Dear CW Families, 

This summer has flown by! Everyone I talk to can’t believe how quickly the session has gone. We had another week jam-packed with adventures, excitement, and sunny hot days! As last week came to a close we had a special visit from the Tzofim-Israeli Scouts Friendship Caravan. We were thrilled to host this group after they took a few summers away from The Home of Happiness! With their ruach (spirit) and messages of hope and peace for Israel, it was a great way to start the last week of first session. And now all the campers are doing the new dance moves they learned! 

The next day Solel left for the final overnight trip of the session. Highlights included spending time with several CW alumni along the way! The Noar campers also had trips away from camp this week. The 9th graders had their afternoon and evening at the Fairport Harbor beach while the 8th graders spent the night at the Akron JCC followed by outdoor adventures including hiking, rock climbing, and kayaking in partnership with Kent State University! It was nice to finally have everyone back in camp by the time we started our July 4th celebrations. 

The true magic of CW is seeing how campers transform over their time on camp. And this week we had the opportunity to see how the magical Camp Wise stage can play a role in campers’ growth. Between the performing art showcase and the CW play – Aladdin- campers found their voices and shared their talents with the community. Whether it was playing a duet on guitar, singing a solo in the play, or working to put together a beautiful set; I am continually inspired by the talent we have in our camp community! 

With so much going we almost forgot that the 4th of July was coming up. We started our celebrations with a private fireworks show just for Camp Wise on July 3rd. Then we had a special late wake up on Thursday and all of camp came to breakfast decked out in their red, white, and blue! At lunch we got tricked again during a photo slideshow. The spirit stealer from Maccabiah came back and took us time-travelling back to July 4, 1776 in Chardon, OH! But this time the SITs were prepared to combat the spirit stealer and planned us a camp-wide Wild West Carnival to take us back to 2019. We had so much fun at the saloon with root beer floats, the parlor with face painting, and the country store where campers could make headbands. The SITs did an amazing job planning the carnival! 

We close first session with Solel Shabbat. Solel not only spent Shabbat prep time discovering more about being created in God’s image and how this influences how we take care of ourselves, how we treat others, and how we interact with the world, but this was also the focus of Rabbi Shana’s Live Wise cabin activity. Through puzzles and games, each cabin would learn about eight famous Jewish people, including Albert Einstein, Golda Meir, Rabbi Sally Preisand, Al Rosen and others. Each of these individuals overcame adversity or fought for equality and justice in some way. 

At the end of the activity Rabbi Shana led a discussion about how being created b’tzelem Elohim comes with certain rights. We all have the right to be our authentic selves. We should be celebrated for who we are no matter whom we love, what religion we are, the color of our skin or our gender identity. Everyone should be treated with fairness and justice. There was also a discussion about the responsibilities that come with being created b’tzelem Elohim. We must fight against bullying and discrimination of any kind. Rabbi Shana made sure to point out that none of the people the campers were learning about were superheroes. They were ordinary people who saw barriers or injustice and chose to stand up for themselves and others. They lesson concluded with the reminder that even if they cannot complete the task, even if they alone cannot end discrimination or bullying, neither are they free to desist from it, they still have the responsibility to do their part. A powerful lesson! 

As we head into Shabbat, we are sad to say goodbye to our friends from Anisfield Day Camp and the Akron JCC Day Camp. They have participated in some of camp’s amazing activities including jet skiing, tie-dye, giant swing and horseback riding. They also got to see our talented campers perform in Aladdin before finishing their week with us with a thrilling Fourth of July fireworks show. We can’t wait to see them all back at The Home of Happiness next summer! 

While your campers will be sad to go home, I want to remind you that there are several opportunities to share the Camp Wise magic with the entire family – Family Fun Day: August 18, Women’s Weekend: August 23-25, & Family Camp: August 30-September 1. For more information visit our website (http://www.campwise.org/) or call the CW office! 

Shabbat Shalom,

Rachel 

Chalutzim

C1

This week we loved our horseback riding cabin activity! It meant we got to spend extra special time with Moshe learning all the cool facts about the horses. We also had a great time at outdoor cooking where we learned how to make yummy banana boats! 

C2

This week the boys of C2 strapped on their harnesses to adventure to the high ropes course ending to conquer the Leap of Faith. Each camper scaled the course like a professional! For a birthday this week, we planned a surprise pool party for the entire cabin during Menucha (rest hour). Everybody was in the pool laughing, jumping, and enjoying the time as a cabin! 

C4 – Day Camp Boys

Wow, what a great week at Camp Wise! Our favorite activities were doing the giant swing on the high ropes course and jet skiing down at the lake. Everyone wishes we had more time at camp so we can visit all the activities again! 

C5 – Day Camp Girls

This has been a really special week in C5 with lots of highlights and special moments. We really enjoyed our time at horseback riding. Our cabin did a relay race and got to trot while on the horses! We also had a special moment when we took the girls stargazing. They all got to stay ip a little later, have a special snack, and get to know each other better! 

C7

This week our cabin had a surprise pool party after an evening program. We followed clues on a scavenger hunt that led us to the pool. We have also loved doing spa activities as a cabin. They have gotten to do face masks, nail polish, and even put cool cucumbers on their eyes! 

C8

We are so sad that camp is coming to an end in just a few days. This past 4 weeks flew by! This week we enjoyed our time at the Chalutzim Tropical Pool Party and a special bedtime story brought to us by our amazing SIT! 

