A long standing feature at Camp Moshava is Chugim, which take place before dinner. The goal of Chugim is for the chanichim to make friends outside of their bunks and explore individual interests. Although Chug Tzahal (Literal definition: Israeli Army Club) is completely new to Machaneh, it is by far one of the most popular clubs. Chug Tzahal was created by Hagai Weiss, and features a wide range of IDF inspired activities.
Hagai Weiss, 30, moved to Skokie last year with his wife Bat-El (the amazing Bnei Akiva Shlicha) and three kids Avi, Shahari, and Tagel, and has been teaching at Shechter Day School. Weiss finished Hesder and ultimately became a commander in the Givati Brigade of the IDF. “When I first came to Moshava I was asked to run many different chugim, but I did not connect with any of them. I wanted to do something Israel themed, I wanted to bring the spirit of Zionism to Moshava. As a commander in the IDF I thought it would be fun to pass on my knowledge of the army, so I sat down with {director} Avi and {Rosh Mosh} Uzi to figure out how to make the chug fun and informative at the same time.” When Chug Tzahal was presented in Chug Fair, the kids mobbed him with questions. So many chanichim signed up that Chug Tzahal had to expand!
Although Chug Tzahal is co-ed, it is predominantly male with the exception of one incredible girl—Dahlia Sered. Every day in Chug Tzahal the chanichim get their own water guns which they use to learn how to shoot targets. The playground is utilized to learn navigational skills, moving past obstacles, and maneuvering mazes to get to the final goal. Every day ends with water balloon fights and smiles.
What’s next for Chug Tzahal? Weiss explains, “We are going to watch movies about soldiers training and of course more WATER FIGHTS!!” With so many exciting adventures planned, it is no wonder that Chug Tzahal is such a hit.
