Shabbat Pinchas 2016
What an amazing sixth week it has been at OSRUI!
After a week of limud, omanut (art), water slides, tubing, wilderness trips, ivrit (Hebrew), field trips, evening programs, Festikayitz (Israeli Amazing Race), Topsy Turvy Bus 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 6 of Summer 2016.
Hazon’s Topsy Turvy bus visited OSRUI this week, showing campers that we have the power to change the course of history and flip the environmental damage we see around us on its head.
Chalutzim focused on Israeli music in their ivrit studies. On Thursday, they welcomed 11 new Israeli “chanichim” for the day, thanks to Rabbi Max Weiss at Oak Park Temple. They joined the unit for discussion, learning, song, prayer, study, and most importantly excitement and fun at the breicha (pool) and etgar. They picked their new sichot (electives) and got back into the routine of camp after last week’s Yom Horim and the canoe trip. The week was highlighted with Festikayitz, which was a Chalutzim led, Israeli themed Amazing Race that took chanichim all over camp to learn about Israel, to make new friends, and to have fun!
Moshavah Bet completed their first trip (read all about them Here!) going hiking, biking, rock climbing and canoeing. Everyone is back at camp safe, happy, and clean! Do not worry and do not fret though, the teva and camping continued as Mosh set up a new camp site on our driving range (500 feet from their permanent ohelim [tents]) Each trip shared their wonderful memories, adventures, and excitement from their journeys with the rest of the eidot through tiyul skits, followed by an ice cream social and a giant game of Matzah Ball.
Gesher Gimmel went on their first tiyul (trip) to the local grocery store in town to learn about shopping on a budget in various scenarios and situations. The chanichim were given $25 to shop for a specific kind of family for a week and to take various characteristics into mind, whether it be for small children, food allergies, etc. The food was purchased for real and donated to the Oconomowoc food pantry. They then capped off the day going to see a movie. Their first Erev Tzrif featured campfires, grilling in Moshavah, capture the flag, making candy sushi, and trivia night! They had the opportunity to learn about Yam L’Yam, the hike in Israel from the Galilee Sea to the Mediterranean Sea led by our very own Stav with help from Tomer, one of our campers who is from Israel! It was a simulation of going from “water to water” or sea to sea in Israel. They have begun preparing for carnival by planning their booths and beginning to work towards learning their song they will present to the whole camp! They had a photo scavenger hunt for evening program where the chanichim worked together with their Tzrif to create funny and creative photos based on a set of criteria!
Tiferet Bet had an amazing week of art, dance, theater, media, and music that was highlighted with a tiyul to the Milwaukee Art Museum. They continued their study of the Song of Songs through various media and filled t’filot with beautiful harmonies and voices. The week began with an egg drop off our etgar tower.
In Kibbutz HaTzofim Gimmel they learned all about camp history and how etgar started. Erev Hanukkah had Tzofim playing Dreidel and Pin the Candle on the Menorah, and making edible dreidels. The main characters in O-stock were revealed at a yummy lunch to meet the people they are playing in the show. During a rare upstairs dinner in the chadar ochel, they filled the halls with song and dance with a Broadway show tune sing along. They played a life size version of Alien Invaders in an indoor glow-in-the-dark obstacle course. During limud, they rolled out the whole Torah and wrapped the campers in the words of Torah
Kallah Gimmel learned about and “experienced” the destruction of the beit hamikdash (the temple) in their beit t’filah. On Yom Super Hero it was a day of good vs evil trying to track down and defeat Dr. Nefarious who had stolen their nish nush (snack), which resulted in a showdown with him on the sports fields. It was Kallah’s 180 water balloons against his red jacket of power! They easily defeated him with their ruach and laughs and he was taken away to the dungeon in the Bayit where he won’t bother their nish nush again. Kallah had a rockin’ pool party with music, fun, games, water slide races, and Bosco sticks! They traveled through camp’s history, which ended in a fascinating conversation with Jerry about the history of camp and some of its secrets. The highlight of the week was the field trip to Discovery World in Milwaukee, where they saw fish from around the world, learned about technology from the 22nd century, and laid on a bed of nails!
Tour La’Agam started their journey on Sunday, biking to Lake Michigan, up through Door County and on to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. They are having a great time and getting their exercise, biking more than 50 miles on some days. Everyone is ready for a peaceful and restful Shabbat.
It has been a fun-filled and exciting sixth week!!
Shabbat Shalom from all of us at OSRUI.
Jerry Kaye, Director Susan Alexander, Associate Director Albert Marks, Senior Assistant Director