Happy 4th of July! The Ozrim have been planning this campwide celebration and we are so excited!
This afternoon, we’ll have a parade with each “department” of camp is planning their “float” to represent them with all the appropriate schtick and ruach! I’ll give you a full report tomorrow. After the parade, we’ll head to the sports fields for Thursday Night Cookout followed by a RuachFest (read concert) with our Shira Team (Songleaders). At camp, almost any excuse to have a celebration works and the 4th puts all our creativity on display!
A word about music at camp this summer – We have a new songleading team this year with an Israeli staff person, a Herzl alum from Kansas, and a guitar player. The team is thoughtfully bringing new music to activities, already creating new traditions at camp! They’ve brought a new song to opening bonfire called Kum Kum Lai Lai, a three-part song that we sing in rounds. Each Shira Team Member “owns” a part of the song, and as the leaders rotate around the circle of Ner Howie, that section of campers sing the part of the song that belongs to the songleader now in front of them. It’s hard to explain but it’s so dynamic and fun!
They are also thoughtfully looking for songs to add into the week that support the week’s Middah and Torah portion. One example from two weeks ago, when our Noar (4th and 5th graders) were here, our HafTorah included “not by might, not by power, but by spirit alone…” so, of course, they taught these young campers the Debbie Friedman song that we all know and love!
Time for me to head out to work on my parade float…Enjoy your 4th of July!