Hello From Camp!

Learning New Skills: Sadnaot - Day Four

Here at camp, we strive to give our campers the ability to practice the things they love, while at the same time learning new things and expanding their horizons. One way we do this is during a part of the day called sadnaot, literally "workshops."

Each day the shchavot (age groups) rotate through our 6 sadnaot to talk about a different subject or learn a new skill. By having the opportunity to interact with our different facilities and specialties, the chanichim (campers) are encouraged to value the different activities, and at the same time learn about a related issue.

For example, in the gan (garden) sadna (singular for workshop) campers learn about the organic/natural/local food movement while looking closely and learning about the different plants we grow. Other examples of sadnaot are rikkud or Israeli folk dancing, teva or nature, sports, and melechet yad or arts and crafts. We also have one in which our campers learn about Israeli culture, food, and people with our Israeli staff members.

Today, the Amelim had teva with Nora, where they talked about trees and learned about the role they play in protecting the environment. The Chotrim had sports with Shaun where they played an exciting game of kickball. Sayarim learned some new Israeli dances with Jonah which they can add to their Friday night repertoire. The Tzophim played in the gan with Nathan, where they took a tour and checked out which plants we are growing and what sort of agricultural practices we use (we are organic and have drip irrigation!). Meanwhile, the Bonim worked in the Melechet Yad where they used their creativity to make decorations for their Bonim clubhouse. The Bogrim did not get to do sadnaot because they were on tiyul, the overnight camping and hiking trip that each age group does.

For more exciting camp stories, check in again tomorrow!! Lailah tov (good night)!!

Last Edited by ilanagoldfus@gmail.com at 9/12/2011 9:03 AM Comments (0)

Avodah and Labor Zionism - Day Three

Permanent link

Hello Everyone!!

Today, I'd like to explain a big part of the ideology on which we have built our community. Yesterday I explained that Camp Galil is a member of a youth movement called Habonim Dror, but what I didn't tell you was that Habonim Dror is one of the groups who contributed to the building of Israel through the creation of kibbutzim (collective agricultural communities). This branch of zionism is called labor zionism, which is committed to building up of Israel through working the land.

How is this related to camp? Every morning, all of the machaneh (camp) does some work, or avodah in order to help camp run. We divide all of the chanichim (campers) and madrichim (counselors) into groups, and they are responsible for one kind of work that needs to get done. For example, we have one group or anaf (literally, branch) that sets up breakfast, one that washes the dishes from breakfast, one that prepares the campfire for Saturday night, one that picks up trash, and of course one that cleans the bathrooms. We even have one for taking care of our gan (garden) and one that looks after the animals! Our chanichim enjoy avodah, as loud music and silliness is an integral part of the experience.

By having each member of our community contributing to the upkeep of our space, individuals take on responsibility for our grounds, and we find people picking up trash or cleaning something up without being asked. As Pirkei Avot (the Jewish book of ethical teachings) says, "Lo alecha hamlacha ligmor, v'lo ata ben chorin lehivatel mimena" or "It's not for you to finish the task, but you are not free to cease trying." By all doing our part and contributing to the work that must get done, we create a community that cares about each other.