Zip Clear? Zip Away!

Created: July 24, 2022 | by Camp Galil

Hey Galil families! We started this Sunday as usual with a classic Jewish breakfast of bagels and cream cheese with the Galil standard of granola and yogurt. As we typically do in the mornings, next, the chanichimot (campers) went off to do their avodot (jobs). Once avoda was over, everyone went back to their tzrifim (cabins) to clean, while the tzophimot (scouts) put on long pants, closed toe shoes, and hats to get ready to punch in at the ropes course. Today, the tzophimot got a chance to go on the high ropes course. Many did the elements, a suspended system of beams and ropes, and for some, this was their first time braving the Giant’s Ladder and zipline (which is 45 feet in the air)!

Meanwhile, the rest of machaneh (camp) was having chuggim (clubs/interest groups) run by the Madatz (C.I.T.s). There were chuggim made for card games, board games, reading, and frisbee. The chanichimot had a great time apart from the fact that this was the hottest day of the summer so far. Because this week has been so hot, we put coolers full of cold water around all of machaneh for them to drink from and cool down. Once the tzevet (staff) made sure everyone was hydrated and cooled down, we had a wonderful meal made on the grill that consisted of juicy burgers and chips.

In the afternoon, we made sure that everyone had a chance to take a dip in the brecha (pool) to cool off again. Chanichimot had a great time splashing around. Some of the older chanichimot decided to create a game where they would throw a frisbee as far from the pool edge as they could while catching it before it hit the water. After a few minutes, some of the amelimot (workers)—our youngest campers—joined in.

At dinner, which was a pasta bar with savory sauces, some madrichimot (counselors) came in dressed as people living in the shtetl. Everyone was invited to the shtetl with different activities such as sheep shearing (making cotton candy), farming (racing in wheelbarrows), and rikkud (dancing). As the night went on, we all found out that the shtetl was actually a spaceship and we crash landed on an alien planet! The chanichimot had to go around learning about the alien culture before coming together and deciding that we could all coexist. Finally, we finished the night with a song called Rad Hayom (The decent of the day—a less literal translation would be the end of the day) which is a Hebrew lullaby, and then everyone went off to bed.

Excited to post again tomorrow, Amos