Gearing up for the first Shabbat of Second Session!

Chanichim (campers) waiting for Ivret Shimushit (Hebrew Skit)

The first Shabbat of machaneh (camp) is always an exciting time; the energy level over here is very high. At hitkansut boker (morning flag raising), all of the chanichim (kids) were freaking out about breakfast. Traditionally, we have muffins for breakfast every Friday, so it is always a meal that chanichim and staff tzevet (staff) members look forward to. After breakfast, we had an extended avoda (chores) period, in order to beautify machaneh for Shabbat. We then had an extended period for cleaning the nikyon tzrif (cabin cleaning). The chanichim with the cleanest tzrif will be honored in front of the entire machaneh, and will be given the "golden broom," which is a very revered award. The golden broom is just a normal broom that has been painted gold and covered in glitter, but everyone competes to win it so it is a fun initiative to clean. Even those who never want to clean will work their hardest on Friday to try and win this broom.

The seder yom (schedule) on Friday is pretty different than the rest of the week, which is exciting for chanichim. It starts off differently with madatz peula (an activity run by the CITs). Today, all of the shcavot (age groups) are having a conversation about feedback with their Madatzim. The conversations will be centered around how to speak to each other constructively as well as how to reach a compromise. Something different we do on Fridays is Shabbat Shira (shira before lunch) and the kids who bring the most ruach (energy) get to go eat lunch first! Aruchat tzohorayim today is also pretty special, the mitbach spends all morning making different kinds of pizza! As you can imagine, the chanichim go nuts over that. Everyone eats in Hyde Park and then there is a short asefah (meeting) about machaneh and ways to improve it. The chanichim run this asefah which is awesome because it gives the chanichim are chance to take ownership over the space they are living in and think of ways to make it better. Before you can stand up in front of machaneh to make a suggestion, however, you must do a creative "strut" up to a tire in the middle of Hyde Park. Some examples of struts include cartwheeling from your seat to the tire or piggy back riding. People tend to get pretty creative with these. Some selected chanichim choose which struts are the best and allow those people to go up to speak.

Chanichim (campers) walking the sheep.

After Hyde Park, the day starts to really feel like Shabbat. The Bogrim (post 9th graders) hand out a special kibud (snack) which usually consists of water ice or ice cream of some sort. Following kibud, there is mostly free time until around 5:20. During this chofesh (free time) the chanichim have the option of playing the sport of the week, which this week was frisbee. For those who don't want to play frisbee, there is schiya chofshit (free swim). After chofesh, the chanichim experience mispacha (family). For mishpachot, the chanichim are split up into "families" who will meet every Friday and talk about their week together. If a chanich or chanicha has real family members at machaneh, they will be put in the same mishpacha. It is a really great time to meet people you wouldn't normally spend time with and also check in with people and talk about how your week was.

Everyone then gathers at the torren (flagpole) to hug their friends and say "Shabbat Shalom". It is a really nice and relaxing time of the week. Dinner on Fridays is also very special. The chadar ochel (dining hall) is reshaped and there are table cloths placed on top of all of the tables. For aruchat erev (dinner) we serve chicken, matza ball soup, a vegetable of some sort, and some grape juice! The whole meal has a different energy to it as everyone is excited to welcome the Shabbas.

Chanichim during chofesh.

Following aruchat erev, there is some more shira and then the oneg which is a skit performed by a different shichva every week. This week the Amelim (post 3rd and 4th graders) will put on a show that is usually pretty cute and funny. After the oneg, its time for some rikud (dancing). Everyone heads over to the moadoan to dance, and this ends around 10 at night but people are welcome to stay later if they'd like to keep dancing. There is a sleep in tomorrow morning until 10:30 to let people rest and catch up on their sleep from the previous week! Don't worry about those early risers, we have activities going on for them. Shabbat is a really relaxing time at machaneh and people love the atmosphere it creates.

Because we are not supposed to use electronics on Shabbat, there will unfortunately be no blog post tomorrow. Don't worry, I will be back to you on Sunday again and I will fill you all in on everything exciting that has happened.

Until Sunday, Shabbat shalom!

-Mike

Even Thunderstorms Cannot Stop Us!

The chanichim (kids) woke up today to music from some of their favorite shows, such as Spongebob Squarepants. Its a pretty gray morning, but that doesn't stop us from having fun.  Ivrit Shimushit (hebrew word of the day) this morning was a funny skit teaching the chanichim that the hebrew word "lama" means "why" in English. Aruchat Boker (breakfast) was right on time, featuring oatmeal with brown sugar, fruit, yogurt and granola, and raisins. After some avoda (chores) and a little bit of nikyon tzrif (cabin cleaning) the chanichim were ready for their first peula (activity) of the day.

A madrich and chanich enjoying aruchat boker

The Bogrim (post 9th graders) are lucky enough to be one of the first kvutzot (groups) to take on the high ropes course. High ropes at machaneh (camp) is something the older shcavot (age groups) look forward to for a very long time (don't worry, the chanichim are harnessed in). There are three different challenges that the kids may take on, which include: The Elements - a series of sloped logs followed by a tightrope-like challenge, The Giant's Ladder - a huge ladder with about five feet of space between each rung, and The Zip Line - a chanichim favorite that goes from one side of the ropes course to the other. High ropes is an all day activity with breaks for lunch and laundry (laundry is done on Thursdays).

Today the Bonim (post 8th graders) are discussing the Ethiopian Aliyah which occurred in the 1980's during Operation Solomon. The Tzophim (post 7th graders) discussed kvutza and what it means to live in a collective space. They also touched on the impact they can have on each others' summers by creating memories that will last a life time. When I passed the pool I saw the Sayarim (post 6th graders) having their first instructional swim of the summer and it looked like a blast. The Chotrim (post 5th graders) were having a great discussion on what to do with their kupa (communal fund). In the case of the chanichim, kupa is mostly referring to the candy that they share with each other. The Amelim (post 4th graders) talked about taking ownership over the space they live in by creating decorations for their tzrifim (cabins) in the beit omanut (arts room).

After pish (activity with your age group), it was time for sports. I got into a tzevet (staff) versus chanichim game of basketball and the kids put up a good fight! There was also a bunch of chanichim swimming in the pool because it is super humid today. Others got into a huge game of frisbee; ultimate frisbee is taking over machaneh this summer.

