Taking a stand!

Hello again!

Today started off with fantastic hitkansut (flag raising) along with a funny as every ivrit shimushit (useful hebrew) skit. Today's breakfast was yummy like always and was a filling meal of pancakes and vegetarian sausages! Then came the usual avodah (work) period where kids continue taking ownership over our beautiful machaneh (camp). After

Sayarot having fun in the pool!

that was nikayon tzrif (bunk cleaning) where chanichimot (campers) continued taking ownership of machaneh, but this time within their tzrifim (bunks).

Ownership was also the theme today the Tzophimot’s pish aleph (first age group activity). They made pretend promo videos for Galil and then discussed the different areas of camp and how they take ownership in those different places.

The Bonimot also covered new ground in their peula, discussing youth empowerment by drawing super heroes and discussing certain song lyrics.

Protesting unfair leadership!

Some kvustot (age groups) discussed topics that other kvustot discussed yesterday during this time. The Amelimot, for example, discussed treating each other with respect. They started off with a fun game where everybody had 3 rocks in their own chalk circles and then told to get as many rocks as possible. No other commands. The kids assumed that meant taking rocks from each other’s circles. Then, afterwards, they got together again and played statistics, a game where a madrichol (counselor) asks a variety of questions, counts the hands raised signifying a “yes” answer, and then tells the kids the number of hands raised after each question. Questions asked included “I do not like people sitting on my bed” and “I don’t mind people reading over my shoulders.” I sat with them as they discussed the numbers afterwards and what those numbers meant in how they would interact with one another and they realized just how important respect is!  Sayarimot and Chotrimot had instructional swimming as well.

After that was sports and rachasta (clean up time) and then a lunch of chicken nuggets, meatballs, and fries!

Then it was time for pish bet (second age group activity). Sayarimot continued their peula from yesterday while Bonimot took a step back to talk about respect. The Amelimot had instructional swim at this point and the Chotrimot talked about youth empowerment through a really fun method. The madrichimot (counselors) told the chanichimot that mazkirut (the leadership team) took away chofesh (free time) because the as a kvustah had been supposedly lacking in effort during avodah, causing the Amelimot to start a miniature protest against mazkirut. After the protest the chanichimot were sat down to discuss what just happened and the concept of youth rebellion generally and in their lives.

Then was zman meyuchad (specialist time) with the madamotim (specialists). Afterwards was schiya chofshit (free swim) and kibud (snack time). Then it was time for what was always my favorite part of the day as a chanicha (camper): chugim (clubs)!

Learning the ways of the models!

Then came a yummy dinner of green beans and pasta before the first big tochnit erev (evening activity) of the summer: beauty pageant! And here at Galil we don't do normal beauty pageants, we do pageants that show kids that societal views of beauty are silly and objective.  Stations like "talent agency" and "personal stylist" had madrichimot saying ridiculous thing about fashion to have kids question what beauty actually means. It all ended off with a fun pageant show where the models the kids had been following the entire night revolting against the evil man in charge of the entire shebang. Then everybody partied!

Well, see you all tomorrow!

-Miriam