Happy June, Gilboa Community!
With camp quickly approaching, we wanted to pop in and give you a preview of what's to come this summer in both our education and camper care.
We're so excited to announce a new aspect our new camper care team structure this year: Mashatzim! While we'll still have a camper care specialist (Melavah) and a mental health professional on site, we're adding in a few more team members to hone in on specializing our care and responding to each kvutsa (age group)'s needs. The Mashatzim will act as a lead counselor on each tzevet katan (group of counselors per age group) -- meaning they will play a critical role in maintaining and supporting the overall wellbeing of campers in a deeply hands-on way! The Mashatzim will meet altogether along with the mental health professional, Melavah, and director team every day to check in about how each camper is doing and what support can be put in place to help them thrive.
Millie - Melavah (Camper Care Specialist)
My name is Millie and I will be the Melavah at camp this year. I live most of the time in Portland, OR where I just finished at Reed College. I currently work as a research assistant and translator as well as working for the Simone Weil House, an organization which cares for houseless people in Portland and provides educational and community opportunities for people near and far! I am a big reader and writer and I also love to garden; in my house in Portland, we have cats, chickens, and a big vegetable garden. I feel really lucky to be able to contribute to the making of a magical summer — I can’t wait to return to the crazy and beautiful world of camp!
Millie will be working with Mara Roshal, LCSW, to lead the camper care team this summer.
And now introducing.... your Mashatzim!!!
Roxy (they/them) - Amelimot (rising 4th-6th grade)
This year I’m hanging out with Amelimot! I’m so looking forward to all our exploring and adventures. Amelimot is going to rule the summer and hagshamize (actualize) to our hearts content. We’re bringing all the kesem (magic) and I can’t wait! As a Mashatz I’m ready to absolutely kill with my team it as I know we will. I’ll see you all before we know it!!
Tali (she/her) - Sayarimot (rising 6th grade)
I’m Tali and something about me is that I’m so excited for camp this summer. I’m mashatz for the small but mighty kvutsah, the Sayarimot! Some things I love about camp are weird skits and shabbat dinners. This is going to be the best summer EVER!
Ruby (she/her) - Chotrimot (rising 7th grade)
Hi, I’m Ruby! I’ve been going to Camp Gilboa since 2013. I’m so excited to be working with the chotrimot! I love the hanging out at the meadow and can’t wait to take my campers there!
Marly (they/she) - Shomrimot (rising 8th grade)
I’m Marly (they/she)! I’m working with the Shomrimot Kvutzah this summer and I’m looking forward to soaking up the SoCal sun and hanging out with my second family and home, Gilboa. Can’t wait to see all the silly Tochniot Erev that happen this summer. I’m so excited to be on the Mashatz team this summer because I get to be apart of leadership at Machaneh and work with some really amazing people!
Sam (she/her) - Bonimot (rising 9th grade)
I am Sam, I love candy, and I will be Bonimot's Mashatz for Summer 2023! I'm excited to protect and serve the chanichimot (campers).
Ally (she/her) - Bogrimot (rising 10th grade)
Hello! I'm looking forward to working with the bogrimot kvutzah because I worked with them last summer and think they’re amazing! I’m really excited to plan fun and challenging education and other programming for them. I’m excited to be their Mashatz because this position will make the summer that much better for them and their tzevet members!!! :)
Programs Team
This year, we have two incredible educators leading Gilboa's programming! Otto and Tomer will both contribute to the creation and feedback of the educational and programmatic content for the summer. Otto will be focussing on program development, while Tomer will focus on staff development.
Tomer will be providing extra support for cohorts of new madrichimot - last year's madatz (who he was a madrich for!), the shlichim (Israeli counselors), and a group from Habonim Dror Australia & New Zealand who are currently on their Israel gap-year program.
A note from Otto on this summer's programatic theme and design:
The theme of this summer is Exploration. Up here in the mountains for the next two weeks before our chanichimot (campers) arrive, Tzevet (staff) are learning, practicing, planning, and getting excited about how to most fully awaken our kids' exploratory instincts and yearnings. As the Chinuch (educational director), I am working tzevet (staff) to thread “exploration” throughout our programming; we are writing peulot (educational activities) and approaching relationships with chanichimot (campers) more explicitly oriented around the journey of learning. If you were reading this on June 21 at 4:30pm, tzevet was at that very moment in a peula (education session) about how Kabbalistic understandings of truth interact with Socrates’s idea of puzzlement, and how operating with these ideals as our pedagogical basis can enhance our education and relationships with chanichimot (campers). In terms of translating these ideas into summer programming - we are inventing new expansive activities that respond to the actions and desires of our campers. For example, this summer the course of a Tochnit Erev (evening camp-wide activity) will be informed by the decisions of each chanichol (camper)––whether we end up escaping the vast wastelands of a frozen planet or learning to live in this barren environment relies as much upon a Tzevet member as it does a 5th grader; we are exploring how to tailor the kvutzah experience to the specific moment each chanichol, and the kvutzah as a whole, finds themselves in. This summer we are reexamining the role our chanichimot (campers) play in our programming. The summer is for them and in this work we are excited to spend these next two months exploring together.
In addition to this pedagogical framework, some educational themes that we have been putting extra attention and intention into this summer are: Jewish identity, race, and Israel. We have had extra trainings and committees of staff and board members/volunteers dedicated to focusing on improving these areas of programming and the holistic experience of camp. We look forward to placing these themes within this summer's theme of Exploration.
We're so excited to implement these new structures to continue to create a meaningful, fun, and unforgettable summer!
-- Mashatz, Programs Team, and Alison