Shabbat Shalom CJ Family!

Click here to watch our THIRD WEEK VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS from CJ NEWS!

Our third week of first session has zoomed by with excitement and enthusiasm at every turn! Our oldest chanichim hosted their Bogrim Carnival for our youngest campers. Also, every eda went on a tiyul (trip) to either an amusement park (for the younger kids) or an overnight (for the older kids) and the weather was spectacular! Here are a few “Shabbat-O-Grams” our Merakzim wanted to write for you:

Offarim:

This week was very exciting and action-packed! Our campers wrote expectation letters to themselves for the last day of camp and to their future self in Bogrim. The campers were so thrilled and had an awesome time on their day trip to Tweetsie Railroad on Tuesday! Offarim also painted their cabin plaques that will be permanently hung up in camp for all to see. As this week comes to a close, we are looking forward to the coming week—from those extra special moments, to that last splash at the pool, and that one final rikkud around the basketball court.

Oranim:

We have just finished another week full of fun and exciting activities. The campers have been building sukkahs, having fun in a paint war, learning about different Israeli heroes, and getting the chance to write letters to current Israeli soldiers as a part of learning about Tikkun Olam. We also took a trip to the Dollywood Theme Park! We are all walking around with smiles and can’t wait for our final full week of awesome activities!

Sayarim:

This week Sayarim took Israel to the moon by learning about the Israel space program and SPACEIL by making their own rocket ships out of eggs and landing them safely from on top of the rock wall! We also had our day trip to Dollywood and ended the week with a spectacular talent show where the chanichim got a chance to perform for the entire eda!

Tsofim:

Our third week at camp was just as busy and exciting as the first two! We learned about the Israeli political system and some of the most prominent Israeli politicians. Our overnight on Tuesday was very successful and the chanichim ate delicious campfire food including Poike (ask them about it when they get home)!  We spent the day in Pisgah National Forest and then slept under the stars and thankfully stayed dry.  We are all dreading the end of camp but are doing all we can to cherish the last week. 

Kesher

This week has been incredible for Kesher. After a much needed restful shabbat post-NYC, we had a very enjoyable week full of activities. On Tuesday, Kesher went to Linville Caverns and Linville Falls for our day trip, which the kids absolutely loved. Afterwards, we went to Pisgah National Forest for our overnight, and I can honestly say that it was my favorite overnight I’ve ever experienced at Camp Judaea. We enjoyed a wonderful barbecue and then had a campfire with fun songs and even a talent show held by the campers. Last night, on Thursday, we had our hatzagah (performance) and it was “Frozen” themed as we learned about the special powers we all have inside of us. The chanichim (campers) had an incredible time making the artwork as well as the dance break. Following their stellar performance, we enjoyed an ice cream social and an impromptu dance party. With only a week left before the chanichim return home, I know that these kids are taking advantage of every opportunity that presents itself, and they are taking positive risks to ensure that they have the best session ever at Camp Judaea! 

Bogrim:

This week, Bogrim settled back into camp life through a jam-packed schedule of exciting special programs! On Tuesday, we visited the breathtaking Grandfather Mountain swinging mile high bridge on our overnight day trip! We took a beautiful hike up the mountain to watch the amazing views (check out the pictures). We also hosted a Bogie Carnival in which every Bogrim camper led a fun carnival game for our younger chanichim. Tonight, we are looking forward to kicking off our last camp Shabbat together as we lead services and shira alongside our Offie buddies!

Yesterday at Camp we celebrated Yom Ha’azmaut (Israel Independence Day at camp) where every camper had an educational competition (The Amazing Race) to visit every major city in Israel through stations and complete a task to find the next clue. Tonight we welcome in Shabbat with our BO’s (Bogie/Offies) leading services. We will think of what we want to accomplish together during our last week of camp as we light the Shabbat candles tonight. Most importantly, we will think of you and all of the positive risks we can’t wait to share.

Happy Independence Day and Shabbat Shalom from everyone at Camp Judaea!