Welcome to the Camp Clipboard, our regular speed letter to the Herzl Family! The Camp Clipboard is updated several times a week throughout the summer. Each week features:
- Herzl Happenings Vlog – These short video conversations with staff all around camp will keep you in the know about what’s Happening at Herzl (See what we did there!)
- Weekly Program Update – At the end of each week, we’ll provide a program-by-program update on the past week at camp. If you want to know which team won Bikkurim or the Kadimah Wall time, check in each week.
- Bonus Blogs – Every week, we’ll take a deeper dive into an area or activity at camp. It might be the backstory on Thursday’s Pray-Your-Way T’fillot or how Rate-A-Room is more than a fun way to keep the tzrifim clean.
We hope you’ll tune in and follow along with camp this summer! Here’s what we’ve been up to –
Staff Training is beginning to wrap up. One day, camp is quiet with deer grazing at the Mercaz and the next day, hundreds of college students begin arriving and building our camp community! Over the last 10 days, our 150+ staff have participated in general and specialized trainings and certifications. We’ve learned from subject matter experts in a wide variety of areas – child safety, child development, work styles, communication, conflict management, and lots more. Staff have completed certification and trainings for rock wall, ropes course, boat driving, waterfront safety, and more. Amidst all the learning, first-time staff are welcomed into Herzl traditions like Shabbat Caravan, minuha, chanut, and picnic lunch.
Today, our 2022 Ozrim arrived at camp today! This age group missed out on their B’yachad year due to the pandemic. They were last at camp in Kadimah in 2019 – in 2020, camp was closed and 2021 is camp’s off-year, when many of our campers go to Israel. Recognizing this gap, the 2022 Ozrim are starting the summer a few days early so that they can complete the B’yachad traditions that were missed. So for the next few days, they will be in “Speed B’yachad,” learning the song, getting their rings, and more. On Sunday, they will officially begin their Ozo Summer starting off with the timeless tradition of schlepping luggage! (We hope all you past Ozrim are smiling at that!) Later in the day, they will be invited into the Ozo Mo for the first time. The Ozo Mo is a special space set aside just for Ozrim, so while these campers have been coming to camp for many years, the Ozo Mo is new territory. Over the years, many have speculated about what exactly is inside the Mo – a hot tub? A helipad? A basement? Elevators? Only a few know and they aren’t sayin’…
Camp’s official first day is Monday June 20 and our staff have been in high gear getting ready – mentally, physically, emotionally – for the Best. Summer. Ever.