Magshimim at Menucha: Soccer Tennis & Eicha Tutorial with Dr. Josh Kulp

On the first full day of Session Two, chanichim (campers) in adat-HaMagshimim spent their Menucha [rest time after aruchat tzaharayim (lunch)] in a variety of ways.  Some chanichim played an interesting hybrid game of soccer tennis — including a tennis net and a soccer ball.

Others dove into the book of Eicha (Lamentations) with Rosh Beit Midrash Dr. Josh Kulp (pictured above, bio below).  The book of Eicha is chanted on Tisha B’av, which begins this coming Monday night.  Dr. Kulp taught these chanichim the beautiful, haunting trope (cantillation), the words, and their meaning on a beautiful Palmer afternoon under the tall whispering trees.  This is a wonderful skill for the chanichim to learn, as the trope is used not only on Tisha B’av but also while chanting certain other texts during the Jewish year.  The sun, wind, chanting, learning, chanichim and tzevet (staff) all join to give us hope and cause for optimism in the face of preparing for a holiday that commemorates multiple Jewish tragedies.

Dr. Kulp is co-founder of the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem where he has taught Talmud and halakhah for the last 20 years. He is the author of the recently published book Reconstructing the Talmud (Mechon Hadar, 2014) as well as the The Schechter Haggadah: Art, History and Commentary (Schechter Press, 2008). Beginning in 2001 and continuing through 2013, Dr. Kulp authored a commentary in English on the entire Mishnah, which served as the basis for the Mishnah Yomit project. In 2013 Dr. Kulp began the Daf Shevui program, the study of one daf of Talmud per week and has so far completed a commentary on Tractates Sukkah and Megillah and has begun work on Tractate Ketubot. Dr. Kulp was raised in Margate, New Jersey, where his family was active in the Conservative Movement. He spent his summers at Camp Ramah in the Poconos, Camp Ramah in Canada and for the last ten summers, he has served as the scholar-in-residence at Camp Ramah in New England. Dr. Kulp made aliyah in 1994 and currently lives in Modiin with his wife, Julie Zuckerman, and their four children. In his spare time, he is an avid triathlete and runner and has completed three Ironmans.