Hello From Camp!

In the summertime Ottsville can reach high temperatures so it is our responsibility to make sure Galil's wonderful chanichim (campers) are as hydrated as they are happy. Not all of us are as lucky as the Amelim (post 3rd and 4th graders) and the Chotrim (post 5th graders) who are tubing down the Delaware River today for tiyul (our outdoors trip), but we manage to mix things up enough to keep everyone cool. Sunscreen, water bottles, bathing suits and some creativity do the trick.   

Take Z'man Sport (sports time) for example: many of us head down to the brecha (pool) for the cannonball splash contests, games of catch, and the occasional whirl pool.  Today our yoga group practiced Bikram or Hot Yoga in the MoAdina. When z'man sport is over, we take a rest pose, shower off, put on some dry clothes and get ready for the rest of the day.  

During Sadnaot (workshops) our teva (nature) specialists took campers on a hike through Tinicum Creek which lines Galil's property.  We even set up sprinklers today for our campers to play in during chofesh (free time).  Keeping cool has never been so fun!    

After the heat breaks tonight and the Amelim and Chotrim return from tiyul, we're headed to a very special tochnit erev (evening program) where we transform our humble machaneh (camp) into A Night at the Oscars.  

Live from where the fun never stops,  

MRW      

Mealtime at Galil provides not just our nourishment, but also the passing on of our 65-year machaneh (camp) heritage. Every meal is like an exuberant family dinner where we share about the peulot (activities) we participated in that day.  We have meal-based traditions like pizza on Fridays and bagels on Sunday, but my favorite tradition is shira (singing).  Every day at lunch and dinner we sing, we eat, and then we sing a little more!

Every shicvah (age group) has three to five songs that they sing about themselves to the rest of machaneh. The kids stand up on benches and sing as loud as they can to prove their shicvah has the most ruach (spirit). For example, this is one of the songs that the Tzofim (Post 7^th Grade) sang today to the tune of “It’s a Small World”:     

 There’s a new shicvah here at Camp Galil / We’re the loudest singers at every meal / There’s so much that we share / And it’s time you’re aware  / We’re the cool, cool, cool Tzofim.    

We’re the greatest, we’re supreme / We’re the coolest chanichim / Working together as a team / We’re the cool, cool, cool Tzofim.  

Additionally, there are songs that don’t necessarily apply to a certain shicvah.  We sing songs in Hebrew and English; we sing songs from the Civil Rights Movement; we sing songs recounting various events in Galil’s history from 40-year-old-songs about Maccabia to silly songs we made up about a colorful moth dubbed “A Dragon Leaf” in the summer of 2009.  The ruach of Galil camp culture perpetuates the richness of our history.   

 When your Galilnik comes home have them teach you a song or two. Let us know how it goes!    

 Gleefully,   

 MRW