Leagues kicked off the beginning of this week with a bang and all the teams are racing for the top. Each division has a different theme featuring elter Chassidim like Reb Hillel Paritcher and Binyomin Kletzker, old shtetlach, like Nevel or Kremenchug, or the Rebbes niggunim – Anim Zemiros, Stav Yapitu, and so on. I have to say, it’s pretty cool to see campers sitting by their teams, singing niggunim, or yelling names of towns rarely ever spoken of any more.
Tuesday the whole camp went to New York for Gimmel Tammuz. In the morning all the campers were encouraged to go to mikva, daven and act as a Chossid should on such a day, in order to truly be the Rebbe’s children. Following breakfast the camp divided into three groups for a general learning class featuring stories and lesson from the Rebbe, Then, together with their learning teachers, they all wrote panim. Lunch, Mincha, and onto the buses for a trip to the Ohel. The bus trip flew by while the campers enjoyed special videos prepared by the staff. At the Ohel all the campers read their tehillim and panim as they slowly filed into the Ohel. Next they were off to Campus Chomesh for a delicious supper and farbrengen , along with singing and live music. Then back onto the buses and before you knew it, we were back in camp, exhausted and inspired.
From good gashmius comes good ruchnius or in the words of the Mishnah in Avos: “im ein Kemach ein Torah” – if there is no flour [i.e. food] there is no Torah. On Thursday evening, campers watched, befuddled, as the dining room was emptied of tables, but all soon became clear as they were brought to the square and grills were fired up for a grand barbeque outside! Following the delicious food the whole camp participated in a game highlighting fun trivia questions about camp. What a night!
From Gan Israel, here’s wishing you a Good Shabbos!