The Chotrim having their kupa peula

Aruchat Tzohorayim (lunch) came quickly and the kids were hungry and ready for a good meal. Galil's version of Chipotle (kosher version) arrives for a little bit as the kids create their own combinations of beans, veggies, cheese, sour cream, salsa and guacamole.

The Madatzim (CITs) have been on their own schedule all day due to mifgash (meeting). The day started with peulot (activities) talking about how machaneh is a movement space and what we do here that creates that environment. Also, they touched on which structures at machaneh are more movement spaces or machaneh spaces. Next they had chugim (electives) discussing different social justice movements such as feminism and colonialism. They also had another peula run for them where they talked about Workshop (the gap year program after high school). There are different representatives here from the main office in New York to speak to the madatzim and answer any questions they might have. Finally they are going to have a discussion tonight on their national kvutza as a collective and how they can make decisions together and influence the direction the movement takes as a whole.

A chanicha on The Elements at high ropes

Due to a thunderstorm , the schedule for the rest of the day was a little fuzzy. Chugim was moved inside along with sadnaot (workshops). Most activities have no issues moving their location to indoor spaces to keep the chanichim nice and dry. For peula shichva bet (second group activity) many of the shcavot are continuing conversations they started this morning such as the kupa peula and many are starting important conversations about kvutza, and the rules of machaneh.After peulot the chanichim will have a little snack, apples or oranges, before they go to sadnaot. The day will finish out with shira (singing) and hitkansut erev (evening flag lowering). The kids will run to the chadar ochel (dining hall) for aruchat erev (dinner) and enjoy a nice meal before our tochnit erev (evening activity) which tonight is l'fi shichva (activity with your age group). The different tzvatim (staff) will plan kef (fun) games or watch a movie or do some type of kvutza building adventure. Today was another enchanting day at machaneh Galil.

Tomorrow is the first Shabbas of the new session and everyone is expecting an amazing day.
Until tomorrow, erev tov (have a good evening).

-Mike

First Yom Ragil of Second Session!

Boker tov! The chanichim (kids) woke up today at 8 a.m. with two tzevet (staff) members playing music over our rom kol (loud speaker). At 8:30 we had our first hitkansut boker (morning flag raising) of the new session. At hitkansut our mazkirut (leadership of machaneh) checks to make sure everyone is present, and then we sing a few songs while we raise the American, Israeli, and Habonim Dror flags. Following hitkansut a few tzevet members put on a skit every morning called Ivrit Shimushit where they teach a Hebrew chanichim. The word today in hebrew was "ma nishma" which means "what's up". The skit becomes a series that has an in-depth plot that is followed throughout the session! Aruchat boker (breakfast) is served around 9, which today featured waffles and our breakfast buffet of yogurt, granola, and fruit. After a delicious meal the chanichim go to do their daily avoda (chore). These are anything from brecha (cleaning the pool) to chayot (walking the sheep) to medura (building the Saturday bonfire). All of the avodot (chores) do something to help machaneh (camp) stay beautiful and clean for all of the chanichim and madrichim. Next all of the kids make go back to their tzrifim (cabins) and clean up a bit and make their beds; its always nice going to bed in a made bed.

Once machaneh is prepared for the day, the chanichim start their activities with peula shichva alef (first age group activity). These are fun activities or conversations with each age group that cover any range of topics. As I walked around machaneh, I saw the Bogrim (post 9th graders) talking about Jewish identity and how Judaism plays a role in their lives. The Bonim (post 8th graders) and Sayarim (post 6th graders) were speaking about dugma, which reflects being a role model to the chanichim younger than them and also being energetic and fun but serious when needed. The Tzophim (post 7th graders) and Chotrim (post 5th graders) were discussing different structures at machaneh to familiarize the new chanichim. The Tzophim were doing a scavenger hunt and the Chotrim were doing an "Australian safari" in the back of our camp truck! Last but not least, the Amelim had their first instructional swim of the session! After pish (combination of the words peula shichva) the kids get ready for sports; this session some of the sports are basketball, soccer, frisbee, swimming, running, and others. Today has been really hot and humid so after some running around a lot of the chanichim went to schiya chofshit (free swim). Finally we have some shower and rest time before we prepare for Aruchat Tzohoraim (lunch).


Mmmm. Lunch was delicious; the mitbach (kitchen) served frank and beans with cauliflower and rice. After all of that food, lots of people could use a rest so we have a bit of menucha (rest time). I saw a few Bogrim lounging in their hammock, and some of the Sayarim were sitting outside their tzrifim reading. The first chugim (elective) of the new session began shortly after menucha. Chugim usually consist of kef (fun), kef, and more kef. One of the chugim, Zorba, had kids paint their dreams from last night onto their arms and legs! Chugim is one of the most loved parts of the day because tzevet does a great job coming up with unique and creative activities. The rest of the day featured another peula shichva, sadnaot (workshops) which include things like teva (nature) and ivrit (hebrew), and then shira (singing) followed up hitkansut erev (evening flag lowering). The days here are jam packed with action, education, and most importantly a lot of fun.

After aruchat erev (dinner) there will be a little free time and then our insanely entertaining tochnit erev (evening activity). Tonights activity is called Sock Wars; the image behind the idea is that its a mixture of dodgeball, basketball and other recess-type games however you must use a pair of socks rolled up in a ball and the only way to move around is by scooching (not sure if thats a word but hope you all know what I mean) on your butt. After a minute or two of being out the kids are allowed to re-enter the game and continue playing.

In other news, the madatzim (CITs) have mifgash (meeting) today through Friday where the madatzim from our nearby sister machanot (camps) Moshava (Maryland), Gesher (Toronto), and Na'aleh (New York) come and participate in peulot (activities). It's a really great opportunity for the madatzim to reunite with friends they haven't seen since they spent the summer in Israel a year before (on Machaneh Bonim in Israel). It is also really nice to show the younger chanichim how connected our movement is and they are often surprised when the visitors know the same songs, dances, and chants that we do here.

Until tomorrow, shalom and erev tov.

-Mike

Intersession / Opening Day of 2nd Session

This past Sunday we said bye to many chanichim (kids) as first session came to a close. While it is sad to see so many friends leave, the second session brings in a new wave of energy and excitement. While tzevet (staff) prepares for the new session, the madatzim (CITs) run machaneh (camp) for a couple days called Intersession (the session between the sessions). The last week of machaneh can be pretty exhausting for some chanichim. Between Revo, Special Day, and Final Messiba (party), Intersession provides a great time for rest and relaxation. There is a lot of chill time for the chanichim as well as many surprises! On Monday the madatzim told the chanichim to dress up for a baseball game, however the kids were shocked to find out they were going to see Inside Out. The movie was funny, cute, and like every other Pixar movie- had its sad moments. Another Intersession treat is a game called Mafia. Here is how it is played: there is a loop of "targets" and one can take out another target by whispering a designated phrase, if no one is around to hear this phrase the target is out. The chanichim love this game and look forward to it every summer.

