Summer 2025, Week 5

We started the second session this week by welcoming new campers to Nevatim and jumped right into the fun!  The highlight of the week was celebrating Yom Yisrael! The day was filled with exciting activities around camp. Chanichim visited the Shiur Shuk (market), tasted limonada (lemonade) and ordered pretend falafel with very silly toppings. They also made wish bracelets with their hopes for Israel, decorated fun stickers for their water bottles, and mixed their own besamim (spices) packets. The colors, sounds, and smells made the Israeli shuk come alive right here at camp! Of course, Shiur was also all about learning about Israel and the many special places that make it unique! In omanut (art), in honor of Yom Yisrael, chanichim decorated wooden hamsas with sequins and paint markers, inspired by the colorful jewelry of Israeli artist Michal Negrin. They even added magnets so their creations could be displayed at home on the fridge! In bishul bachutz (outdoor cooking), chanichim got a taste of Israel by making fresh pita, topped with Israeli chocolate spread for a sweet treat or sprinkled with zaatar (without sesame of course!) for a savory flavor, just like at the shuk! The week was also packed with swimming and sports. In soccer, chanichim took turns kicking goals and trying out as goalie. On the low ropes course, they especially loved swinging on the tire swing! In Park Mada, our chanichim became junior detectives as they learned about fingerprints! They discovered that everyone has unique prints, traced their own hands, and used magnifying glasses to look closely at the patterns. Then, just like real detectives, they used cornstarch and brushes to find hidden prints! This week, in bishul (cooking), Nevatim whipped up “Everything Granola Energy Balls”- a mix of oats, Rice Chex, pretzels, chocolate chips, raisins, a dollop of sunbutter and a drizzle of chocolate syrup – such a delicious treat!

We started the second session this week by welcoming new campers to Kochavim and jumped right into the fun! The highlight of the week was celebrating Yom Yisrael! The day was filled with exciting activities around camp. Kochavim boarded a pretend morning El-Al flight and landed in Israel, where they visited the shuk (market)! They tasted fresh limonada (lemonade) and ordered pretend falafel with very silly toppings! They also made wish bracelets with their hopes for Israel, decorated fun stickers for their water bottles, and mixed their own besamim (spices) packets. With all the colors, sounds, and smells, the Israeli shuk truly came to life at camp! Later, the campers took part in a special Israel-themed peulat edah (activity) led by our amazing Kochavim counselors. They talked about what makes someone a hero and decorated stickers with their own ideas, like “smart,” “brave,” “friendly,” “kind,” “has fast reflexes,” and “someone who helps others.” It was a fun and meaningful activity! In omanut (art), in honor of Yom Yisrael, chanichim decorated wooden hamsas with sequins and paint markers, inspired by the colorful jewelry of Michal Negrin. They even added magnets so their creations could be displayed at home on the fridge!In bishul bachutz (outdoor cooking) chanichim got a taste of Israel by making fresh pita, topped with Israeli chocolate spread for a sweet treat or sprinkled with zaatar (without sesame of course!)for a savory flavor, just like at the shuk! The week was packed with swimming and sports. In softball, Kochavim had a great time practicing making good contact with the ball and trying to hit a home run! In gymnastics, campers worked hard on their somersaults and got better each day! At Teva (nature), the chanichim had so much fun decorating small pinecones with googly eyes and pipe cleaners, turning them into silly, creative creatures! This week in Shiur we got to see a Torah up close. We learned about the Hebrew writing in the Torah and even got to try to write with a feather and ink just like a real Torah is written. In bishul (cooking) this week, Kochavim whipped up “Everything Granola Energy Balls”- a mix of oats, Rice Chex, pretzels, chocolate chips, raisins, a dollop of sunbutter and a drizzle of chocolate syrup – such a delicious treat! In Park Mada, our chanichim became junior detectives as they learned about fingerprints! They discovered that everyone has unique prints, traced their own hands, and used magnifying glasses to look closely at the patterns. Then, just like real detectives, they used cornstarch and brushes to find hidden prints! 

