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.