Yom Avatiach (Watermelon Day) – A Deliciously Fun Day!

One of our highly celebrated traditions here at camp is Yom Avatiach (Watermelon Day). Throughout the day, we had many events to honor one of our favorite fruits. To begin the day, many campers and staff members dressed in red/pink and green. There were even a few head-to-toe watermelon costumes spotted around the machane (camp). We had refreshing watermelon at every meal, including watermelon water ice for an after-lunch treat. Many activities in camp throughout the day were themed around the watermelons. In jewelry, campers made watermelon earrings and bracelets. In Limud (Jewish learning), many campers had the opportunity to learn the Talmudic significance of the fruit – did you know that the word avatiach is only mentioned once in the entire Tanakh?

One of the most special parts of the yom (day) is the highly competitive watermelon carving competition. The night efore, many staff members had the opportunity to carve a watermelon. Many designs were extremely intricate, impressive, and showed off people’s carving skills. We had turtles, sharks, the Alpine tower, and even baby Moshe in the basket. There were 20 total submissions. During the day campers and staff had the chance to view the carvings and vote on their favorite. Win or lose, every carving was unique and special.

Days such as Yom Avatiach truly show how even the simplest things in life can become an awesome celebration here at camp. Stay tuned for a new yom in kayitz 2024!