We were so happy to welcome new campers into Shorashim this week! We taught them our edah cheers and practiced our migrash dancing. The highlight of the week was celebrating Yom Yisrael! The day was filled with exciting activities around camp. Chanichim visited the Shiur Shuk (market), tasted limonada (lemonade) and ordered pretend falafel with very silly toppings. They also made wish bracelets with their hopes for Israel, decorated fun stickers for their water bottles, and mixed their own besamim (spices) packets. The colors, sounds, and smells made the Israeli shuk come alive right here at camp! In omanut (art), in honor of Yom Yisrael, chanichim decorated wooden hamsas with sequins and paint markers, inspired by the colorful jewelry of Israeli artist Michal Negrin. They even added magnets so their creations could be displayed at home on the fridge! In bishul bachutz (outdoor cooking), chanichim got a taste of Israel by making fresh pita, topped with Israeli chocolate spread for a sweet treat or sprinkled with zaatar (without sesame of course!) for a savory flavor, just like at the shuk! This week in Shiur, we got to “meet” some characters from the Torah and had fun pretending to be animals on Noah’s Ark! In Park Mada, our chanichim became junior detectives as they learned about fingerprints! They discovered that everyone has unique prints, traced their own hands, and used magnifying glasses to look closely at the patterns. Then, just like real detectives, they used cornstarch and brushes to find hidden prints! In bishul (cooking) this week, Shorashim whipped up “Everything Granola Energy Balls”- a mix of oats, Rice Chex, pretzels, chocolate chips, raisins, a dollop of sunbutter and a drizzle of chocolate syrup – such a delicious treat!

What a Chalom week we’ve had, welcoming our new Nitzanim campers and jumping right into all the fun and excitement that camp has to offer! The highlight of the week was celebrating Yom Yisrael! The day was filled with exciting activities around camp. Chanichim visited the Shiur Shuk (market), tasted limonada (lemonade) and ordered pretend falafel with very silly toppings. They also made wish bracelets with their hopes for Israel, decorated fun stickers for their water bottles, and mixed their own besamim (spices) packets. The colors, sounds, and smells made the Israeli shuk come alive right here at camp! Later, the campers joined a special Israel-themed peulat edah (activity), where bunks competed to advertise different Israeli foods. There were lots of fun and silly “bean skits” involved – ask your kids about them! In omanut (art), in honor of Yom Yisrael, chanichim decorated wooden hamsas with sequins and paint markers, inspired by the colorful jewelry of Israeli artist Michal Negrin. They even added magnets so their creations could be displayed at home on the fridge! In bishul bachutz (outdoor cooking) chanichim got a taste of Israel by making fresh pita, topped with Israeli chocolate spread for a sweet treat or sprinkled with zaatar (without sesame of course!) for a savory flavor, just like at the shuk!The week was also full of swimming and sports! Campers practiced their basketball and tennis skills on the courts and had a great time at archery, aiming for the bullseye! In Shiur, we learned about Moshe from the story of Exodus and how he grew from a shepherd into a leader. In Park Mada, our chanichim became junior detectives as they learned about fingerprints! They discovered that everyone has unique prints, traced their own hands, and used magnifying glasses to look closely at the patterns. Then, just like real detectives, they used cornstarch and brushes to find hidden prints! In bishul (cooking), this week, Nitzanim whipped up “Everything Granola Energy Balls”- a mix of oats, Rice Chex, pretzels, chocolate chips, raisins, a dollop of sunbutter and a drizzle of chocolate syrup – such a delicious treat!

We started the second session this week by welcoming new campers to Solelim and jumped right into the fun! The highlight of the week was celebrating Yom Yisrael! The day was filled with exciting activities around camp. Chanichim visited the Shiur Shuk (market), tasted limonada (lemonade) and ordered pretend falafel with very silly toppings. They also made wish bracelets with their hopes for Israel, decorated fun stickers for their water bottles, and mixed their own besamim (spices) packets. The colors, sounds, and smells made the Israeli shuk come alive right here at camp! Later, the campers joined a special Israel-themed peulat edah (activity), where bunks competed to advertise different Israeli foods. There were lots of fun and silly “bean skits” involved – ask your kids about them! In omanut (art), in honor of Yom Yisrael, chanichim decorated wooden hamsas with sequins and paint markers, inspired by the colorful jewelry of Israeli artist Michal Negrin. They even added magnets so their creations could be displayed at home on the fridge! In bishul bachutz (outdoor cooking), chanichim got a taste of Israel by making fresh pita, topped with Israeli chocolate spread for a sweet treat or sprinkled with zaatar (without sesame of course!) for a savory flavor, just like at the shuk! We had a great week full of swimming and sports! Solelim worked on their focus during archery, aiming carefully to hit the bullseye! At Park Mada, campers learned the basics of 3D design with Thinkercad, creating their favorite summer activities, from pools to backyard fun. It was a great way to combine STEM learning with summer fun! In bishul (cooking), this week, Solelim whipped up “Everything Granola Energy Balls”- a mix of oats, Rice Chex, pretzels, chocolate chips, raisins, a dollop of sunbutter and a drizzle of chocolate syrup – such a delicious treat!

