Nitsanimot and MBLA Spotlights!

Nitsanimot (Taste of Camp) Spotlight:

We started off the week with zman kvutzah (age group time) where we completed activities like finding similarities about each other to earn ingredients to make ice cream sundaes. On the first full day, we went kayaking and did a world cup themed tochnit erev (evening activity) where everyone was assigned to a different country. We also went stargazing at night in the meadow. For shabbat, we learned the prayers and then got to lead the camp in prayer during shabbat dinner. On Sunday, we went on tiyul (hike) where we went to Castle Rock. We played lots of games like creating/solving a riddle and got to do plenty of rock climbing. After we finished the hike, we did tie dying and made cookies for all of camp. At night, we had special night programming run by the shomrim (8th graders) that was carnival themed with lots of activities and prizes. On Monday, we woke everyone up with the cookies we made and got to visit the zoo. At the zoo, we got to see many animals, hang out on the playground, and enjoy the hot weather. At night we made smores and stuffed bananas, and we spent time celebrating the past week together.

A few of the chanichim (campers) reflected on their favorite parts of the week:

Elieanna: My favorite moment was tie dying. I liked making new friends, showing my talents like the violin, learning new skills like making good cookies, and learning the wedding march on the violin

Yael: My favorite memory was winning the golden pinecone for the cleanest tzrif because it is my first time at sleepaway camp 

Nora: I loved making smores at the medurah pit and watching my kvutzah perform skits during musicale and medurah on Saturday

George: I loved the smelt it dealt it themed whodunit tochnit erev where we did activities to solve the mystery

MBLA Spotlight:

Last week several teens experienced a Los Angeles adventure full of bonding, hands on learning, and building of leadership skills. What was originally MBG+ was quickly renamed MBLA! 

Upon arrival to our housing the group wasted no time and immediately got to playing games and reconnecting as a kvutza (age group). Throughout the 4 days together, they engaged in well-known and camp specific games: spit, white paper, codenames, battleships, contact, wavelength, the mind, blind karaoke, and so many more. We also spent a day at the beach, splashing in the waves and soaking up the sun, adventured on a night hike to iconic Griffith Observatory, and battled teens vs. adults at laser tag. 

Spread throughout the week were several peulot (interactive education activities) where campers examined the systemic issues of food deserts, food and nutrition insecurity, and homelessness. They discussed various policies and challenges while building their own budgets to tackle these issues. 

A key tenet of Machaneh Gilboa is hagshama (actualization of values) so we knew we had to do some hands-on work! One afternoon we ventured to Hollywood Food Coalition to help prep for their nightly community food distribution and weekly lunch bag hand out. While there we worked together to collectively prepare an incredible amount of food for the community: 200 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, 150 salads, 100 sack lunches, and 10 pounds each of cut chicken and squash. By the end, they were already making plans to return for more volunteering or finding similar opportunities in their area. For the next volunteering experience, teens took the lead! They fully planned and lead 2 hours of activities with children from the Sun King apartments, one of many low-income apartment buildings managed by the amazing non-profit Many Mansions. Lemonade Master Chef! Family Feud! Water balloon fights! Both teens and children had an absolute blast, and the teens collectively decided this was the highlight of the trip. 

The Sun King activity was not the only time teens were in charge. They worked together to plan and prepare a delicious Shabbat dinner and spearheaded toranut (kitchen clean up) every day. They also got their very first taste of peula writing. They took what they learned this week and started researching, writing, and brainstorming interactive and engaging ways to share their knowledge with younger kvutzot up at camp.