Tzophim playing basketball

Tuesday has finally arrived and it is time to welcome all of the new chanichim for Second Session. The day started with a late kima (wake-up) followed by oatmeal and bagels for breakfast. As the morning moved on, tzevet members moved tzrifim (cabins), completed avoda (work), and beautified machaneh for the new campers. Some chanichim cleaned the bathrooms in our chadar ochel (dining hall) or in the moadoan (gathering space). Everyone took part in making sure the tzrifim (cabins) were clean and ready, and finally around 3:30 the new chanichim started to show up! While everyone was getting settled, some chanichim started to play basketball, cards and hanging out with their new kvutza-mates (age-group); it finally felt like second session had started.  After everyone was settled in, the shcavot (age-groups) began ice breakers to introduce each other and learn about the people they will be living with for the next three weeks. I walked by the Amelim shetach (post third and fourth graders area) and saw them relaxing inside the tzrif, as it was very hot today. The Chotrim (post fifth graders) were playing a game where they were standing on a tarp and pretending the ground around them was lava, and the Sayarim (post sixth graders) were in a circle learning each others names. The Tzophim (post seventh graders) were still getting unpacked and a few were playing basketball or throwing a frisbee around.

Two Bonim having a great day

The Bonim (post eighth graders) and Bogrim (post ninth graders) were hanging out in front of their tzrifim and relaxing. A few of the new Bogrim were being shown the hammock and the picnic table that sits in between the girls' and boys' tzrifim; Bogrim is the only shichva to have a hammock and it is something that is long awaited. After ice breakers the shcavot will go to shira (singing) and hitkansut erev (flag lowering) and then move on to dinner, which tonight happens to be grilled cheese and tomato soup. It is a tradition that every year on opening day we eat this meal at machaneh. Chofesh (free time) follows dinner and the chanichim will do anything from more basketball or soccer to reading on the hammock or just hanging out with their friends in their tzrifim. The tochnit erev (evening activity) tonight is called "nitty gritty" where the chanichim will pick avodot (chores) and chugim (clubs) for second session! It is a fun and exciting time with lots of crazy and interesting options to choose from. Tomorrow will be the first full day of second session and I'm excited to see what it brings; the energy in this machaneh is magical.

The Amelim meeting their new madrich

Finally, I'd like to introduce myself a little bit. My name is Michael Harrison and I've been coming to machaneh since 2008. This summer was my first being a tzevet member, and during first session I was a madrich (counselor) for the Tzophim. Being a madrich was an incredible experience which taught me a lot and I would not trade the last 4 weeks I spent chanichim for anything. After this summer I plan on attending the University of Maryland and majoring in either finance or international business. Machaneh is an amazing place and I see myself working here for a long time. Thank you for taking the time to read my first post and until tomorrow, toda raba (thank you very much).

Farewell From Me to You

The long awaited and much dreaded last day of camp (machaneh) has arrived, and everyone is sad about it. This morning at breakfast, four weekers ate with their friends for the last time for a while. Second session-ers tearfully helped pack up the luggage of their friends who'd be leaving. Counselors (madrichim) hugged their campers (chanichim) before watching them drive away, over the bridge. While the last day of machaneh is always sad, we know that we will see many of the four weekers' smiling faces again next summer. This session has been a spectacular one, and we are very excited to begin a new one on Tuesday! We will have a new Communication Specialist (someone different than originally planned!) who will be your new voice of Galil. That means that, sadly, this is my last post. It's been an honor to write for all of the friends and family of Galil, and it's been even greater to hear so much wonderful feedback from many of you. I hope that I've fulfilled any expectations that you may have had for the blog this summer. Next session, I will be working with the Tzophim (post-seventh graders), which I am very excited about. I have faith that next session will be just as great as this session, and that our new Comm. Specialist will be just as informative as you'd hope. Thank you all again, it's been a pleasure!
Lehitraot,
Eve Haklay

A Shabbas to End All Shabbatot

Shabbat Shalom from Camp (machaneh) Galil! We woke up here on this special day at machaneh excited for the last Shabbat of first session! To start off, everybody always looks forward to muffin day, so breakfast was full of energy. Afterwards, we had extended chore time (avoda) in order to beautify machaneh for Shabbat. 

After that, we had an extended period of cabin cleaning time (nikayon tzrif).  Last week, the Sayarot (post-sixth graders) won the golden broom because they cleaned their tzrif the best. Next, we had Madatz peula (the age group discussion that is run by the counselors-in-training). This week, the Amelim (post-third and fourth graders) went down to the pool with their Madatzim. They talked about how their summer has gone so far and some of their favorite memories together. The Chotrim (post-fifth graders) went down to the creek to create warm and fuzzies. Warm and fuzzies are booklets created for each person that they pass around to be signed by everyone else, sort of like a camp yearbook. The Sayarim played games and then talked about the Ken, which are year-round Habonim events that are planned for kids. Some of them include Spring Seminar, Fall Seminar, the Chanukah Sleepover, and the Chocolate Seder. 

They learned that there are Ken Events for New York and New Jersey kids too, as well as many others, so there are so many opportunities to become involved in Habonim during the year. The Tzophim (post-seventh graders) went down to the dining hall (chadar ochel) for a special surprise from their Madatzim. In their free time, the Madatzim for the Tzophim created a photo montage of all the photos that I took of them this summer. It ended up being a ten minute video that went through their whole summer together, which was very endearing. The kids loved it, and afterwards they played games together. The Bonim (post-eighth graders) had a more serious conversation. They spoke about their dynamics with each other, and how they can grow together and be more respectful and trustworthy. The Bogrim (post-ninth graders) had a similar conversation, although it was planned by a handful of them instead of by their counselors (madrichim).

After Madatz peula, Shabbat singing (shira) began! Today, the Sayarim got to head to lunch first because they were singing the loudest (and probably also because they had to finish practicing for the play (oneg) that they are putting on tonight). There were only high spirits at lunch because it was pizza day. Everybody hung out in Hyde Park for a while until it was time to begin our machaneh-wide feedback session. As everyone who had something to say was giving feedback, the Bogrim and Madatzim handed out ice cream as a snack (kibud). 

