Week Of June 30th- Rut, Wake Boarding, Archery, Bullying, and David—
This week began with an infusion of the tochnit as Sunday was dedicated to the story of Rut. At different times throughout the day, madrichim gathered their kvutzot for a sicha about the life of biblical Rut, whose story unfolded in the fields surrounding Beit Lechem. At night, the chanichim competed in a Rut-themed, camp-wide scavenger hunt that challenged their newly acquired knowledge. The next day began a series of extreme special activities. Eidot gimmel and daled took turns wake boarding at Nordic Wake Park. This unique Wake Park is the seventh in the country and the first in the Midwest to utilize an overhead cable system to pull its riders. While our older eidot were playing extreme water sports, our younger eidot, alef and bet, learned the skill of archery, trained and supervised by a professional archery instructor. In between these activities we found some time to discuss a more serious but important phenomenon. Kirk Smalley, an anti-bullying activist and the inspiration behind the Stand for the Silent organization, came to speak in machaneh. Mr. Smalley heightened our awareness of bullying and empowered us to take action, handing out wristbands that read, “I AM SOMEBODY.” The tochnit continued in the middle of the week with the story of David Hamelech and his experiences in the gush region. Rosh Eidah Alef Adir Feifel created a peulah that included firing a tennis ball slingshot and various other team-building exercises that relate to David’s life.
