Machon’s Ramah Experience
Here
is what a couple of Machon Tzrifim/Bunks have been up to this past week:
On
the first day of second session, Tzrif/Bunk 40's madrichot/counselors gave the hanichot/campers
a challenge to complete a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle by the end of the summer.
Sarah Glickman, Kate Shragis, and Sam Steiner quickly took charge, and
have recently completed the entire border of the puzzle! On our trip to
Boston this past week, the banot/girls gave themselves their own challenge-
secret shoppers! Everyone picked a friend's name out of a hat at the
beginning of the day, and at Quincy Market each bunkmate bought someone else a
small present. Later that night, tzrif 40 sat in a circle and exchanged
gifts with one another- the best present was a giant lollipop given by Ofri
Avieli to Ally Shapiro. It was a warming, bonding moment to end a fun day
in Boston. After a long and fun week of dance, sports, and play practice, the banot
are now looking forward to another fun-filled week at camp!
-Sara
Liben, Hannah Mellman, Rinat Gilony, Reut Yitzchaky
This
session is off to a great start; tzrif/bunk 38 is truly a family. The banot/girls
love to just hang out together, and we love to hang out with them. Tamar Austin
and Hayley Cohen have led prayers beautifully, and Rachel Goretsky's Torah
reading has been inspiring. The banot have all been getting ready for the
play, whether it is learning a dance or the songs. Sally Watts is super
excited to be doing the make up for the play! It has been a fabulous few
weeks and we know the next few weeks will continue to be amazing.
-Rebecca,
Shlomit, and Gabi
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last
week, our edah/division sat around the medura/campfire and learned our song, ze
kol ha kesem/that’s the magic. It
is a very beautiful song and our edah learned it and performed it well at
tonight’s Zimkudia/Song and Dance Festival. But what I would like to share with you is not about the
song we learned.
Last
session, we sat around another medura and gave thanks to those that helped
us. We learned how special the
people here at Camp really are.
Last week, I opened up the floor for a different type of
discussion. I spoke to the edah
about what Camp Ramah meant to me, personally. After sharing my own story (which started as a member of
Halutzim [entering 6th grade] in 1996 at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin,
and has taken me to be the Rosh Edah/Division Head for Machon here at Camp
Ramah in New England), the floor was open for anyone to speak about what Camp
Ramah and their Ramah experience has meant to them.
Over the next 45
minutes, hanichim, one by one, stood up and shared their stories. For some, Camp is a safe place where
they can get away from the pressures of school. Others felt that Camp was only place that they can truly be
themselves. Many expressed that the love of their best friends from Camp could
not have been fostered anywhere else.
One hanicha/camper expressed that Camp had given her the tools to be
proud of her Judaism outside of Ramah, in the “real world.”
We often talk
about the real world out there as if the world at Camp is somehow less real. I have never quite seen things in that
way. All year we learn about
ourselves and think about how we want to live our lives when we have control
over them. At Camp we gain that
control. And Camp is the incredibly
meaningful and, yes, real world that we create for ourselves. It is precisely what we make of it, and
that is what makes it so real. It
is what makes it so special.
Have A Great
Week,
Ezra