After that, we had rest time (menucha). During this time, we also had the sport of the week (which was soccer), as well as free swim. There was also an option to play on a slip-n-slide today, which was very exciting. Towards the end of menucha, all of the campers (chanichim) got dressed up for Shabbat. Right now, everyone is about to leave to join their mishpacha (family group). They are speaking about their week and reading a section of the Torah. Afterwards, all of machaneh will come together to lower the flags and sing to welcome Shabbat. Then, we will eat our Shabbas dinner together before doing more shira and then watching the oneg! Our night will finish off with some Israeli dancing (rikud) in the clubhouse (moadon). Tomorrow, we will not have a blog post because of Shabbat, so I will be back on Sunday (which will also be my last blog post of the summer). Until then, Shabbat shalom!

Last Yom Ragil!

When the camp-wide speaker (romkol) went off this morning at 8:00, there were only a few early risers. Because today is the last normal day (yom ragil) of first session, everyone is pretty worn out. Luckily, we will have one last Shabbat together to relax and send off the four-weekers, as well as refresh the minds of our second session-ers.

Tzophot with two of their madrichot.

Both the chanichim and the rest of staff (tzevet) laughed along as other tzevet members preformed the second to last "helpful Hebrew" (ivrit shimushit) skit of first session. Next session, there will be a different group of (tzevet) members preforming different skits. After that, we all headed down to the dining hall (chadar ochel) for breakfast!

We ate breakfast for a while until it was time for our daily chore (avoda). At 10:45, we started age group activities (peulot). I walked all around camp (machaneh) to take a look at what everyone was doing. When I walked outside, I saw the Tzophim (post-seventh graders) sitting near their cabins (tzrifim), talking about what each of them will be doing next session and next summer. Similarly, the Bonim (post-eighth graders) were speaking about what they will be doing throughout the year and next summer. Next I found the Sayarim (post-sixth graders) in the art room (beit ominut) making arts and crafts, as well as songs and cheers for themselves. The Bogrim were having an important conversation about their responsibilities as the oldest chanichim at camp, as well as the meaning of kvutsa (a small, unified community). The Chotrim (post-fifth graders) were watching a movie together in the Moadon. Lastly I found the Amelim at the pool, doing instructional swim.

Some Sayarim with a Choteret.

After the peulot came to an end, it was time for sports! An hour after sports began, they transitioned into free swim. Some chanichim came to swim, while others chose to use this time to shower or relax before lunch. At 1:20, lunch was called.
The schedule for the rest of the afternoon has been packed (with a mix of fun and seriousness) as it usually is. Everyone had rest time (menucha) for a bit after lunch, which was followed by a fun elective (chugim) of their choice, a small break, and then the second set of peulot for the day. Many of the schavot continued their conversations from earlier, but a few switched things up. For example, the Chotrim were at the pool for instructional swim this time, and the Amelim were taking a scavenger hunt around machaneh. Peulot eventually transitioned into snack time (kibud). Tonight after dinner, our evening activity (tochnit erev) will be called "Howie Learns to Love." For those of you who don't know, Howie is our head of camp (rosh) this summer.

Chanichim at lunch today.

At the beginning of this tochnit, someone will throw water on Howie, who will be playing a robotic version of himself. The result of water being poured on Robot Howie will be that his ability to love has been compromised. The chanichim will go through various stations having to do with either love or robots (the two may seem very unrelated.. but we make it work) until the end, when the Wizard of Oz comes in and tells Howie that he's had the ability to love all along. It will be a very fun tochnit because of how goofy it is, which is a nice way to finish off the last normal day of first session.
So, until tomorrow, shalom and erev tov!

Galil Visits Pixar Studios

The campers (chanichim) here at Camp (machaneh) Galil woke up this morning after a one hour sleep-in to find out that today is Special Day! The theme of this day is Pixar Adventure, and the entire daily schedule will be different. On the loudspeaker (romkal) this morning, our main characters woke everyone up.

Amelim at the ropes course today.

The main characters are a family of four that are visiting Pixar studios on vacation. The first studio that they brought us to was the "Monsters Inc." one, which is where we ate breakfast. Our meal took place in Boo's Bedroom, so the staff (tzevet) members encouraged everyone to dress like kindergarteners. Afterwards, each age group (shichva) spent some time painting the door to their cabin (tzrif) based on a Pixar movie. The Amelim (post-third and fourth graders) painted their doors with fish for "Finding Nemo", and the Amelot and the Chotrot (post-fifth graders) painted for the movie "Wall-E." The Chotrim painted for "Up," while the Sayarot (post-sixth graders) painted for "Toy Story." The Sayarim painted their door based on "Monsters Inc." The Tzophim (post-seventh graaders) painted for the movie "Inside Out," the Tzophot painted for "Ratatouille," and the Bonim (post-eighth graders) painted for "Cars." Lastly, the Bonot painted for "The Incredibles," the Bogrim (post-ninth graders) painted for "Brave," and the Bogrot painted for "Bug's Life."

Bogrot laughing on the basketball court.

After everyone finished painting their doors, we all met up again at the basketball court before beginning a carnival. At the basketball court, our main characters spoke to Sully from "Monsters Inc." and Buzz from "Toy Story," and then we transitioned into the "Toy Story" studio. The carnival had stations like, Life-sized Mr. Potato Head and, Little Bo Peep Sheep Herding. The carnival lasted for about half an hour before all of the chanichim were sent to the ropes course and "Toy Story" transitioned into "Wall-E." The chanichim didn't go on the course, though, they just watched a transitionary skit. Lunch came next, and it was served buffet style on the porch of the dining hall (chadar ochel). When everyone entered the chadar ochel after getting their food, they were transported into outer space. Tzevet had decorated the chadar ochel by covering all of the windows with black paper and hanging up paintings of stars and planets.
There were also a few strands of lights around the room which looked like stars, so the whole atmosphere was very cool. When lunch came to an end, we all moved over to the gazebo, which was decorated with tons of balloons to look like the house from "Up." At this point, we transitioned from "Wall-E" to "Up." The chanichim were given some free time (chofesh) before beginning another carnival, this time based on "Up." Many of these stations were "wilderness exploration" stations, where kids could earn badges to put on Cub Scout sashes. Some of these stations include building a dam, learning a fire dance, and skipping rocks. At the end of the carnival, everyone changed into a bathing suit and headed down to the pool, where we transitioned into "Finding Nemo" and had a pool party. After the pool party, all of the chanichim washed up before "Finding Nemo" transitioned into "Cars." Once we were at the "Cars" studio, we spent some time building cars out of cardboard boxes and paint. After building the cars, it was time for a snack (kibud).