Ohalim

O1

It was a busy week for O1. We made an awesome plaque commemorating our cabin theme, the O1 Gee Wilikers” that will forever live in O1. We also got to celebrate a birthday with some “make your own chipwiches”! 

O2

This week we had lots of highlights including basketball, Live Wise, Mountain Biking, and Tennis. But a really special moment was when the cabin rallied together around another camper to cheer him on as he conquered his fear of the vertical playground! 

O3 

This week we had a special moment when we took our campers zip-lining during rest hour and had a blast! It was extra special as it was the first time some us ever had the opportunity to try that activity. Another highlight was our activity at archery where we all shot arrows at Disney villains on the targets! 

O5

This week we had a birthday in the cabin. We celebrated by eating cake and pulling a prank on the supervisors. Not only did we steal s’mores ingredients but we also TP’d their rooms! Also, earlier this week the campers planned a day to wake up early and switch beds. The counselors were so surprised when they woke up a camper for his birthday and saw a different face! 

O6

This week our cabin had a special nighttime campfire where we made s’mores! It was a great (and yummy!) way to continue our cabin bonding. Also, while the boys were away on their overnight the Ohalim girls had a special program! We threw water balloons, made candy sushi, and had a meaningful campfire. 

O7

This week O7 thrived at the Vertical Playground, one of the ropes course activities. Regardless of their fears, they all cheered each other on and every single girl attempted to climb! We also went jet skiing at the lake! All of the girls had so much fun and can’t stop talking about their strength to stay on the tube! 

O8

A highlight moment for our cabin was when we all had vertical playground. Some of us were a little nervous but all of the girls in the cabin cheered each other on so everyone got to the top! A special moment was also when our cabin won the most coins at evening program. It showed how well we worked together as a cabin! 

O9

We are so sad that the campers are going home in a few days but so glad we got the opportunity to get to know them and spend time with them over this session! A highlight from this week was making our cabin plaque. It was so cool to see everyone’s contribution to something special that will commemorate our time together as a cabin. 

Noar

N1

A highlight from this week was all of our time in the water! We loved our jet skiing cabin activity and our counselor Chen even san us opera while we were tubing! 

N2

Over the last few weeks the cabin has really bonded as a group and encouraged each other as a cabin! For example, this week we had the high ropes course cabin activity. For some campers it was their first on the course and they all encouraged and supported each other through the activity! 

N3

The cabin has really come together lately and sad that they only have a few days left of camp. A highlight from this week was our lake day. Everyone got to go jet skiing, tubing, and hang out tossing a Frisbee on the beach! 

N5

Our cabin earned a special treat of giant swing during rest hour for having such great attitudes and energy! We also really enjoyed our time at horseback riding. The campers had the opportunity to try riding bareback, it was fun to see everyone encouraging and cheering each other on! 

N6

This week started when we got surprised with purple cupcakes and self-care Saturday spa hour with facemasks, iced tea, and nail polish. We really bonded together as a cabin on our overnight trip this week. It has really been wonderful watching the girls’ friendships strengthen and grow! 

N7

The girls of N7 have had an amazing summer and are making the most of their last few days together. This week we had a mini spa night and bonded with a compliment circle. It brought us all closer together. We also all became one with water for our adventures at the lake. Everyone had a blast tubing, riding on the jet ski, and cheering on friends! 

N8

N8 got to bond with the rest of the 9th grade girls over cupcakes and dream concerts this week. No one is ready to leave camp and our N8 family. We’ve been having a blast and don’t want it to come to an end but we’re ready to take on Solel 2020! 

Solel

We can’t believe we’ve just had our final week, it feels like just yesterday we walked on to the deck together for the first time. Solel started off the week in style with our third and final trip to Detroit, Michigan. On Sunday we got to cheer on the Detroit Tigers at their home field against the Washington Nationals! Then, on Monday we got down to work and spent the afternoon volunteering at Gleaner’s Food Bank. In typical Solel style, it wasn’t long after arriving back in camp before our next adventure. On Tuesday night Solel celebrated our banquet dinner together at Kantina Restaurant at Case Western Reserve University. We finished our night at the movies where we got to see Toy Story 4! As we reflect on our time together, we are so thankful for these amazing experiences that just would not have been the same without each and all 53 of us. Solel Shabbat is looking to be one for the memory books! 

ILS

We woke up on Sunday morning bright and early to view some pieces of history at the Dig-For- A-Day archaeological site. We got to sift through the dirt to find pieces of pottery thousands of years old! The next day, we all mounted bicycles and went on a beautiful ride through Be’eri. 

We followed up our bike ride by chowing down on some incredible fresh vegetables while learning about agriculture and food in Israel’s desert. After our vegetarian feast, we spent time discussing the relations with Gaza from our friends at Nativ Haasarrah and got to see the Peace Wall on the border. This was a unique experience filling us with hope for peace in the future. After a long day in the hot sun, we chilled out in the pool with some night swimming back at Kibbutz Gevulot. On Tuesday, we visited the Agroresearch Center in the Negev and learned about Israeli innovation in renewable energy. We then stood on our heads to embody the spirit of Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, as we learned about his life and accomplishments at his home in Sde Boker! In the afternoon, we went rappelling and participated in team building activities where we were challenged both physically and mentally, and then we rounded out our evening with a Bedouin tent experience. It was a feast of food and conversation! This morning we rode on camels–an experience we will never forget! The adventures we’ve had so far have been amazing and we cannot wait to see what is to come! Next Up…our second Shabbat!