Machon Continues to Learn About Community Building

Here is a look into a few of our tzrifim/bunks, and what
they have been up to this past week:

 

We have just finished up
a great first session and have started off the second session with a bang! We
have the good fortune to have all of our hanichim/campers staying two months in
tzrif/bunk 52, so all of the banim/boys are very close and comfortable with
each other. We had an intense game of Water Polo for Peulat Tzrif/bunk activity
on Wednesday, with all of the boys participating and really getting into it. On
Thursday, we played an equally intense game of floor hockey as a bunk, and
everyone really enjoyed the peula.

On another note, we had
some very interesting discussions during Tisha B'Av (The Ninth of Av which is a
traditional day of mourning) regarding Sinat Hinam/senseless hatred and how it
applies to modern day conflicts, as well as how it led to the destruction of
the Temple thousands of years ago. It was very impressive to hear all of the
boys' insightful comments on current issues in the world, and to hear them
debate with one another in a respectful manner. It has been a great five weeks
so far, and we look forward to more great times and memories with the banim.

 

Sincerely,

Noah, Jonah, and Avia  

 

 

 The first week of
second session has come to an end and we are all very excited for another great
session in tzrif 51. This session we have a few Israeli campers who are great,
and it allows the other campers to practice their Hebrew while the Israeli
campers can practice their English.  Everyone has enjoyed our Banim medurot/campfires
and water polo games in the agam during pulot tzrif/bunk activites. Already we
have been impressed with Sam Leeman and Avi Cherney’s tennis skills, and the
mature discussions that we have had with the hanichim/campers.   We are
happy to see that all of the hanichim are having fun and each one of them is
fully active whether in sports, peulot tzrif or tefilla/prayer.  We look
forward to the next couple of weeks at camp and it is a privilege to these kids
grow up.

 –David, Zach, Omer

 

 

Second session is off to
a great start!  We got 4 new girls
in tzrif 39: Gayle, Kochava, Sarah, and one all the way from Israel,
Liron.  The activities started
immediately, including soccer, clay-building, and Hebrew lessons.  On our second night, the boys and girls
split up for separate medurot/bonfires.  At the girl’s bonfire, they were taught
a “traditional tribal dance” that had been passed down from generation to
generation within the banot/girls of Machon.  After all the banot learned the dance. We also cooked corn
on the fire!  The banot in tzrif 39
are off to a great start and we expect only more fun to come!

 

-Julia, Eva and Alona

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

As you can see, second
session has started with plenty of fun and enthusiasm.  Our edah/division added some new
members and our summer family is finally complete!  This Shabbat we thought a lot as an edah about what it means
to create and foster a community.   

Machon again invited the
mislachat/Israelis brought in from over seas to help run our Peulat
Shabbat/Shabbat activity.  As this
was the third peula in a continuing series, it is so nice to see the
connections and relationships being formed between our hanichim/campers and the
wonderful mishlachat members.

In this Peula we
discussed one of the most hot button issues in Israel: Secular vs.
Religious.  While many people had
many different opinions, it was so nice to see our hanichim engaged in a very
meaningful and practical debate.

In our own community
there are many people who are seemingly opposites.  There are hanichim that love sports and those who love
drama.  There are those that love
the agam/lake and there are those that love tefilla/prayer.  Obviously these are not all opposites,
but we have a lot of hanichim with a large range of hobbies and opinions.  And the wonderful thing about Machon
summer is that we really have to figure out a way to live peacefully together,
yad l'yad/hand in hand.  I could
not be more proud to say that that is exactly what happens hear in Machon, and
it is exactly what happens here at Camp Ramah.

 

Shavua Tov,

Ezra


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