Opening Day: Great Peulot (Activities) and Lots of Fun!

July 28, 2023

Three young girls with glasses smile outdoors on grass, two wearing matching blue Camp Ramah New England hoodies with colorful star logos, and one in a gray hoodie with a Palmer 50 years tag. Another person is in the background.

Opening day is always one of the most exciting days of the summer. This week, we welcomed about 275 campers to our community. The morning started out with a bang as our madrichim (counselors) and full summer chanichim (campers) greeted old friends and welcomed new faces. On A-side, chanichim were able to launch straight into playing Gaga, tetherball, and other field games, as our wonderful tzevet (staff) had unpacked their things before their arrival. B-side chanichim enjoyed playing frisbee and spikeball and doing crafts on the migrash (field).

This year, opening day brought an unexpected surprise in the form of rain showers, but that didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits. Instead, it turned into an opportunity for creative fun! As the afternoon went on, our group of chanichim from the DC area arrived by bus and were welcomed with great enthusiasm.

Chanichim took tzrif (bunk) photos as they settled in, and then they participated in a variety of fun peulot (activities)! The chanichim got to know people in their tzrifim and edot (age groups) better as they enjoyed peulot such as bishul (cooking), omanut (art), limud (Jewish learning), and games planned by our amazing tzevet, such as Ilanot’s “Heads Up!” charade game. Each camper interacted with a specialist and sampled some of our top-notch activities while settling in.

The day ended with a delicious dinner followed by peulat erev (evening activity) by edah. This special first day of camp set the tone for a summer full of adventure, Jewish learning, and cherished memories.

A smiling girl in a light hoodie holds a colorful painted tile with a bright geometric design and text. Other people sit around her, one working at a table in the background. Art supplies are visible on the table. Two boys sit at a table, coloring with colored pencils. One wears a gray shirt and black cap; the other wears a blue tie-dye Camp Ramah shirt and a kippah. Other kids are visible in the background. Five girls sit around a table covered with colorful beads, smiling and making crafts in a brightly painted room with motivational posters on the wall reading “Be brave, Be kind, Be happy, Be you.”. A group of boys sits at a table coloring intricate designs with colored pencils. A container filled with colored pencils is in the foreground, and other children work in the background. A group of children sit at a table doing crafts together. Two girls in the foreground are focused on their projects, one drawing and the other watching. Colorful supplies and water bottles are on the table. Three children sit at a table doing arts and crafts. One girl with glasses smiles at the camera, while the other two focus on coloring and drawing on paper and headbands with markers. Art supplies are spread out on the table. Two young girls sit on painted benches indoors, each with a sticky note on her forehead—one labeled “Potato,” the other “Carrot.” Other children sit nearby, partially visible. The background is rustic wood. Three kids sit at a table, smiling and making colorful bead art on white trays. They are indoors, near large windows, and appear to be enjoying a craft activity together. A group of children sit and stand around tables filled with art supplies, coloring and drawing together in a lively classroom with large windows in the background. Four children sit around a table creating colorful bead art. Artworks and motivational posters decorate the purple and yellow walls behind them. Sunlight shines through a window on the right side of the image.

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