A Sayeret at the pool.

Then, the chanichim raced each other in their cars! Each shichva chose a representative to race for them. This race led up to a real race, between Mater and Lightning McQueen. We had our camp truck decorated to look like Mater, and a tzevet member's car like Lightning McQueen (but don't worry, they only "raced" at five miles per hour). The race commenced and more chofesh was given, until it was time for dinner! Dinner was "Ratatouille" themed, so the tzevet members who were on serving duty (toranut) were dressed in all black to look like waiters. At the end of dinner, one last transition skit was preformed, and we were with The Incredibles! All of the chanichim were told to dress up as super heros, and then meet at the moadon for a party (messiba). The messiba will go until it is time to get ready for bed. Tomorrow will be the last regular day of first session, and then our Shabbat weekend will start! Check back in tomorrow though to find out what's going on!

Revo!

Good Afternoon from Machaneh Galil! Yesterday was a very different day than usual, which is why there was no blog post, but everything will be explained in this one! Two of the Madatzim wrote the blog post about yesterday, because they ran the camp for the day. Because they were so busy with all of the kids, they had to hold off on writing it until today.

Bonim at the pool during Revo.

Before you find out about that, though, I'll tell you a little bit about how today went. We had our normal schedule today, which meant that we had the chance to clean up a little bit more of yesterday's fun during chore time (avoda). Everything continued as usual, and it will continue like that until it's time for bed. Tomorrow will be another special day, so make sure you check back in to find out just what it will be!

The following post is written by Elianna Lopez and Sophie Rudin from Madatz!

REVO

Shalom to all the friends of Camp (machaneh) Galil! Yesterday was a very exciting day for all the campers (chanichim) and us, the CIT's (madatzim). After weeks of planning, we executed a successful tradition called Revo. Revo happens once a session, and it is when the madatzim plan a day for the campers (chanichim) to "kick out" all of the staff (tzevet). (Don't worry- they just hid inside for the day!) Below we will describe the day:

The Creepy Carnival.

We decided that after a hot and exhausting visiting day, the chanichim deserved a bit of a sleep-in so they would be reenergized and rejuvenated for the full day ahead. The loud speaker (romkol) woke all the kids up later than usual and started the morning like any other day. At flag pole raising (hitkansut) we broke out in a skit. The theme of the day was Story Time, in which we followed a hero (played by Carli Fine) through her adventurous day of meeting new friends, encountering evil villains, and traveling through various environments. During the opening skit, the hero, named Hero, shared her dreams of freeing herself from the confining boundaries and boring tasks of the village. The head staff  (maskiruit), did not grant her wishes, at which her friends decided that her adventure would only be possible if tzevet was gone. We all chanted "kick them out, kick them out, they all gotta go" as chanichim dragged their madrichim off the flagpole (toren) and away from our "village". Next we taught the chanichim the song of the day, which was to the tune of "Bad Blood" by Taylor Swift and sent them to the dining room (chadar-ohel) for a delicious breakfast of cinnamon buns, frosted flakes, and chocolate milk!

Sayarim having fun.

Once the chanichim had enough sugar, they were ready for their first event of the day. Hero's first adventure occurred in a middle-eastern, desert themed world. Kids participated in fun stations at various tents that were set up around the field (kikar) to resemble the feeling of Bedouin tents. Activities included camel riding, massages, fortune tellers, digging for gold (candy), and of course a hydration station. We introduced each setting with a skit played by different characters.

After a hot time in the desert, Hero decided she needed to cool down. We followed Hero to a snow-themed world, where we had a camp-wide water balloon fight (to simulate snowballs) and a slip-and-slide (to simulate sledding). We ended up at the pool for a super refreshing and island-themed pool party!

The afternoon activities began after a delicious lunch and some free time (chofesh). By age group, (shichva) the chanichim put on closed-toed shoes and a hat and ventured through a short hike (as if in a jungle) before arriving at a the barn (refet).

Amelot at the toren this morning.

This was prefaced by a skit that introduced a villain. Hero was faced with some new situations and challenges as she protected her friends from evil.
The refet was decorated as a haunted jungle and we had helpers in the oldest shichva (bogrim) dressed up as creepy animals to add some scary but exciting effects to the tour of the jungle. All the chanichim survived their walk through the haunted jungle and were rewarded with a pudding parfait (kibbud). 

The next event was a Creepy Carnival. The chanichim were excited to see a popcorn and snow cone machine and had a great time participating in many activities, some including face painting and bobbing for apples. The next event was a round rob-in of training games to help prepare Hero for her fight with the villain. The stations included various challenges obstacle courses, strengthening stations, mind games, and more!

Tzophot at the pool during Revo.

The chanichim then had some chofesh to shower and rest up in preparation for a royal banquet with the king and queen of Tadamz Town (Tadamz is anagram of madatz). When the chanichim arrived in their fanciest clothes, they enjoyed grilled chicken, potatoes, and couscous. (Every meal was prepared by various members of madatz and bogrim.) As a final hoorah, the tiring but fun day concluded with a victory dance party, because Hero beat the villain and saved all of her friends. Both Hero and all the chanichim here at Camp Galil enjoyed an adventurous day with no tzevet to hold us back! Todah to all the tzevet, madatzim, and bogrim who helped make our Revo possible!

Visitors Day!

Shalom to all of the friends and family of Camp (machaneh) Galil! Many of you joined us here today for Visitors Day, and some of you might have just gotten home! We had so much fun with all of you for the few hours that you were here for, so thank you to all who came. Although many of you spent at least an hour or two here this afternoon, there are still a number of friends and family who couldn't make it, so I'll recap what happened:

The family of an Amelah meet her AmBo buddy.

