A gorgeous morning at the lake, last minute May snowstorms and all the magic of Camp Gilboa packed into one day? Check, check and CHECK! The following are some highlights from our wild and wonderful Family Camp 2019.
Family Chuggim (Electives)
Families had the choice of a variety of chuggim (electives) run by Gilboa madrichimot (counselors) and madatz (CITs.) Families were able to explore the beautiful Gilboa campsite with activities such as kayaking on our very own beautiful Bluff Lake, arts and crafts, and sports at the basketball court. As families trickled in and the sun came out, quite a few people switched from sweaters to t-shirts - not a bad first look at Gilboa. After a delicious lunch and an introductory circle for everyone, families again broke off to explore a variety of more creatively minded activities. From making our own playdough to tie-dye to cooking, Gilboa as a home for everyone’s creativity was on full display.
Peula Schiva (PISH)
We ran Gilboa-style peulot (fun, experiential educational activities) by age group. The programs focused on environmentalism, sustainability, and the relationship between Jewish values and social justice. From skits, to building with playdough, to looking at makeshift museum exhibits, everyone learned through grappling hands-on with the conversations and topics. As a community that prioritizes youth led education, it is just as important for the chanichimot (campers) to be participating and taking leadership in the conversation as it is for the madrichimot. As such, it was especially inspiring to see a group of kids new to Gilboa bringing so much excitement to the conversation. It should also be noted that the middle schoolers had an especially lively time exploring how we can use our values to build communities in the world today; how cool is that??
Tzedek (High School) Led Scavenger Hunt
Gilboa high schoolers took on a special leadership role in creating and facilitating a camp-wide scavenger hunt to help new campers and families explore what a day of Gilboa magic feels like. Through solving a series of riddles, kvutzot (age groups) and their families were taken on an adventure both around the Gilboa site and through a day at camp. By taking on small games and challenges, kvutzot got the next clue and continued on in their journeys. It was a pretty cool and creative way to explore Gilboa as a community of intention.
Havdalah and Medura
Even though late-spring snow forced our early departure from the mountain, we managed to slip in one last gathering around the medura (bonfire) to end Shabbat with havdalah and a good old fashioned campfire sing-along. And even though the sky was making it clear that snow was closing in, we warmed up with classics from Redemption Song to the Rivers of Babylon to Union Maid. Not everyone knew all the words but everyone, at one point, found themselves getting caught up and humming along. We finished off the day with s'mores and then packed up cars and headed home. It was a full and beautiful day of community, friends, learning, and fun up at Camp Gilboa!
Special shout outs to:
NorCal families who made the trek down
Karen, Clara, and the rest of the mitbach (kitchen) crew who nourished us with incredible food!
The wonderful Gilboa volunteers and board members who helped make sure everything ran smoothly
Eliza and Amalia and the team of ma’apilimot who made sure everyone had fun and felt comfortable
The high schoolers - tzevet and madatz, who are incredible leaders and role models and inspire us with their love of camp
To everyone who joined - thank you so much for coming and being a part of creating this community!
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