| The Theme Framing Our Week: |
|
Moshevet
Yerushalayim
 This week, our
Jerusalem tochnit included building three 9' tall windmills, which are to be
placed across the camp's campus. Nagarut- woodworking,
explained how to build the windmill and assisted in the task. Building
the windmills was an introduction to Moses Montifiore, whom the eidot
'met'. Historically, he had encouraged the people
living in the Old City, which was overcrowded and didn't offer many job
opportunities in the late 1860's, to begin dwelling outside the Old
City walls. The chanichim learned about Montifiore's vision
and they then helped build the beginning of the first yishuv,
(as he did), outside the chomot of The Old City, starting
with the famous windmill in Yemin Moshe.We
also held Lion Day. Its goal was to teach the chanichim
about the historical significance of lions as a symbol of
Jerusalem. In the morning, the campers received a one-page
information guide about lions. They had the day to study the
information and in the evening, each eidah had a 'Lion
College Bowl'.
The
chanichim discovered that on Rosh Chodesh
Adar, 1950, the official symbol of Yerushalayim was
chosen. The symbol, reminiscent of the glorious past of the Jewish
nation, consisted of the stone walls of Jerusalem. Superimposed
against them are olive branches symbolizing the hope and yearning for
peace in the new state. The lion guarding the wall represents the
connection between Jerusalem and the portion of land of Shevet
Yehuda. This emblem of the city, the 'Lion of Judah', symbolizes
the courage, heroism and majestic quality of Yerushalayim.
In fact, as we learned last week, one of Jerusalem's 70 names is Ariel,
which means lion!
 At the 'Lion Bowl'
when a chanich answered a question correctly, he or she had
the chance to swing at the lion piñata hanging in the center
of the room! There was candy for all! |
| In Vision: |
 Meet Rachel
Teplitsky: Our Sganit Rosh Anafim
Rachel grew up in Toronto
and presently lives in Washington Heights. She recently graduated from
F.I.T. with a degree in photography and is returning to graduate school
for a program in Visual Arts Management. Rachel is head of
all Tzevet Anafim at Camp Moshava, which includes
all specialty staff, lifeguards, and more. It's her second summer in
this role at our campus but she has been at Moshava in Canada since Eidah
Aleph. She then worked at TVI, as well as on Mach Hach
Ba'Aretz.
Rachel wears many hats
during her day, including taking care of each Rosh specialty,
being available to facilitate and talk with the staff, and putting shmirah
in place for the evenings- making sure she has staff to watch the bunks
at night.
She returns summer after
summer because as Rachel says, she thrives on the camp atmosphere. She
finds it amazing, and experiences the ongoing tochnit,
inspiring. Most gratifying for Rachel are the connections and
relationships she makes with her tzevet, (and they with
her!). "When I see a lot of the tzevet to whom I
was a counselor, and see them passing on to their campers what I taught
them, it's fulfilling. I call my tzevet my campers, because
they're my babies."
|
| Through Our
Kids'...(and Staff's) Lens |
| Why do you love
Eretz Yisrael?
-"the Beit
HaMikdash was there" -Tzipporah Rossman, Eidah
Bet
-"it's
amazing that we have it" -Pamela Tanner, Eidah
Bet
-"there's
good food there" -Eli Hoch, Eidah Daled
-"it has a
certain essence to it" -Tova Kamioner, Eidah
Gimmel
-"it's our
holy land" -Jaime Odinsky, Eidah Bet
-"it's
Hashem's homeland" -Ayelet Grajower, Eidah
Gimmel
-"it was the
birthplace of our nation" -Brad Miller, Eidah
Daled
-"because
it's our place to run to in a time of need" -Nate
Hershkowitz,
Eidah Bet
-"Hashem
gave it to us- that's the Jew's homeland" -Oriel
Nemet,
Eidah Gimmel
-"it's
holy" -Josh Rossman, Counselor, Eidah Daled
-"every new
place you go in the country is doing a new mitzvah" -David Roth, Eidah Bet
-"it's
special to me" -Michael Burian, Eidah Gimmel
-"it's the
land of the Jews" -Ezra Shoen, Eidah Gimmel
-"I live
there." -Uri
Schwell, Eidah Daled
-"it's part
of our history" -Moriah Fox, Eidah Gimmel
-"it's the
land of our forefathers" -Debora Zauderer,
Eidah Gimmel
-"it's the
Jewish home" -Arel Levkovich, Eidah Daled
-"it's very
nice, there's all kinds of weather" -Rachel
Taragin
-"it's our
only home" -Shira Weinberg, Eidah Gimmel
-"the kotel
is there" -Ally Schlissel & Sarah Barth,
Eidah Hey
-"I live in
Rannana." -Dahlia Barth, Eidah Hey
-"I live in
Efrat." -Amalia Goldberg, Eidah Hey
-"I live in
Hashmonaim." -Yoni BenDavid, Eidah Aleph
-"It's holy;
when Moshiach comes we're going to go there." -Reuven
Katz, Eidah Aleph
-"the ruach-
here in America you have your sukkah, but in Israel everyone has a
sukkah and says, 'Chag Sameach' to each other" -Chani
Matz, Machal
-"it gives
us a sense of security; it's a place we can all find comfort
in; religiously we're entitled to it and we put our lives into it" -Natan Tracer, Machal
-"Safta
lives there." -Talia Mandel, Gan
-"It's the
land of the Jewish People and it's my home."
