Happy October Gilboa Community,
It’s been an amazing beginning of the Gilboa Eizor (year-round programming) this past month and we’re so excited to share some of the highlights!
Post Camp LA Picnic
Gilboa campers and their families came together in (our beloved) Pan Pacific Park for a sunny Sunday afternoon of games and reconnecting after almost a month away from camp. It was a really special reminder that Gilboa is more than just a summer camp; it is a community - at camp, and during the year!
After the traditional Habonim introductory ma’agal (circle), the group broke off into interest groups to play sports, games, and even make special holiday candles for the coming chagim (holidays!)
Another special quality about Gilboa is how much ownership youth truly take over their community and process. As such, we ended the picnic with the middle schoolers giving their input on what they’d like to see at the next ken (year round event). Some of their ideas will definitely be the basis for our next meet-up -- very cool!
Tzedek Kick Off
One of the most exciting and unique parts of the Gilboa Eizor is Tzedek, a year-round social justice education and action program! It’s an amazing way for Gilboa teens to stay connected and exercise their passion for social justice beyond the peula (discussion) and within their local communities!
Over the summer the Gilboa teens had a series of discussions to select their Tzedek focus for the year. Taking into account what they learned last year and what issues feel relevant to their local communities and to their experiences as Jewish youth, they decided to focus this coming year on climate justice! It’s an exciting issue and the group already had an opportunity to put their values into action by joining the national Climate Strike on Friday September 20th.
Kids across the world walked out of school and into the streets to come together and protest government inaction in the face of the impending climate crisis, and the issues its already long been causing for people of color, poor people, and indigenous communities. Tzedek teens joined in the day’s events and saw firsthand what it feels like to literally take back power as we marched through the streets of downtown Los Angeles!
Ken Chalutz
All of the amazing activities and programs are not possible without the dedication and passion of Gilboa youth leaders! Two weekends ago, the local leadership from SoCal trekked up to the Bay to have a weekend retreat together. They discussed their plans for the coming year, thought about how to implement feedback from last year’s program, and did the work necessary to ensure that though we might be in different cities during the year, our Gilboa community is always growing together! Also can we add that it was just downright fun!
IKAR Rosh Hashanah Program
As a community that seeks to be an involved and supportive member of the wider Los Angeles Jewish community, we build partnerships with aligned Jewish organizations. We help support their amazing goals with some of our own Gilboa counselors and educational magic by running programs for their young members. And because it’s Gilboa and we always make sure that the reins are firmly in the hands of the youth in whatever projects we do, this past weekend 15 Gilboa high schoolers ran a Harry Potter themed Rosh Hashanah adventure for almost 100 kids from the IKAR community!
It was hectic, it was chaotic, it was exciting, and most of all, it was an awesome display of what can happen when we put values into action. This is how we build our community, this is how we grow amazing Jewish leaders!
P.s. Gilboa programs are not like your traditional school lessons, but there were so many chultzot wearing high schoolers in the prep session, that we couldn’t help but do a silly Habo high school science class themed photo shoot!
All of this giving you FOMO?
Fall Seminar is right around the corner - November 8-10 in LA! We reimburse travel costs and have flight escorts for NorCal and train escorts for San Diego - everyone is invited! More info and registration HERE! Early bird registration ends this Friday Oct 4th!
NorCal families - join us this Sunday Oct 6th for a picnic - 1:30pm at Doyle Hollis Park in Emeryville. Info HERE!