Sh’lach L’cha
What an amazing second week it has been at OSRUI!
After a week of limud (Jewish learning), omanut (art), water slides, tubing, wilderness trips, ivrit (Hebrew), field trips, evening programs, Maccabiah (color wars), and so much more, Shabbat is here, a sacred and beloved time at camp.
Before we get clean and we put on our Friday night best, before we join together in prayer, before we tune our guitar strings and warm up our voices, before we prepare to rest, we take a look back at the incredible week that was week 2 of Summer 2016.
Chalutzim continued their ivrit immersion in their various kitot (classes) – all named after famous and favorite Israeli food. On Yom Avodah they took extra time to take care of the physical beauty of the Chalutzim kehilah (community) and the OSRUI kehilah! They had their first tzrif (cabin) night and had an incredible educational program about Theodore Herzl. They ended the week by being team leaders for our Maccabiah games!
Moshavah completed their first trip (read all about it here!) going hiking, biking, and canoeing. Everyone is back at camp safe, happy, and clean! Do not worry though, they leave again on Tuesday for trip two! They also had a giant game of a meet the counselor and celebrated Havdalah with folk night!
Gesher went on their first tiyul (trip) to play mini golf and make blankets for patients at the local Children’s Hospital. They held their second erev tzrif (cabin night evening program) where there was a pontoon ride on Lac La Belle, s’mores and stories around a camp fire, and an evening climb of the climbing wall. Gesher learned their new cheer, the “Gesher Stomp” and had an awesome time with Kallah in their buddy program. Their limud this week was about space and community and even consisted of a friendly protest over losing their horseshoe (the Gesher cabin area) and making their voices heard to get it back.
Tiferet followed up their fantastic first week with a week full of decades dance parties, Maccabiah, continuing their study of midrash through their art, tubing, and learning the “Cheeto” song! They have also been busy preparing for the Mesibah – the talent show that Tiferet Aleph produces every summer.
In Kibbutz HaTzofim, they started a new Shabbat tradition with a slip-n-slide on the driving range. The refet (farm) continues to grow with the addition of two new sheep! They climbed the etgar climbing tower for a Tzofim egg drop and good news, most eggs survived the plunge! They celebrated two birthdays in the eidah this week and there was a great deal of skipping, wrinkling of noses, sticking of heads between toes, and spelling of names with tuchuses. For Shabbat, they built birdfeeders to hang around camp to make OSRUI a welcome place for our feathered friends (like Felix the turkey)
Kallah finished a fun-filled second week with Facepaint Friday! This week Kallah held Yom Avodah where they worked together to complete the incredible new archway to their Beit T’filah and create signs to welcome visitors, friends, and guests to the Kallah community! Tochnit egg was an huge hit as the chanichim worked together and focused on communication, teamwork, and fun (three pillars of Kallah). The culmination of the evening was dropping eggs from etgar! For limud this week, we created “Only in Kallah” videos that were short commercials written, directed, filmed, and acted out by the chanichim that highlight the unique and amazing offerings of our Kallah program. Kallah also focused on giving back to the OSRUI community by making cookies and thank you notes for all the camp staff that make camp happen behind the scenes, such as the maintenance, kitchen, health center, and director teams! They also made get well soon cards for our chanichim who are under the weather in the health center.
It has been a wonderful and exciting second week here at OSRUI! Sadly, this Sunday is closing day for aleph session of Tzofim, Kallah, and Gesher. We had an incredible time having you at camp, getting to know you, and showing you all the amazing things we do here at 600 Lac La Belle Drive! This is not goodbye, but l’hitraot, see you next time, at OSRUI 2017!
Shabbat Shalom from all of us at OSRUI!
Jerry Kaye, Director Susan Alexander, Associate Director Albert Marks, Senior Assistant Director