by Raya Seidman, Tzofim Rosh Eidah (Unit Head)

The past weeks in Tzofim have been crazy busy and extremely exciting as we prepared to put on Tzofim Gimmel’s all camp talent show, Oconomostock! O-Stock is a great time for Tzofim to shine, while also bringing the whole camp together for an evening of fun.

O-Stock preparations start long before our chanichim (campers) even arrive! The tzevet (staff) works hard to pick a theme, write the script and songs, and choreograph dances for the whole eidah (unit), but the real fun begins once we bring in the chanichim to make it come alive! Yom Reveal (Theme Reveal Day) is when we share the O-Stock theme with the chanichim and reveal the secret theme. This year our theme was “Oconomo-Solly I Shrunk the Kids!” For Yom Reveal we gave the kids mini pancakes, read from a mini Torah, and had a mini pool for swimming. It was a great way to get everyone excited for O-Stock and to bring the whole eidah together to work towards one common goal. Throughout the week and a half before, we worked with the chanichim to learn the script, songs, dances, and everything in between to make it their own. O-Stock brings a special feeling that can be felt throughout Tzofim leading up to the big night as madrichim (counselors) and chanichim alike sing the songs from old O-Stocks and can’t get the new songs out of our heads.

When we finally arrived at the Bitan Saturday evening, you could feel the energy in the air. The show was amazing! Tzofim chanichim had so much fun, and we got to see incredible talent from all the other eidot. As madrichim , we love watching the chanichim perform for all of camp and bring O-Stock to life with their excitement and smiles, but my favorite part of the show is when all of Tzofim comes together in the last moment for our Tzofim cheers to show our ruach (spirit) to the rest of camp. This moment is the most fun and special to us, to celebrate everyone’s hard work and accomplishments. The evening ends with all-camp havdallah, and singing the camp song, and we really feel the joy of our community, a community greater than ourselves.

Raya Seidman is in her 13th summer at camp, and is beyond excited to be serving as Tzofim Rosh Eidah! In May, she graduated from Indiana University, where she studied Youth Development and Jewish Studies.