Nivonim Hike & Clipboard Ceremony

On Wednesday, I was delighted to have had the opportunity to accompany Adat ha-Nivonim on their tiyul (trip) out of camp, to hike at the Quabbin Reservoir!

The Quabbin is a beautiful area less than 30 minutes away from camp.  The area is absolutely gorgeous; the hike was challenging but not too strenuous.  Of course, it rained on us almost the entire time, but the Nivonimers had amazing ruach.  Their joy was palpable!  When it started raining, they started singing at the top of their lungs.  (Watch for a brief clip of their singing-in-the-rain that I filmed, which you’ll see in this week’s Ten for ROO update video on Friday!)  These kids are amazing.

After the hike, when we reached a tower with a beautiful view, the entire edah gathered in a ma’agal (circle), and their tzevet (staff) led them in a meaningful clipboard ceremony.  The idea of a clipboard ceremony at the start of the Nivonim summer is a long-standing camp tradition, going back decades!  (Back in the day, carrying a clipboard was the mark of being a madrich/a at Ramah!)  Each summer the tzevet Nivonim creates a new and different clipboard ceremony.

This is an important first step on the Nivonimers’ journey this summer towards becoming CITs at camp — or, as we call them, MiNis (Madrichim/ot b’Nivonim).

It’s already clear that adat ha-Nivonim ’23 is an extraordinary edah.  I can’t wait to see everything that they accomplish this kayitz!!