alone (Adonai is one). When we look in the Torah the Hebrew letter ע (ayin) at the end of “Sh’ma” and the Hebrew letter ד (dalet) at the end of “echad” are larger than all the other letters. These two letters together spell the Hebrew word eid – witness.
We read in the Book of Isaiah, “‘You are my witnesses,’ says God” (Isaiah 43:12). On this, the Midrash comments boldly, “If you are My witnesses, then I am God; if you are not My witnesses I am, as it were, not God.”
As Rabbi Shana prepared Ohalim to lead Shabbat this week, they spoke about all the ways we can be witnesses for God. They talked about how every time we stand up for another, every time we offer a kindness, every time we take care of the planet, every time we necessarily make ourselves a priority, we are witnesses to God. Every time we are God’s partners in the work of tikkun olam, we are witnesses to God’s presence in our lives and in the world – we only have to pay attention.
Shabbat shalom,
Rachel
C1
C1 had an action packed week this week! We started out chugim in the afternoon and now have free swim as a whole village! During cabin activity we tried tubing down at the lake and made our cabin plaque. We are so excited to see what new adventures we have this upcoming week!
C2
C2 has had a fun filled week this week! We went to the lake and jet skied with our friends, as well as climb the tower! Starting chugim was another highlight for us as we have gotten to do the activities we picked. C2 is having a blast and is so excited for this next week!
C3
This week C3 had the chance to try a bunch of fun activities! We showed off our athletic skills at archery and soccer then learned about what being a mensch is at Live Wise. We also started out chugim which have filled out afternoons with fun! C3 can’t wait for another week of fun!
C4
This week was a fun filled week in C4! We had the best time at giant swing where we were flying through the sky! We also had the chance to make a podcast as a whole cabin talking all about camp. We are looking forward to Shabbat and for another awesome week at camp!
C5
C5 had an absolutely amazing week this week! We got to start out chugim and have free swim every day! As a cabin we were able to make a podcast and show off our skills at basketball! We can’t wait for another fun filled week at the Home of Happiness!
C6
This week was filled with fun for C6! We had a great time hanging out with the horses and doing yoga. We also paired up with C5 to play soccer and go tubing at the lake! We can’t wait to see what other fun things come this week!
C7
C7 got to do so many fun activities this week! We got to try Jet Ski and the giant swing! We also got to go swimming lots and visit the art shack! We can’t wait for what’s to come this next week!
C8
This week C8 tried lots of new fun things like jet skiing and water tubing, the giant swing, and more! They also had their first Shabbat at camp which was fun and special for everyone. Our little smiley fries also picked their chugs for the coming week and are so excited!
O1
O1 had a great week and really enjoyed the village pool party! They’ve been trying really hard in cabin cleanup so they can change the final countdown one day. Also they are super stoked for the skit cheer war that’s about to go down.
O2
O2 has been doing great. We had a pool party with O8, which they all loved as the cabins have gotten close with each other. We did a Lilo and Stitch movie lunch with O7 to fit our cabin theme. Our cabin baby, Babe Z is blossoming before our very eyes and the cabin has grown to love them as a fellow camper.
O3
O3 had an amazing week! Some of the cabin’s favorite activities included Israeli Culture, Tower and Soccer. We’re so excited to lead Shabbat this week with the village and for the rest of the week!
O4
O4 has had an Incredible 1st week at Camp! We played some dodgeball, launched some rocket balloons, and we have bonded over playing cards and telling stories before bed! We also had a blast swimming with the entire village at the pickle pool party Wednesday night! Overall, it was an amazing week and we can’t wait for more good times.
O5
O5 this past week had tie dye as a cabin and we had so much fun together. We had a great time bonding with our O9 pod! When everyone tested negative, we had a little party as a cabin to celebrate the taking off of the masks! The first week went by so fast that our campers are astounded by the amount of days left. A lot of mixed emotions as time is passing by so quickly!
O6
O6 has had a great week! Everyone did amazing at the tower. They were all so excited to start their chugim and to be back on a normal camp schedule. We have also been working hard to prepare for Ohalim Shabbat this week. It was also super fun to have Israel day and embrace the Israeli culture.
O7
O7 has had a blast this week! We’ve had so much fun trying many new activities at camp such as tower and going boating at the lake. Our campers started their chugs (choice activities) and are having so much fun getting an opportunity to really try the things they love here at camp! We are looking forward to whatever the rest of the session holds.
