Our Chalutzim Rosh Eidah, Hila Zrihen of Tel Aviv, writes about the Chalutzim Canoe trip. 

When you think about taking approximately 82 campers and 20 staff on a trip, for three days, two nights, canoeing all day on the Wisconsin River, camping at night in tents, cooking for them, and making sure they are all okay and having fun – it can be daunting and overwhelming to think about and the idea of having any fun seems like an illusion or a mirage. In reality, after all was said and done, after the canoeing, the cooking, the camping, I don’t think I’ve ever had more fun while on the Chalutzim Canoe trip!

After our bus ride out of camp, we arrived to the first stop and ate lunch and while we waited for the canoes, paddles  and the life jackets to arrive to the launching point. During the down time a group of chanichim and their madricihim taught the eidah some new dances. We un-racked the canoes, launched into the river and started canoeing for about 2 hours until we reached the first campsite. The view was amazing!! The campers had some free time after setting up their tents and swimming in the river until it was time for a delicious dinner. Before going to sleep, two chanichim led the eidah in a meditation exercise.

On the second day, we woke up and after a delicious breakfast, continued on our way down the river.  The campers canoed for about six  hours in total – with lots of breaks for swimming, eating lunch on the side of the river and just having fun with their friends, laughing and singing along the way. After setting up camp for the night at our second campsite, having dinner, and t’filot as the sun went down on the river, we gathered around a camp fire for “folk night.”

On the third day we woke up to a rainy day, the campers ate breakfast and we waited for the storm to move from the area so we could continue our trip. Meanwhile, a few campers started cheers and songs with the counselors so everyone had a really great morning!

We canoed for about 2 hours until we got to the Wisconsin Dells for 2 hours of free time in the city!

And then we came back to camp and like every great trip we shouted the cheers of Chalutzim the minute we passed the camp gate!

It was a great and fun trip! The kids and the counselors had a such a good time making new friends and getting to know everyone a little bit better!