Tikun Olam

Amelim playing Wii bowling with the elderly

Today everyone woke up early to get ready for tikun olam (community service). Because assisting the community is one of our most valued tenets, we leave camp (machaneh) every session for a day to volunteer for various causes. Campers (chanichim) especially enjoy tikun olam because they get they chance to work with their friends and see the difference they are making in the community. For this tikun olam day, the chanichim were split up by age group.

The Amelim (post 3rd and 4th graders) did yoga and played Wii sports games with the elderly at Pennswood Village.

Bonot and Rachael with a baby goat

Bonim and Bogrim playing with special needs children

The Chotrim (post 5th graders) went to the Abramson Center for Jewish Life and played danced, sang, and played bingo with the elderly.

The Sayarim and Tzophim (post 6th, post 7th graders) packed boxes with food and delivered them to the needy and elderly through the Jewish Relief Agency.

The Bonim and Bogrim (post 8th, 9th graders) helped run a fun day for the campers of special needs Camp Carousel (Rainbow Academy). They had a pizza party and helped the campers swim, play on the playground, and ride horses.

The Madatzim (junior counselors) played music with students with cerebral palsy from HMS School and decorated their wheelchairs for a Fourth of July Parade and a dance party!

When we got back in the afternoon, everyone split up into groups to reflect about the day. One chanica recalled feeling empowered and like she could see the difference she made. Another called his tikun olam experience humbling and eye-opening to the issues of the world.

Keep checking back with the blog. Don't forget to subscribe to our Facebook and Google+ page!