At around noon today, all of the campers (chanichim) made their way down to the parking lot to wait for their families. At first, the cars staggered over the bridge into machaneh, however within the hour, there was a solid stream of cars entering camp grounds. The clump of chanichim thinned out as time went on and eventually, every chanich had their own picnic area set up somewhere around machaneh. For those of you who have never attended a Machaneh Galil visiting day, I will give you a bit of background information. On Visitors Day, the chanichim look forward to having a special lunch with their families and friends. Kids write letters home to parents ahead of time, asking for particular foods and drinks. So, although much of the excitement of Visitors Day is centered around seeing family, a good bit of excitement is just in anticipation for tasty food. Anyway, families were camped all around machaneh in lawn chairs and on blankets, having picnics while catching up. Because it was so excruciatingly hot today, there were virtually no families picnic-ing in direct sunlight, so all of the shaded parts of machaneh were packed. 

A happy tzevet member with his grandparents.

The heat couldn't stop us today, and we offered free swim beat it. When free swim ended, parents joined their kids for some ice breaker games, before we all met up at the flag pole (toren) to recreate our daily gatherings. We showed the parents some of our cheers and our morning traditions, before breaking off again to the picnic sites. At this point in the afternoon, everything was winding down and parents began to leave. On their way out, some parents bought Camp Galil shirts or ice cream cones for their kids, as well as some for themselves. By 4:30, most of the families had left machaneh and the chanichim were relaxing on their full stomachs. We ran electives (chugim) as usual after the parents left, but the rest of the afternoon was different. Instead of the usual afternoon activities, we had machaneh-wide free swim. Everybody had to come down to the pool, even if they didn't want to swim (although most of them were beyond excited to be in the pool and out of the sun). At the end of free swim, everyone was given some time to wash off before dinner. They went straight from their cabins (tzrifim) to dinner, without meeting at the toren again (because we met there with parents earlier!). 

The smiling family of a tsofeh.

At the end of dinner, the evening activity (tochnit erev) will be revealed to everyone, which will be exciting, because tonight is Zap! Zap is a machaneh-wide activity that we run once per summer, so it is something that kids look forward to. The purpose of the game is to get from one end of machaneh to the other without being seen by any staff (tzevet) members. If you are seen by a tzevet member, they will shine a light on you and say "zap, go back." At that point, you must go back to the last checkpoint that you reached, and try again. The kids dress in dark colors in the hopes that they won't be seen as easily, and once it gets dark, they set out on their mission. Even if you don't make it to the end (which I never did in my five years as a chanicha), Zap is fun and exciting for everyone. Since it has been such a long day, tomorrow morning there will be a 45 minute sleep in before the day begins. Tomorrow will be a special day at machaneh, so make sure to check back in to find out more!

 

Shabbat is Sababa

Shabbat Shalom to friends and family of Camp (machaneh) Galil! The sun was high up in the sky on the morning of this fine Shabbas. At breakfast, we listened to music  and sang joyfully, a great start to the day. During chore (avoda) time, we cleaned up machaneh to perfection in order to welcome Shabbat.

Two Sayarot after avoda.

After avoda, all of the age groups (schavot) spent some time cleaning their cabins (tzrifim) competing to be cleaner than anyone else at machaneh, in order to win the golden broom after Israeli dancing (rikud) finishes tonight. Once all of the tzrifim were cleaned, it was time for age group discussions run by the Madatzim (counselors in training) (Madatz peula). Today, during Madatz peula, the Amelim (post-third and fourth graders) put on silly skits for each other. The Chotrim (post-fifth graders) talked about bullying and how it can be prevented. They also spoke about correct and incorrect ways of speaking to one another. The Sayarim (post-sixth graders) learned about the other six North American Habonim Dror machanot by learning about some defining activities that they do at those machanot. For example, at Miriam, the Canadian Habonim Dror on the west side of the country, there is a limited supply of water because camp is located on an island. In order to have enough water so that everybody at machaneh can shower, they have created a special system for showering called the "Miriam Shuffle." The Miriam Shuffle involves a rotation of campers moving in and out of the showers at a certain pace so that showers are kept short and water use is kept to a minimum. The Tzophim (post-seventh graders) played a series of challenge games in smaller groups.

Amelot during Madatz peula.

The Bonim (post-eighth graders) played a game of Jeopardy in which all of the questions were about their Madatzim, in order for the chanichim to get to know them better. The Bogrim (post-ninth graders) ran a peula for themselves again this week. This time, they split into pairs and spoke about what personality traits they wish that they had more of. They also split into pairs and told their partner about which personality traits of theirs that they liked the most, and then compared the two topics of discussion. After peulot ended, it was time for Shabbat singing (shira). This week at Shabbat shira, the Tzophim sang the loudest and were allowed to go to lunch first, quickly followed by the Chotrim. After lunch, came Hyde Park and then rest-time (menucha). During menucha, there were many activities going on for chanichim to get involved in. For instance, the sport of the week today was basketball, so many staff (tzevet) members and chanichim met on the court to challenge each other. We also offered rikud during menucha, for chanichim who would like to learn more rikud dances as well as chanichim who just love rikud and want to do more of it. Towards the end of menucha, everyone will clean themselves off and dress up for Shabbat. After menucha ends, family time (mishpachot) will begin.

A madrich helps up a Madatz during sports.

Mishpachot offer a great space for everyone at machaneh to relieve any tension that had been building up during the week, as well as speak about what they are looking forward to in the next few days (I am sure that Visiting Day will definitely be on top of that list, since it is on Sunday!). When mishpachot ends, everyone will gather at the flag pole (toren) to hug each other and welcome in Shabbat together. Then, we will watch the Chotrim preform the Israeli dance and songs that they've been preparing over the week. Finally, we will walk down to the dining hall (chadar ochel) for our Shabbat prayers and dinner. After dinner, the Tzophim will preform the play (oneg) that they created in front of machaneh. The night will end in the clubhouse (moadon) where everyone will be doing rikud. Tomorrow will be a relaxing day, and I'll be back to the blog on Sunday, after seeing many of you here at machaneh!

Topsy Turvy Bus Round Two

This morning at camp (machaneh) did not start out like the others. The Madatzim (counselors in training) planned a fake "Revo," which is a day that they run twice a summer. Revo is similar to Bozmon in that the Madatzim will be the ones running the camp for a period of time. They all arrived at our morning gathering (hitkansut boker) dressed in black and white. Then they proceeded to kick out the counselors (madrichim) to start their Oreo themed revolution. To the campers' (chanichim) dismay, the madrichim were waiting in the dining hall (chadar ochel) when they came down to breakfast, meaning that it was a fake special day.

Some chanichim getting onto the Topsy Turvy Bus.

