And it’s Friday again! How did that happen? We had another great week at camp! Can you believe it’s already the second Shabbat of second session? Looking back on the week, it’s hard to believe so much has happened.

Kesher traveled all the way to New York City to enjoy the sights, sounds, and culture. They had an awesome time and returned safely back to camp this morning. On Monday, the remaining edot embarked on trip days: Rishonim to Tweetsie Railroad, Offarim, Oranim, and Sayarim had their overnights, and Tsofim and Bogrim spent the day in Carowinds. By Tuesday afternoon, everyone was back in camp sharing stories of their trips.

We also said “Bon Voyage” to our 33 Chalutzim campers who are currently in the woods with the North Carolina Outward Bound program. We are confident in their abilities to work together and with their staff to support each other through the ten-day program. We can’t wait to hear stories when they return next week!

Wednesday morning Tsofim headed over to Camp Rockmont to participate in Campstock. They played sports and had races against the other participating camps and really liked getting to meet the rest of the campers. As part of the program, each camp decorated a water barrel to be displayed in Downtown Hendersonville. Thanks to our Omanut (art) staff for helping with this project!

Thursday we said goodbye to our adorable Rishonim campers with a graduation ceremony and slideshow. Their parents loved it, and many of the campers cried about leaving camp, their friends, and their counselors. We are sure they’ll be back next summer to enjoy the full session! In the afternoon, we were joined by Judaic Mosaic, a Jewish rock band who led songwriting workshops and performed for the whole camp in the Beit Ha’am. It was awesome to host them!

Today, Bogrim left bright and early for Sports Day! It’s another inter-camp program with all sorts of sporting events, games, and races. They will be judged on game scores, sportsmanship, and teamwork. Bogrim is set to return with plenty of time to get dressed and ready for Kabbalat Shabbat tonight (which Sayarim will host).

There really is never a dull moment at camp with trips, peulot rotations, cabin bonding, meals, and chuggim (electives). This session, a certain chug has really stood out to us as special and meaningful, and we want to brag about it to all of you! It’s called “Spread the Love.”

Amos, a Tsofim counselor, got the idea to start the “Spread the Love” chug last summer during staff training in intersession. The staff was brainstorming new elective ideas, and it popped into his head that there should be a group of campers and staff who worked to share happiness and love throughout the camp. Another staff member hopped on board and came up with a name, and from there, the chug grew!

This session, there are 12 campers in the group led by Amos and another counselor, Remi. Their mission is to do little things to make people smile and make everyone feel loved and appreciated. So far, they have:

• Decorated pet rocks to give as gifts
• Written compliment signs and posted them on cabin walls, bathroom doors, and in public places like the chadar ochel and Israeli Culture Center
• Used chalk on the sidewalks to write out uplifting messages and designs
• Gone to people around camp to sing to them and cheer them up
• Decorated sheet cakes and delivered them to the Office, Maintenance, Health Care Center, and Kitchen Staffs
• Practiced making compliments more personal and less materialistic

In addition to making individuals feel loved, the group also wants to leave a more permanent mark on Camp Judaea. They have planned to paint a mural on the side of the shed that is near Flagpole. It will say in Hebrew “Anachnu Ohevim CJ” which means “We Love CJ” and will feature people holding hands around a heart. It’s an inspiring group and we are so proud of them!

This Shabbat, we hope that you are also surrounded by love. Shabbat Shalom, CJ Family. Don’t forget to check out this week’s edition of CJ News!