Camp Wise has been in existence for 108 years. Man, that’s a long time. I often wonder how we have survived for that long. I’m guessing that during our life span there have been hundreds, no thousands of camps that have opened and closed their doors. So what’s at the root of our longevity?

I can only think of one thing… tradition! Come on, say it like Tevye… Tradition! Tradition! The idea of what a tradition is or can be differs with the person you ask. Many of our campers love the tradition of keeping our Maccabia theme a secret (shhh!! It’s about to happen). For others, a tradition could be ending each day with a cabin campfire. No matter what it is, traditions are special.

Traditions provide the very foundation of our program. Without the traditions from past generations we wouldn’t have Spirit Circle on Friday nights after Shabbat services. We wouldn’t have OSAFU (I still have no idea what that means). There’d be no B.O.O (Brotherhood of Ohalim). We definitely wouldn’t have CW Night.

Traditions provide meaning to camp. It gives us a unique identity. The ruach (spirit) of camp is created in our Chadar through song sessions and cheering. Night time rituals in the individual bunks allow strong bonds to form and friendships to grow. Shabbat walk on Friday nights remind us how important our Jewish life and culture is for our community.

Traditions provide connections to other Camp Wise campers, staff, and alumni. Those connections may not happen at camp, but when you meet another Camp Wiser there is an instant connection that is unexplainable. You know the same lingo and cheers; you have the same experiences; and you have the same memories even though you never were at camp at the same time.

Tradition is tough to explain, but without it, well, I’ll let Tevye tell you… “Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as… as… as a fiddler on the roof!”

Cabin Photos

CHALUTZIM

C1- Cabin C1 has had an incredible first half of the session! They’ve recently soared through the trees during their giant swing cabin activity, and we’re just initiated into our secret fifth grade society. They can’t wait to see what special activities the society will have in store in the coming days and have loved their second round of chugim.

C2- From Pioneer Waterland to braving the elements during our overnight, C2 has been having an amazing session jam packed with programs and activities. Their “late night” Mad-lib sessions and story telling ensure that everybody in the cabin goes to sleep with a smile on their faces excited for the next day to begin. Like C1, they are also anxiously awaiting the plans we have for them and our fifth grade secret society.

C3- Besides having a blast on day trip day, C3’s favorite activity this week was definitely their morning down at the lake. The campers and staff went water skiing and knee boarding, and continued bonding as a cabin playing cards and building sand castles on the beach. They’re all looking forward to our Maccabiah and performance arts showcase coming up next week.

C4- Our C4 cabin(S) have certainly been busy throughout this week if transition. The first round of campers had such a great time. All of them are now officially Camp Wise Pros and we can’t wait to see them next summer. Our new campers are unpacked and settled in, and they have already personally selected their afternoon chugim. So far, Rishon IV has adjusted to camp life beautifully!

The c5 sims have already taken CW by storm, especially during their low ropes cabin activity! The ladies found some tasty treats in their piñata during their cabin bunk night and finished their night the right way, getting covered in Hershey’s syrup during our village crazy go nuts night!

The ladies of c6 took advantage of all that camp has to offer this week during their cabin activities, such as pottery, Israeli culture, and tower. They made it through the black hole slide at pioneer waterland and came back strong to pull an awesome prank on c2.

C7 found their inner calm and became one with nature this week during their yoga and teva cabin activities. The ladies had a blast at pioneer waterland and covered their staff in mashed potatoes and eggs during crazy go nuts night!

C8 has had such a fantastic week so far, from giant swing to horseback riding, it has been a blast! They relaxed on the lazy river at pioneer waterland and finished their week with a super sweet candyland birthday party for one of their campers!

OHALIM

O1 – O1 has had an amazing second week of camp, full of spirit and fun! From the climbing tower to learning about Israeli culture to Tuesday night’s Man night program about gender and stereotypes, O1 is taking full advantage of the different camp activities and programs!

O2 – Even though the time is flying by, O2 is making the most of their time at camp! Thanks to a perfect day, they had an amazing time at Wildwater Kingdom on Monday, enjoying all the different slides, shops, and attractions!

