Galil Takes Dutch Springs

Kupa trip! Kupa trip is a field trip that we have twice every summer, the cost of which is included in the cost of camp. So, this morning, we woke up half an hour early (at 7:30 instead of 8:00) to get our day started. When we woke up, none of the campers (chanichim) knew that we were going on a field trip today. We raised the flags, sang our songs, and ate breakfast as usual. Then, at the end of the meal, the chanichim were told that we would be going on a tikkun olam (preparing the world) trip. In order to prepare for that, the kids were told to put on bathing suits under their clothes and bring sunscreen, towels and water, because we were going to be cleaning mikvas (ritual Jewish baths)!

They raced down to the parking lot a little after ten in the morning, and hopped on the buses, eager to see where we were headed. The bus ride took about an hour and a half, and by the time that we arrived at the destination, all of the chanichim had seen signs for it and were getting excited. Instead of actually going to clean mikvas the chanichim were surprised to find out that we were going to a really fun place called Dutch Springs. Dutch Springs is a huge quarry that is filled with inflatable obstacles that chanichim and tzevet spent hours running around. There was a huge ice berg that people could climb up and jump off the top of, as well as an inflatable cushion called The Blob where one person was on one edge and another person jumped on the other side and launched the first person. There were a ton of big slides to climb up and jump off of, as well as a long obstacle called the "Wibit". Oh, and there were two or three floating trampolines for chanichim to just jump on until they wanted to jump back into the water.

After an hour or two of jumping around in the water and climbing everything in site it was time for lunch. For aruchat tzohorayim, they grilled burgers and hot dogs, with a dozen different sauces and a side of chips, pretzels, and assorted fruit. As soon as the kids were done eating they threw their plates out and raced back down to the quarry to keep enjoying everything Dutch Springs had to offer. It was a perfect day for a water park, and as they day continued the chanichim used the rest of their energy swimming and laughing with each other.

Around four in the afternoon it was time to get back on the buses and head back home, to machaneh (camp). We arrived around 5:30 back at Galil and the chanichim were given rest time and time to shower and clean up a little bit. Aruchat erev (dinner) is supposed to be served around seven as it is every night. The tochnit erev (evening activity) tonight is called H2O, and is a series of activities that are fun but also educate the chanichim on water and how much we waste, and also how we can conserve it. Tomorrow will be the second Shabbat of the session, and everyone is looking forward to a relaxing couple days.

Until then, erev tov (good evening)

-Mike