-Yona Silverman,
Counselor, Eidah Hey
|
| Sports
Snapshot |
 Boating
"Being in the boats is good; it's fun. I like to
float along and let the boat steer where it wants to go." -Chaviva
Goldsmith
"It was really fun, I like driving the paddleboat."
-Tsipora Stone
"It was awesome. You can paddle anywhere in the big
lake." -Ahuva Shafier
One of our jewels at
camp is our almost mile long lake. Sitting at water's edge with water
lilies and other water flowers blossoming in the early morning or at
dusk, and being surrounded by thick woods on three sides, is a chance
to be enveloped by serenity. It can be the quietest spot at camp,
(Barbara Stern, who has been at Moshava for ten years and is Head of
Girls' Waterfront ,says it's her favorite place- where she feels most
connected to G-d), and it can also be extraordinarily fun.
Rowboats and paddleboats
dot the lake as groups of 3 or 4 chanichim and their madrichim
traverse its width and length. Barbara and Harold Bernstein, (who has
headed the boys' waterfront for the past 21 years), guide the lake
staff in how to communicate boating instructions to the campers. The tzevet
get into kayaks to escort the rowboats and instruct
the chanichim in the basics of rowing, including how to
synchronize the oars, how to turn the boat, and how to switch seats
within the boat to give another person the rowing position, all the
while making friendly connections with the chanichim.
The banana boat is also
incredibly fun. Six people at a time can straddle it and our new
speedboat, the 150 Speedster, leads the banana boat around the lake; at
the end of the speed boat adventure, the banana boat ride climaxes by
flipping the riders into the water!
The lake will be open to
you too on visiting day . . . don't miss the boat!
|
| Eye On... |
| The Beit Midrash Program
"Go be
diligent in Torah and search, and my spirit kept me engaged in Torah."
-Yehoshua,
Ch. 1, v. 26
"We
are obligated to search in Torah and decipher and discern the mysteries
of Torah. Every moment is beautiful in the Beit Midrash;
that's the truth. Having a group of participants from all different
backgrounds choosing to spend their summer learning says a lot about
who they are. Their excitement and love for learning and passion for
Torah makes the Beit Midrash a special place to be."
-Shani Taragin, Beit Midrash, Rosh
The doors of the Beit
Midrash are always open, an apt metaphor for the learning and
thinking occurring inside its walls. The warm, inviting seforim-lined
study hall is where 30-40 young men and women, who comprise the Beit
Midrash program, are making our ancient texts their own. In their
full day of learning they attend shiurim, learn chevruta-style
and independently explore a broad array of Torah works at the highest
level, while also intermingling formally and informally with chanichim.
Their mornings are
devoted to intense study of Gemara through chevruta
and shiur. In addition to Chumash, Navi, and Halacha
shiurim in the afternoon, the participants teach chanichim
as well. Their schedule also involves Shiur Klali and night seder
with optional shiurim in Ketuvim and Machshevet
Yisrael.
The Beit Midrash
participants interact with the camp by giving shiurim, having
chevruta study with chanichim, running Y'mei
Iyun, and facilitating informal programs such as: night activity
learning and Oneg Shabbat events.
"I chose to be at Moshava's Beit Midrash program
because it's a place
where you have the ability to learn and to educate in a combination you
don't really have anywhere else. We're teaching content and also by
example: how to live, how to act and how to view the world."
-Avi
Rabinovitch
 The program is led by Rabbi Kevie and Shani Taragin.