Afterwards, the rest of the meal went on as usual, and led into chores (avodot).  Avoda and cabin cleaning time (nekayon tzrif), which came afterwards, went by quickly and led into age group discussions (peulot). Today during peulot, the Amelim (post-third and fourth graders) had time with their cabin-mates, or zmon tzrif. The Chotrim (post-fifth graders) practiced the Hebrew song that they will sing for the camp tomorrow evening. The Sayarim (post-sixth graders) went on low ropes today. The Tzophim (post-seventh graders) went to the art room (beit omanut) to do some art projects. One of the things that they did was paint a bench with their Workshop (Habonim Dror's 9 month Israel program) number on it, which is 70. The Bonim (post-eighth graders) headed over to the garden (gan) to speak with our gan specialist about how we interact with animals and how that relates to Judaism.

A few of the chanichim at the creek.

The Bogrim (post-ninth graders) stayed in their area (shetach) and spoke about how to give constructive feedback to one another. After that, sports began! All of the sports ran normally today, except for swimming. Instead of going in the pool today, this sport went down to hang out at the creek for a little while. After sports finished and everyone had some time to wash up, lunch began. Today we listened to music on the speakers in the chadar ochel, so there were many people dancing around in between bites. At the end of lunch, our head of education revealed to the chanichim that we had special visitors among us, which were the people from the Topsy Turvy Bus that we had come to machaneh last summer! The Topsy Turvy Bus is an environmentally friendly bus that a few people live on and travel in each summer, to teach kids in summer camps about being sustainable and environmentally conscience. The three older age groups (schavot) visited the bus first, while the younger schavot had their own separate conversations about the environment. The Topsy Turvy Bus people showed the chanichim around the inside of the bus, and talked about some of the sustainable appliances that they use every day. For example, they make ovens out of cardboard boxes, black paint, tin foil and saran wrap. They also have a blender that is attached to a bicycle, so in order to blend the food inside, one must ride the bike.

The Sayarim inside of the Topsy Turvy Bus.

 They ran a station with the chanichim where they all put in smoothie materials, and in the end the smoothie represents their teamwork. When it was time for the older and younger kids to switch, they did so, and the Topsy Turvy Bus people went through their routine again. These stations went on for the remainder of the afternoon, until it was time for hitkansut erev. Everybody has gathered at the flag pole (toren) to lower the flags and they will head down to dinner shortly. Tonight's evening activity (tochnit erev) is Gender Night, which we run once a summer as a tochnit. In the past, Gender Night has been helpful in teaching chanichim about accepting themselves and their peers for who they are, and I expect that it will mean the same thing tonight. Tomorrow is Shabbat, which will be a very fun day, so check back in for another post soon!

It Rained In Israel!

Shalom from Camp (machaneh) Galil in Israel! Today at machaneh is Yom Israel, or, Israel Day! We have this day once each summer at machaneh, so that we can teach the kids (chanichim) more about Israel. The theme of this Yom Israel is "Jewish holidays in Israel." We will "travel" from the north of Israel (the Galil!!) all the way down to the south by the end of the day, all the while learning about the may Jewish holidays that are celebrated in Israel, as well as some minority holidays in Israel.

An Amelah holding up the "afikomen" after finding it.

This morning, the chanichim were woken up by staff (tzevet) members in a truck, driving around camp singing and honking the horn. Some of the chanichim even ran outside to join the tzevet members that were waking them up, because they made it into a very fun job. Initially, we were supposed to all eat breakfast together outside, around a bonfire (medura), but because of the rain we had to eat in the dining hall (chadar ochel). We set up the chadar ochel differently though, to create a different atmosphere. The tables were arranged in clumps of two tables next to each other, which created a square for people to sit around, as if it was a family dinner table. After breakfast, all of the chanichim moved through different stations to learn about hiking in Israel. Some of the stations included learning to read typography, learning hiking cheers, finding out about different birds in Israel, and creating a travel journal. Then, everybody had a short break before moving on to Zmon Tzrif, or, time with your cabin mates. In this activity, the chanichim painted a sign with the name of their tzrif that will be put on one of our trails in the woods later today. Each tzrif is named after a place in Israel, such as Gezer, Urim, Akko, and a few more. While the chanichim made their signs, they also learned a little bit about the places that their tzrifim were named after. After that, we watched a movie about a youth movement similar to ours, on a kibbutz in Israel.

A few chanichim on the way to get kibbud.

If it hadn't rained, we would have played a game of capture the flag while learning about different youth movements in Israel, but I'm sure that everyone was happier watching the movie than they would have been running around in the mud! After the movie, everyone will dress up fancily and meet in their family (mishpacha) groups (the ones that they are in on Shabbat) for lunch. In order to enter the chadar ochel for lunch, the mishpachot must first find the afikomen that the "parents" of the mishpacha will hide. Then, the mishpachot will sit together at lunch, which will be Shabbat themed. After lunch, there was a bit of rest time (menucha) before electives (chugim) begin. The chugim today were not like the chugim on normal days, though. Why are the chugim on this day different than on any other day, you may ask? Well, today in chugim, we will be talking about different issues in Israeli society, such as the Jewish Ethiopian protest or religious pluralism. After chugim, we had a special time called "Israella." During this time, a skit about the history of Israel was presented to all of machaneh. Each age group (shichva) presented a different piece of Israeli history to machaneh. Then, Israella transitioned into rikud (Israeli dancing)/ free swim.

Bonot smiling in the rain!

The chanichim chose to either do rikud in the clubhouse (moadon) or go to free swim down at the pool, where Israeli music was played. After that, there was time to wash off and then eat a snack (kibbud). Once kibbud was over, an activity was run for machaneh, teaching about different minorities in Israel. Afterwards, everyone went to a trail on the outskirts of machaneh to "create the Israel trail." In this activity, the signs that each tzrif had made earlier in the day were placed on the path, as a retribution to the real Israel Trail, that runs from the north of the country to the south. Dinner was next, and its holiday theme is Shavuot. After celebrating Shavuot, we had some free time (chofesh), and then we had a Purim party (messiba)! That was all for our Yom Israel, so until tomorrow, toda raba!

Another Fun Day at Machaneh!

Good Afternoon (tzohoraim tovim) from Camp (machaneh) Galil! This morning, we awoke to a rainy machaneh, but not rainy enough to impact our daily activities. We had our special Sunday morning breakfast of bagels today, because tikkun olam cut into our breakfast on Sunday, which was a pleasant surprise. We had chores (avodot) and cabin cleaning time (nekayon tzrif) as usual after breakfast, and by the time that nekayon tzrif ended, the sun was high up in the sky. Today during age group discussions (peulot), the Amelim (post-third and fourth graders) were at the pool for instructional swim.