We started the second session by warmly welcoming our new campers to Tzeirim! Then, we jumped into the fun of choosing our bechirot (electives) for the next few weeks. It’s always exciting to see the chanichim pick what they love and to watch them dive right in! The highlight of the week was celebrating Yom Yisrael! The day was filled with exciting activities around camp. Chanichim visited the Shiur Shuk (market), tasted limonada (lemonade) and ordered pretend falafel with very silly toppings. They also made wish bracelets with their hopes for Israel, decorated fun stickers for their water bottles, and mixed their own besamim (spices) packets. The colors, sounds, and smells made the Israeli shuk come alive right here at camp! In honor of Yom Yisrael, we had a fun Israel themed peulat edah (activity) focused on Israeli inventions. There are so many amazing ones to explore!  We started by learning about some incredible creations from Israel and how they’ve made a big impact around the world. The campers loved sharing which inventions they’ve seen or even used at home! Then it was time for a hands-on activity inspired by one of Israel’s most famous apps, Waze. Each bunk received a fun, camp-themed challenge, such as solving traffic jams on the gesher (bridge). With just one minute to present their ideas, each group shared creative and thoughtful solutions with the entire edah. We were truly impressed by their teamwork and imagination! We also celebrated Israel at omanut (art). The chanichim decorated wooden hamsas using sequences and paint markers, inspired by the colorful style of Israeli artist Michal Negrin. They also added magnetic strips, turning each piece into a fun fridge decoration! Our days have been full of energy! We practiced our basketball skills and challenged ourselves to reach new heights at Migdal. What an exhilarating feeling! In bishul (cooking), we whipped up “Everything Granola Energy Balls”- a mix of oats, Rice Chex, pretzels, chocolate chips, raisins, a dollop of sunbutter and a drizzle of chocolate syrup – such a delicious treat! At Park Mada, campers learned the basics of 3D design with Thinkercad, creating their favorite summer activities, from pools to backyard fun! It was a great way to combine STEM learning with summer fun! 

We started the second session by warmly welcoming our new Nevonim campers! Then we had fun picking bechirot (electives) for the next few weeks. It’s always exciting to see the chanichim choose what they like and get ready to start!The highlight of the week was celebrating Yom Yisrael! The day was filled with exciting activities around camp. Chanichim visited the Shiur Shuk (market), tasted limonada (lemonade) and ordered pretend falafel with very silly toppings. They also made wish bracelets with their hopes for Israel, decorated fun stickers for their water bottles, and mixed their own besamim (spices) packets. The colors, sounds, and smells made the Israeli shuk come alive right here at camp! We also had a special Israel-themed peulat edah (activity) all about cool Israeli inventions, like the Pill Cam, drip irrigation, Waze and even Bamba! The chanichim worked in small groups to come up with their own invention ideas and presented them to the whole edah. We were so impressed by their creativity and teamwork! We also celebrated Israel in omanut (art), where the chanichim decorated wooden hamsas using sequins and paint markers, inspired by the colorful style of Israeli artist Michal Negrin. They added magnets to turn them into fun fridge decorations! At Park Mada, the chanichim learned the basics of coding using a Sphero robot to play gaga. They programmed the Sphero  robots to move around the pit in different ways. They tested their code in a real gaga game, learning how to control speed, direction, and patterns! It was a fun, hands-on introduction to explore robotics and programming!

What an incredible chalom week it’s been at camp!  We were happy to welcome new campers and reconnect with old friends, especially during dancing on the migrash! Bogrim chose their bechira (electives) activities for the next few weeks and jumped right into them. From ceramics to archery, it’s been amazing to watch them explore what they love! The highlight of the week was celebrating Yom Yisrael! We began with Israeli dances on the migrash, then explored the Shiur Shuk (market), tasting fresh limonada (lemonade) and making colorful Magen Davids from popsicle sticks. We even had fun completing an obstacle course. A favorite part of the day was tubing on the “Jordan River” (the pool)! Campers had a blast all week, swimming and playing sports like soccer, tennis, basketball, and ping pong. At Park Mada, the chanichim learned the basics of coding using a Sphero robot to play gaga. They programmed the Sphero robots to move around the pit in different ways. They tested their code in a real gaga game, learning how to control speed, direction, and patterns!  It was a fun, hands-on introduction to explore robotics and programming!

Sha’ar

We had a chalom week in Sha’ar! Chanichim had so much fun celebrating Yom Yisrael! The day was full of activities, from learning about famous Israeli personalities such as Hannah Senesh, David Ben Gurion, Yoni Netanyahu and Golda Meir, to visiting the Ramah Nyack shuk tasting the famous freshly squeezed limonada (lemonade) and making aromatic bags using different bsamim (incenses). An Israeli classic was served for lunch: falafel b’pita (falafel and pita bread) with a side of chamutzim (pickles) and salat israeli (Israeli salad). During schiya (swim) the campers boarded rafts and navigated the “Jordan River!”. In Park Mada, chanichim learned all about tviyot etzba (fingerprints). They used magnifying glasses to study their own prints and used powder to find hidden prints, just like real detectives! In keramika (ceramics), they loved making bowls with beautiful leaf imprints!