They and their 6 children live inAlon Shvut, and have been
joining Moshava for the past eight years as Roshei Beit Midrash
Program. When not at camp, Rabbi Taragin is responsible for the
Overseas Program for students at Yeshivat HaKotel. Shani is
the Rosh of the Beit Midrash at Midreshet
Lindenbaum and teaches at a number of other institutions.
"Most of the participants
were not in Moshava in the past, and it's rewarding to see them enjoy
and become part of the machane through this vehicle," Rabbi
Taragin said. "Many of them return to camp and assume leadership roles
at Moshava. Later on, some go into chinuch, some publish in
education journals, and some go into other fields, but all are impacted
upon by this program and want to affect the Jewish community."
"Teaching is a nice way to give back to the camp and
you end up growing
yourself. We make Torah fun with creative methods to keep campers
interested in coming here. We're models who are always here learning
and are available for the campers to ask questions." -Esti Arfe
The presence of
the Beit Midrash and its participants and teachers, create an
epicenter of Torah learning in Machane Moshava, and
is a comfortable environment for kids to come to and learn.
|
| D'var Torah |
 A Kid's View
By: Adam Aqua & Avi
Kornhauser
Machal
למען ירבו ימיכם וימי בניכם על האדמה אשר נשבע ה'
לאבותיכם לתת להם כימי השמים על הארץ
דברים:יא - כא
Towards the
conclusion of this week's parsha, Parshat Eikev, we read, 'V'Haya
Im Shemoa'- 'It will be if you listen', a passage familiar to us
from the Shema. The Amoraim in Mesechet
Brachot raise an interesting question on one of the pasukim
therein.
The verse
states, 'In order to prolong your days . . . upon the land that Hashem
has sworn to your forefathers.' (Deuteronomy 11:21). This implies that
the reward of long life applies only to those who live in the promised
land, i.e.: Eretz Yisrael. And yet, as the Amoraim point
out, there are elderly people living in Bavel outside of
Eretz Yisrael. To resolve this contradiction, the sages suggest
that these elderly people live long because of their dedication to
spending time in their place of Torah.
However, this answer is problematic because the pasuk
mentions no significance for learning in Batei K'nessiot Chutz
L'Aretz. The Kli Yakar brings a solution to the problem
from another gemara. This gemara in Mesechet
Megillah states that in the time of Moshiach, all the Batei
K'nessiot in Chutz L'Aretz will be moved to Eretz
Yisrael, thus all the buildings and the land of the Batei
K'nessiot are actually already considered part of Eretz
Yisrael. That is why the elderly people in Bavel who
frequent their Batei K'nessiot get rewarded with long life.
And here's
the icing on the cake: as members of the B'nei Akiva
movement, we believe in Torah v'Avodah. We've established
that when we are in a Beit K'nesset and are involved in
Torah, it is as though we are in Eretz Yisrael. It is now
our responsibility to ensure that the avodah part of our
lives also takes place in Eretz Yisrael.
|
| With a Longer Lens |
| Machal
"M-A-C-H-A-L,
Machal, Machal, we are Machal!"
Machal
had a diverse and fun-filled week. They went hiking,
orienteering (which was raised to a new level by being taught
by a professional orienteering guide), and white-water
rafting in Hickory State Park.
They had Color
War; the topic was: Yerushalayim and the teams: Atika
and Chadasha.
Machal also prepared
for next week's carnival which is being held at HASC,
a camp for special needs children. Machal campers plan, organize, and
create the carnival for HASC as part of our chesed program.
|
| Kodak Moments: |
|
* The Schmutz *
What's the dirt on the Schmutz?
"It's
awesome!" It's incredible!" "It's amazing!" Camp consensus
It's
Eidah Bet's turn. You've heard of it,
haven't you? It's an age-old Mosh tradition: hiking
to the campgrounds with good friends, setting up the campsite,
team-building as they put up tents, and gathering around a campfire for
yummy cook-out food, stories, divrei Torah and of course,
song! Eidah Bet had an incredible time enjoying
opportunities to further bond with one another over their Schmutz
experience.
The Schmutz
is also a challenge and the campers are proud of themselves for
acquiring so many skills on this adventure. They learn to be a little
more self-sufficient and independent and have the opportunity to do
things they haven't done before. It's especially a time for the
campers to notice and experience the beauty and greatness of G-d's
creations, and deeply appreciate the world He made. 'Se'u
eineichem marom ure'u mi barah eileh- Lift your eyes up to the
heavens and see who created all of this.'
The
Schmutz? It's good, clean fun.
