Galil Blog

Hey Galil families. We started this morning with our madatz (CITs) missing hitkansut boker (morning flag raising) taking a much deserved day-long vacation after running the oh so fun REVO! Their presence was missed, but alas, machaneh (camp) moved on. With waffles in their stomaches, the chanichimot (campers) were sent off to do avoda (work) and nikayon tzrif (cabin cleaning), before the bogrimot (graduates)—our oldest chanichimot—walked over to our ropes course. This was their last time on the ropes course as chanichimot, so they made sure to make the most of it. In fact, this was very likely the most fun any kvutzah (group) had on the course this summer. Many of them pushed their boundaries and learned they were more capable than they thought. One chanicha even tried the Giant’s Ladder for the first time because another member of her kvutzah wanted to help her on the way up. It was incredible and heartwarming to see. During the time the rest of the kvutzah was waiting for their friends to complete the course, they enjoyed playing cards and cheering their mates on. Then, they moved onto the zip line, which had some of them posing like Spiderman hanging upside-down from the zip line once they came to a stop.

\Meanwhile, coming back to the rest of machaneh, to take full advantage of the madatz‘s absence, the amelimot (workers)—our youngest chanichimot—decided to have an Amelution, in which they first learned how to be youth that are empowered. During lunch, they decided to start their own, new chant over the voices of everyone older than they are, and they also ran the post-lunch announcements that were given. Overall, it was wonderful to see how they felt empowered and learned that feeling’s importance.

Then, for sports today, we offered basketball, volleyball, and swimming. Many chanichimot chose basketball and volleyball instead of swimming today due to the cool climate we have been experiencing. Unfortunately, they didn’t get another chance to swim during free swim because of rain, but they still enjoyed dancing around in the puddles to cool off. After that, there was hitkansut erev (evening flag lowering) and dinner, which might have broken the record for favorite meal at machaneh. Our tzevet mitbach (kitchen staff) slaved away to make personal pizzas for every chanich, which were praised with a loud chorus of “We love you tzevet mitbach” repeated for about five minutes. They truly were to die for.

Now, a special guest writer had something to share: Tonight the tochnit erev run for galil chanichimot was about anti-racism. The kids were introduced to the different programs they could attend, which included anti-asian attitudes and intersectionality, the colonization of South Africa, Fred Hampton and the Black Panthers, prison labor and socialism, and the southern border and socialism. The kids became educated on the apartheid, and the current socio-economic state of South Africa. In another group ran by a tzevet member, the kids watched clips from the powerful movie Judas and the Black Messiah, and had a conversation about capitalism, oppression, and a socialist mindset. On another side of machaneh, the kids learned and were surprised at what the thirteenth amendment is. They had a meaningful conversation about what the prison labor system is, and coming to a conclusion that it is a modern day slavery system. Some chanichimot chose to learn about the southern border and the way immigrant labor is talked about in reference to immigrants, and how misinformation spreads. The final group spoke about anti-asian attitudes and what the model minority is and how it is harmful to lots of groups of people. The kids learned about what intersectionality is and what it means to some Asian American people, and what it can mean to them. Overall, this night was impactful, and purposeful for the chanichimot at Machaneh Galil. 

Thanks Dahlia:)

See you tomorrow, Amos