O3 – O3 couldn’t be having a better time at camp! With their infectious spirit, O3 continues to be one of the loudest cabins around, and they’ve really enjoyed their cabin activities, from mountain biking to archery!

O4 – O4 has had such a fun week at camp this week, doing everything from helping plan this week’s Shabbat with the rest of the village to making cool stuff in the pottery barn. They loved the army aspects of Sunday’s Israel night program!

O5 – O5 is braving the heat this week and is having a total blast with all their activities! They relaxed inside and enjoyed watching “Big Hero 6” on movie night after a fun filled day at Wildwater Kingodm, and enjoyed the food fight of Crazy Go Nuts night on Wednesday!

The O6 ladies have been rocking the village with their ‘Whip and Nay Nay’ dance parties in the cabin. They loved their basketball cabin activity and treating their counselors to a surprise scavenger hunt and pizza party.

O7 have an awesome time hanging out with each other in their cabin and at free swim. They loved radio in the mornings; recording interviews and playing music in the radio room.

Day Trip Day at Wild Water Kingdom was definitely a highlight for the O8 Okapis. They had an awesome time at Israel Night and have loved pranking O3 while they were on their overnight.

O9 have loved getting those extra few meals in at outdoor cooking. They’ve had an awesome time wandering through camp on four legs at HBR.

O10 was treated by their counselors with a pool party at rest hour and loved having the extra time to hang out and play. They have been so excited to be at camp that they led the village in ruach during meal times.

NOAR

N1—The N1 boys really stepped up this week, discussing what it means to be a leader during man night and food fighting during crazy go nuts. Whether it’s outdoor cooking, nighttime raids, or just hanging out in the village, N1 has incredible spirit and has been a great presence around camp. The campers of N1 had an especially fun time on the overnight, where they got the chance to hike along the beautiful cliffs of Hocking Hills!

N2—N2 had an amazing second week both in and out of camp. The N2 boys played soccer, went mountain biking, won carnival games at Cedar Point, and had an awesome time rappelling on the overnight. The campers of N2 are incredibly kind and spirited, and they’re always the first ones up cheering in the dining hall. Everyone in N2 is incredibly excited to see what awesome pranks and programs are coming up in the next week!

N3 got in touch with their Israeli roots at their cabin activity “sababa” (Israeli culture) this week! They also proved their excellent teamwork skills when they rafted down the New River in West Virginia!

Water was no stranger to the N4 boys this week- From an exhilarating soccer game out in the rain to facing some awesome white water rapids on their overnight in West Virginia, these boys know what it’s like to live life at camp to the fullest!

N5—From braving the lily pads to braving roller coasters at Cedar Point, the girls of N5 had an adventurous second week of camp. The N5 girls have gotten even closer over the past few days, bonding with each over s’mores and with the other 8th grade girls during an “unbirthday party.” Nobody in N5 can believe that it’s the third week already, and everyone’s excited to see what the next few days have in store!

N6—Week two of camp really flew by for N6. Between mountain biking, taking on the Top Thrill Dragster, and flatwater kayaking at Strouds Run, there wasn’t a single dull moment. The girls even got to make their own camp shirts during their tie dye cabin activity! It’s been great watching N6 grow closer as a cabin, and all of the girls have said that this was a week to remember.

This whole week has been beyond memorable for N7! From lily pads as their cabin activity to going with all of the 9th graders to West Virginia for some white water fun, they can all say they have had some of their best times ever at camp this week!

N8 loved enjoying the beautiful weather outside at their soccer cabin activity! They also proved to be quite the thrill seekers when they participated in cliff jumping in West Virginia with all their friends!

SOLEL

Solel had an absolutely legendary second week at camp! Directly after Shabbat, we left on a fifteen hour voyage to North Carolina, and tested our rafting skills in the Chattooga River. Our next adventures included an epic high ropes journey, and a eerily foggy whitewater ducky ride through the valley! A gorgeous campfire amidst the surrounding mountains capped off an incredible trip, and it seems like we are got closer every single day. We will surely miss the slow country roads of the south, but cannot wait for upcoming Solel Shabbat and all the final week festivities back at camp!