Of all the special days during the summer, Yom Meyuchad (literally “special day” in Hebrew) is definitely the most special. It’s an entire day of adventure and fun, in which campers get taken on a pretty wild ride as part of a storyline (time travel and the Jonas Brothers this time), and a theme.
This year’s Yom Meyuchad began when all of the sleepy eyed chanichimot (campers) shuffled to the toren (flagpole) only to realize that the dining hall just down the hill from us had been transformed into an underwater kingdom! Blue paper lined the walls and fish and other underwater treasures hung for the ceilings and light fixtures. And even though the decorations represented an underwater, post-climate change dystopia, it was hard not to be excited for the day of adventure ahead of us!
As the day progressed, the chanichimot learned not only how climate change had driven society underwater, but also how, even with all that humanity had faced, the inequalities between rich and poor, and people of different backgrounds, persisted.
The following is an account written by a few of the Bogrot, the oldest girls at camp, about their experiences during the day:
Yom meyuchad is a special day where tzevet plans and runs a fun, educational day that is enjoyed by all of camp. Thursday morning we started the day off at Hikansut Boker (morning flag raising and announcements) by meeting the Jonas Brothers (admittedly just tzevet members dressed as Kevin, Joe, and Nick). We then traveled to the Year 3000 just like in the Jonas Brothers’ song. We entered the chadar (dining hall) for breakfast where we found ourselves underwater due to rising sea levels. We then split into different groups and went around to stations to learn about life as a “Girple” (the people in this time) including language, fitness, and even making our own swedish fish pets. After that, we went to the dam looking at the beautiful Bluff Lake and learned the history of the Girples and how climate change brought them underwater. Then, the Jonas Brothers told us that only the rich can live with oxygen so we revolted with water balloons. After a short break and lunch we discussed climate change and environmental racism/classism/refugees. With this new knowledge we decided to go back to 2019 and fix the world we live in now. We then went around to learn about the different ways to help the environment. Finally, we ended with a dance party and cake to celebrate.
-- Coco Cooley and Shosh Roberts
Gilboa education is designed to help campers explore not just their values, but what it means to apply them. As such, our special days are unique opportunities for campers to immerse themselves in the questions the activities raise. This Yom Meyuchad we explored some of the most pressing issues of government and society today - how to not only fight against climate change, but to create a more equitable world for all in the process.
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