O8
This week O8 enjoyed activities like vertical playground, arts and crafts, and tennis. We also had a pool party and celebrated Israel day by experiencing important milestones in an Israeli person’s life like weddings and army service.
O9
This week has been super fun for O9. We had so much fun jamming out to songs and making a podcast. We walked blindfolded to archery and shot some bullseyes. We love free swim and had a blast at our pickle pool party. We cannot wait to sign up for more chugim and lead Shabbat services this week!
O10
O10 enjoyed cabin activities like vertical playground and Live Wise during the past week! During vertical playground they pushed their limits with new heights and at Live Wise they spent time with Rabbi Shana exploring their Jewish identities. The campers also reflected on their day by journaling before bed!
N1
Some highlight activities this week were tubing and all playing tennis together N1 had a special moment when our cabin had was hanging out on the platform. We’ve all been doing core and some of us have been going on runs!
N2
This week we had an Israeli pool party. Everyone had such a fun time in the pool, we had jump and dive competitions and also learned a new game called get down Mr. President. Our cabin I always winning the lead for the pre-meal prayers. We go so crazy and so loud and have won more than any other cabin!
N3
This week N3 had a lot of fantastic cabin activities. At drama we enjoyed creating our own commercials for new inventions and at soccer we practiced new dribbling skills and played World Cup. One of the most special times for our cabin is at night, when we do our nightly rituals before going to bed. The last thing we do is to reflect on something we’re proud of ourselves for in that day, and share if we’d like.
N4
Some highlight activities for our cabin this week were the fitness cabin activity as well as going on a cabin hike! The girls are starting to come out of their shells and be more confident during these activities and its super cool to watch! Some special moments have been our nightly deep life talks and advice sessions. The girls are branching out in the village and with each other and are starting to learn the ropes of camp!
N5
Arts & crafts was a highlight cabin activity this week; the cabin really had fun, it was relaxing and chill. And after the pool party we sat whole the cabin and talked and got closer and they went to bed early by themselves, which was really special!
N6
We had such a fun week! We celebrated Nola’s birthday with a Mamma Mia movie night and the rest of her cabin worked together to make her cards and decorate the table. We loved Drama and made commercials out of weird objects and had a blast, everyone was laughing! We have gotten so close as a cabin and we’re so happy about our close relationships!!
N7
Yoga, tubing, and village time were our highlight activities for the week. All of the girls participated and had a ton of fun being on the lake and getting to see more of camp. A special moment for our cabin this week was when the tooth fairy came and surprised our cabin with silly dancing and jokes.
N8
The cabin really enjoyed drama this week. We took props and created commercials for their alternate usage. We also had a great time during yoga learning new poses and getting our Zen on. The cabin befriended one of our many incredible kitchen staff, Joy, and got extra cupcakes during lunch. We’re now creating a Joy appreciation day!
Solel
Solel has had an AMAZING first week of camp! We had a silent disco, a morning filled with her skiing and tubing, and lots of hanging out together on the deck. We of course had to bring a projector down to the deck so we could watch some episodes of Suite Life on Deck! We also brought in bowling, which was a night to remember and filled with laughter. Everyone’s favorite part of the week was when we visited Nelson’s Ledges, where we got to hike, climb lots of rocks, and enjoy each other’s company. We can’t wait for another week at camp, we can’t believe it’s almost halfway through the summer!
Israel Leadership Summer (ILS)
This week, the ILS teens parted on two different tracks. One group spent the last four days hiking through the nature trails and mountains looking over the breathtaking views that Israel has to offer. Even after trekking through the rocky terrain all day, they still ended each night with a classic Camp Wise song session.
The others spent their time volunteering on a farm in Modi’in, learning valuable skills while supporting a developing community— all the while getting a taste of what it’s like to be vegan! We started our meals off with a minute of silence and someone would break the silence by saying what they are thankful for! It was a great way to take time in the present moment and slow down. All the buildings on the farm are made out of mud! They taught us how to build mud structures, we met so many awesome Israelis, harvested some plants and had a big party at nighttime with the community! The culture is so different from what we are used to which really made our eyes open to all new types of communities in Israel.
After four days apart, we all reunited for a beach day at the Kinert (Sea of Galilee). It was great to come back together as one group before Shabbat. This weekend we will spend time with Israeli teens from our sister city, Bet She’an and get to experience life on Kibbutz Kfar Rupin – We can’t wait!
