Amitzim Explores the Senses and Celebrates Simchas!

Over the last week, Amitzim experienced two amazing Yamim Meyuchadim (special days in camp). Last Wednesday, we had Yom 5 Senses and spent the day doing activities that allowed us to use all of our five senses.

For touch we kneaded challah dough and played "sensory twister" (a game in which the hand and feet spots are plates with different materials such as pasta, glue, and sand). We also had a water balloon toss and water fight.

For sight we learned about the color wheel and made tie-dyed shirts. We also experienced what it would feel like to be blind by sitting in a bunk with blacked-out windows and trying to make a bed and fill a cup of water. 

For hearing we split into groups and focused on different types of sounds and musical instruments and then recorded our own song.

For taste and smell we had a blind taste test in which we had to guess the food put in front of us.

We learned a lot that day and had so much fun doing it!

Yesterday we celebrated Yom Simchas (joy, or happy occasions)! We spent the day experiencing the customs and celebrations of various Jewish happy events. the girls and boys split up for Brit Milah and Simchat Bat celebrations in which the girls made Shabbat candlesticks and the boys made tallit clips. We played Bar and Bat Mitzvah party relay games and then did a Bar/Bat Mitzvah community service project. Some campers painted benches that had been dirty and messy-looking while others went around camp and picked up lost articles of clothing to be distributed in the lost and found. 

In the afternoon we learned about Rosh Chodesh, read a story in which the silly people of Chelm tried to capture the moon (a symbol of Rosh Chodesh) in a barrel of water, and had a festive water fight to cool off. We celebrated the wedding of Rosh Ariella and Scooby Doo by learning about the chupah, Sheva Brachot, and simcha dancing. We then talked about all of the things that need to happen when preparing for a party and made decorations and cookies for our Peulat Erev graduation party. At the party, we celebrated a couple of Amitzim campers who will be graduating from our program this year and of course danced and ate. 

It was certainly a day filled with Simcha!!