End of Camp

Kids today are no stranger to genies. They’ve seen Aladdin and understand the concept of wishes, but probably never thought that they would ever have their own personal servant. That will soon change; Tonight, Galil’s kids will have their wishes granted! 

But before we get to the magic, let’s start at the beginning. Today is, regrettably, our final normal day at macheneh (camp). Tomorrow will be packing and wrapping up our feelings about the summer, and tomorrow we’ll culminate this session with a huge party. Then on Tuesday, our wonderful chanichim (campers) must leave. In fact, our lovely Nitzanimot had to leave already. So today is our last chance for normalcy and we’re making the most of it!

We woke up at eight in the morning, and gathered at the torren (flagpole) by 8:30. There, we sang “Od Lo Gamarnu” as we raised the Israeli flag and we sang “Power and Glory” as we raised the American flag. After hitcansut (flag raising), we headed to breakfast. Today, the mitbach (kitchen staff) served up French toast and eggs. After breakfast, we headed to Avodah (jobs) where we worked on sweeping, washing dishes, and cleaning the bathrooms. The chanichimot (campers) worked very hard today, because we know that we only have a few days to completely clean macheneh before we leave.

Today in Chugim (clubs), we got to do some final activities with our kids. In Creative Writing, the kids were asked to define “Galil magic”. That’s a term that we use a lot, and the answer to the question is pretty open-ended. The magic of camp means different things to each person. To me, camp magic means the opportunity to be whimsical here, in a place that celebrates silliness and creativity. To others, it can mean feeling included in traditions, unconditional support, or a Jewish community. One of the chanichimot in Creative Writing Chug (club) wrote the piece below, and agreed to be published here. Here’s what Maia wrote about “Galil Magic”:

“Here at Galil, there’s a long-running joke about needing a giant dome so that we can control the weather surrounding the camp. However, I feel as though we already have a dome- a psychological one, perhaps, but a dome nonetheless. Let me explain.

At Galil, I feel separated from the outside world. It’s almost like summer at Galil isn’t real life, although it undoubtedly is. Without the constant flow of alarming national news, life slows down, and the intensity drops several notches.

Earlier in the session, we went to Dorney Park. The bus ride out of Galil and through the little towns of PA was, on one hand, normal, but on the other hand, was very strange. I was seeing people going about their daily lives! At Galil, we forget that regular life is continuing outside our gate. It feels like it’s just us. Some microscopic part of my brain believes that if I were to see Galil from a birds-eye view, I would not see anything except ongoing empty fields. That part of me doesn’t believe there’s anything going on outside of Galil’s mighty dome.”

-Maia Dimant, Bo-Bo

A lot of us feel similarly. It can seem like we’re encased in a safe bubble in utopia, and it can be shocking to leave and rejoin a less-perfect society when the summer ends. To help the transition, we planned an extra special Tochnit Erev (evening activity) for tonight.

Earlier in the summer, we asked kids to write down three wishes. Requests ranged from “eat ice cream cake” to “getting to ride on an airplane”. On Wish Night tonight, each tzevet (staff) member picked a kid or two and granted one of is/her/their wishes. Sometimes the tzevet (staff) takes the wishes seriously, and actually gives the kid exactly what they ask for. One girl asked for a 10-layer cake, and some of the madatz actually made one for her.

Usually though, we grant wishes in a funnier way. A boy who asked for “Key Lime pie” was awarded with a bunch of house keys and slices of a lime. Kids who asked to “finish the movie Napoleon Dynamite” were shown the last 5 seconds of the film. We painted a rock to look like a toad and gave it or a boy who requested a pet. The girls who requested a huge stuffed animal got a hug from a madricha (counselor) wearing a bear suit. A kid who requested cornbread was given corn kernels on a hamburger bun.

The night ended in the granting of a very special wish: the Bogrim wished for an ice cream party, and they actually were given one! The Madatz gave out crushed Oreos, cones, sprinkles, and other ice cream accessories, and they all headed toward the refet (barn) for their party.

 Unfortunately, all parties have to end. Tomorrow we pack our bags, even though it feels like we just got here. Pretty soon your kids will be in your cars, telling you stories about the things they did at camp. Just listen to them talk because this place is special- This community empowers young people. It sounds cheesy, but everyone here sincerely cares about each other and feels responsibility in helping our little camp stay whole. It’s a weird feeling to know that, and it makes me incredibly proud to be here. For madrichim, this is way more than a job.

Coming back to 146 Red Hill Road is a commitment to helping our chanichim (campers) feel the magic that we felt when we were kids at Galil. And it’s not just madrichim (counselors) who do work here. Kids come back to do so much more than just have fun: your kids are building a kvutza, or a group of people who grow together. Kvutza is a process that kids have to work at, and it teaches them incredible interpersonal skills. Unlike in real life, you cannot choose your kvutzamates. Therefore, its your job to respect everyone in the group and include them in the communal process. Kids are learning things here, and these next few days are the time to reflect on the things we’ve learned. We’re going through the transition to the real world together. If Galil has taught us anything, we know that a group can do anything if we do it as a team.