* Digging Down Deeper *
The excitement of the dig is still palpable and the
uniqueness of the experience is continuing to enrich our chanichim's
lives. "I came all the way here," Aaron Greener told our campers, "to
share some of my knowledge of archeology, but this isn't a school
lesson. We have a chance to do an excavation."
"You may think we're in Moshava, but really when we're at
this site, we're in Yerushalayim. In fact, a family lived
here. When the Babylonians took over the city, the family left behind
their belongings. We'll see in this dig the vestiges of the family.
We're going to touch Jewish history with our hands. The family's
rubble didn't just wait for us though; other people lived here, and the
tel (an archeological mound created by the remains
of one civilization, one layer on top of another) is like a layer
cake. Our tel, Tel Ir David, has been dug down to the time
of King David, which we are excavating."
"Ready? Let's dig down deeper and go back in time."
After moving through the three archeology stations:
excavation-digging and sifting dirt; archeology lab- washing pottery
and trying to restore it; daily life station- a place to learn about
life in the past including deciphering Hebrew texts, the chanichim
received these certificates and were told they were ready for a real
excavation in Israel. "I hope," Aaron the archeologist said, "to see
you in Yerushalayim!"
Eidah Hey went on an adventure trip this past week to Dorney Park,
one of the greatest amusement parks in the country, located in
Allentown, Pennsylvania. All the chanichim agreed it's an
awesome, fun-filled place, and the water rides especially made a splash!
|
| What's Developing?: |
|
You're
Invited
To: The Chanukat HaBayit of our new
guesthouse, Beit Hadassah, in memory of
Hadassah Friedman, the wife of Nassan
Friedman, the Moshava Camp Committee
Chairman for the past 45 years.
When: Visiting Day
Sunday August 5th
11:30 AM (city time)
About: Hadassa
Friedman grew up in the B'nei Akiva
movement and met Nassan through Hashomer
Hadati-B'nei Akiva.
She shared and encouraged his passionate commitment to
B'nei Akiva over their almost 60 years of marriage. A
quiet and
dedicated family person, Hadassah, z''l, was known for
her
open, welcoming demeanor and hachnasset orchim
for
visitors, YU students, and family and friends throughout
the years.
This facility, Beit Hadassah,
and this program perfectly capture
the essence of Hadassah Friedman's lifelong commitments
to
family, hachnasset orchim and Medinat
Yisrael, and is a fitting
tribute to a true eishet chayil.
|
| Moshava Glossary |
| a Moshava word can be worth a thousand pictures...
Aliyah = yes! just do it :-)
Beit Midrash = literally means, 'house of study', customarily, it is a
place of Torah study that is open to the public
Shiurim = Torah lessons
Chanichim = campers
Machane = camp
Chinuch = education
Atika = old
Chadasha = new
Tzevet = staff
Eidah = division
Tochnit = program
Mishlachat = Israeli contingent
Medinat Yisrael = the State of Israel
Chesed= kindness
Chomot = walls
Machal = Machane Chalutzi (program for kids going into
10th grade)
D'var Torah = a Torah message
Kedusha = holiness
TVI = Torah V'Avodah Institute
Kodesh = holy
Chol = mundane, everyday
Tefillah = prayer
Madrichim = counselors
Seforim = books
Chevruta = partner
Y'mei Iyun = days of learning
Oneg Shabbat = Friday night Shabbat party
Sganit Rosh Anafim = assistant staff coordinator
Chanukat HaBayit = building dedication
Haknasset orchim = welcoming guests
Mach Hach Ba'Aretz = Benei Akiva's tour program in
Israel
Shmirah = night patrol
Avirah = atmosphere
Sichot = discussions
Hashkafah = philosophy, outlook
Eishet chayil = woman of valor
Yishuv = settlement
Yemin Moshe = a neighborhood in Jerusalem near the Old
City
Yerushalmi = one who lives in Israel
Halacha = Jewish law
Shiur Klali = general shiur
Machshevet Yisrael = Jewish Philosophy
Rosh Chodesh Adar = beginning of the Jewish month of
Adar
Shevet Yehuda = tribe of Yehudah
Mifkad = camp-wide gathering; division gathering
Likrat Shabbat = welcoming Shabbat
Ruchniyot = spirituality
Gashmiyot = materialism
Amoraim = Jewish scholars who interpreted the Midrash
Pasukim = verses
Bavel = Babel
Batei K'nesset = synagogues
Chutz l'aretz = places outside of Israel
Kli Yakar = Biblical commentator
|
|
