It has been a great session so far in Gesher Bet! The chanichim (campers) arrived last week ready to participate in all that Gesher has to offer. From Maccabiah break, to the camp-wide 4th of July barbecue, to celebrating Shabbat together, to our two chugim (electives), to everything in between, the G-Unit has really done it all. There is even still so much to come! The true highlight of this week, however, was our tiyul (trip) to Madison, Wisconsin. We arrived in Madison and had the opportunity to participate in two different social action projects. As our tochnit boker (limmudim) theme is “Tending the Garden” and learning about teva (nature) and our role in teva, our projects were centered around gardening and environment. The first stop on our tour was the University of Wisconsin-Madison Hillel. We were so fortunate to have a tour by Rabbi Andrea Steinberger, a former OSRUI segel member. Rabbi Steinberger brought us to see and hear about Hillel’s hydroponic garden. This garden is planted in PVC pipes and grows under a fluorescent light. The chanichim got to help plant some seeds that ultimately will be put in the hydroponic garden. They also helped by making posters and signs for the entrance to the garden room, and making labels for the seeds. It was great to see so many campers engaged in these projects! After a quick lunch break at the beautiful Madison Terrace, we continued to the Pyle Center where we saw a beautiful rooftop garden! We were lucky to hear from two UW-Madison students who talked to us about how the garden works, and led us in more projects. We did some weeding in the garden, painted wooden signs for different plants that are growing, and took a tour of the garden itself. We also got to try fresh radish! The view from the rooftop garden was incredible, too! Our day ended with a photo scavenger hunt around Madison. The chanichim loved seeing State Street, as well as the capital building and everything else that Madison has to offer. The chanichim and madrichim (staff) alike created funny pictures and lifelong memories. I had the opportunity to float around the groups and spend time with all the chanichim. They are truly an incredible group and I am so happy they are here with us. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the session holds!
Bye for now,
Becky