A few of the Amelim having fun at free swim!

 The Chotrim (post-fifth graders) were practicing an Israeli dance to preform in front of machaneh on Friday, during Shabbat. Each week, a different age group (shichva) sings a song in Hebrew, one in English, and preforms an Israeli dance, so the Chotrim will be preparing for that over the next few days. The Sayarim (post-sixth graders) spoke about how being at machaneh each summer means more than just going to a summer camp, because we are a part of a movement. They spoke about their place in the movement and how that will change and grow as they get older. The Tzophim (post-seventh graders) continued to plan for their play (oneg). The Bonim (post-eighth graders) were split in half again, with half on high ropes again. The half that was on ropes yesterday spent their time playing cards together. The Bogrim (post-ninth graders) were at their frisbee tournament all day.

A Tzopher and a Sayar during chugim.

This tournament, which is usually an annual event for the Bogrim-aged kvutsa, took place at a JRF (Jewish Reconstructionist Federation) Camp nearby. Our Bogrim went and met with four other camps (including the JRF) to play a competitive (but friendly!) tournament of frisbee. They just arrived back to machaneh before dinner, and they told us that it was really fun and exciting to meet everyone and play! They also won the "Most Spirited" award, which makes sense because our chanichim definitely have the most spirit out of any camp in the area. Anyway, after peulot ended, sports began. It was incredibly hot again today and many of the older kids weren't there, so sports were not very high energy. A good amount of kids came to free swim afterwards, which was not surprising. Afterwards, we went to lunch, and then had rest time (menucha). We continued for the rest of the day with our usual schedule. Many of the electives (chugim) finished watching movies that they'd started, which was a very fitting activity for the weather, because it started pouring this afternoon for a little while!

Chanichim dressed up for last nights Bozmon.

 Strangely enough, though, the weather completely turned around again and has stayed sunny for the remainder of the afternoon and evening. During zmagshama (actualization time), one of the groups planned a machaneh-wide activity that will be run tonight as the evening activity (tochnit erev)! The activity consists of separating into the different schavot, and from that point, separating into two or three groups per shichva. Then, they will play a few fun challenge games against each other. Besides that, nothing out of the ordinary happened today. Tomorrow, on the other hand, will be a special day (and one of our favorite days at machaneh!). So, check back in tomorrow to find out just what will be going on!

Bogrim Take Over

Most of Camp (machaneh) Galil woke up today believing that it would be a day like any other, however, the Bogrim (post-ninth graders) knew better. They've put hours into planning for their big event tonight (something that I've alluded to before), and it's finally here. Tonight is... Bozmon! At the end of this post, there will be a paragraph all about it written by a Bogeret, so I'll leave the explaining to her.

Some action on the basketball court today. 

Anyway, because most of machaneh did not know that Bozmon is tonight, they all went on with their days normally. We went to raise the flags together and went to breakfast and did chores (avodot) together. We put in extra effort today during avoda in anticipation for the ACA (American Camping Association) visit! The ACA comes every three years to make sure that machaneh is up to par, which it always is, but we like to show the inspectors just how great Galil is, which is why it's such an important day for us. After avoda ended, it was time to clean the cabins (nekayon tzrif). Afterwards, age group discussions (peulot) started. The Amelim (post-third and fourth graders) had a conversation about different forms of love and emotion. The Chotrim (post-fifth graders) went down to the pool for instructional swim. The Sayarim (post-sixth graders) talked about Zionism and how it relates to Judaism. The Tzophim (post-seventh graders) began planning for the play (oneg) that they will be putting on this Friday. The Bonim (post-eighth graders) were split in half today. Half of them were on the high ropes course, while the other half stayed back and watched a movie. The Bogrim spent their time making last minute decorations and plans for tonight. They took advantage of the art room (beit omanut) to paint more station signs and blow up balloons in secret. After peulot came to an end, machaneh transitioned into sports time. Because it was so hot today, some of the sports (like kickball and Iraeli dancing (rikud)) combined with others (like Just Dance or yoga) that were less active. Afterwards, we had free swim. Everyone was grateful for this time today because of how hot it was. Then, we all went down to the dining hall (chadar ochel) for lunch. By this time, the two ACA members who'd come to inspect machaneh had arrived, so they sat with us at lunch. When we sang our usual songs after the meal, we inserted the names of our inspectors into them for fun, and they seemed to enjoy it as much as we did.

Tzophot during last night's tochnit erev.

After lunch, we had rest time (menucha), and then electives (chugim). Today during chugim, everything was relatively relaxed, partially due to the heat and partially due to the knowledge that tonights tochnit erev will be very high energy. After chugim came more peulot. This time, the Amelim and Sayarim went down to the pool for instructional swim. The Chotrim spoke about Judaism at machaneh. The Tzophim continued planning for their oneg. The Bonim were back on ropes/ watching a movie. The Bogrim spent their time practicing for their frisbee tournament tomorrow. Right now, everyone is lowering the flags and preparing for dinner. After dinner, Bozmon will be revealed, and then the fun will really begin! Now, here is a little bit about what the night will entail, written by a Bogeret:

Chanichim relaxing during chugim.

In just a little while, the campers (chanichim) will find out that tonight is Bozmon! Our theme is "Prohibition," which at machaneh would mean the prohibition of candy, or kupa. Bozmon is a Bogrim tradition, which involves us planning a tochnit erev and basically running the camp for a few hours. We "kick out" all of the counselors (madrichim), although in reality they will be on site, just out of sight. It is really a privilege for us to be able to do this, and we've been looking forward to it for a while. We will break the theme after dinner, by having our head of camp (rosh) make a serious speech about how "angry he is at all of machaneh for their poor performance during the ACA day," which will result in him saying that he is taking away everybody's kupa.
Then, a Boger will stand up and argue with our rosh, telling all of the chanichim to fight back, and kick out all of the staff (tzevet) members. Afterwards, we will lead machaneh to the basketball court, where the kids will be decorating cookies as their "secret kupa." They will then learn a 1920s themed "Bozmon Prohibition" song, that will be their ticket into the "speak easy," which will be a 1920s themed party (messiba). At the messiba, there will be some stations such as a photo booth and "pin the feathers on the flapper." After eating cake and having fun for a while, we will put the kids to bed, and that will be all for Bozmon!