by Joel Dworkin, Rosh Outdoor Education The rain this summer has not stopped us from having a great time in Machanaut v’Chavalim (camping and ropes course). The girls of Cabin 24, (entering 7th graders) had a great time on their hike and camp out in the wilderness. Their counselors, Shay and Inbar, took the group to McLeod Lake where they played games teaching about the wilderness of modern Israel and made a dinner of Sambousek, a middle eastern cheese and vegetable pastry. The Garinim boys (entering 5th grade) had a beautiful hike and cookout feast of pasta, roasted veggies and multiple sauces made by our own camping staff.
On the ropes course, things have been zipping right along. The head of the ropes activity, Re’ut Rosenberg, has created a new framework for each element that highlights important people and moments in Israeli history. We have run nearly all of our campers through the Israel Journey (formerly “the log”) and our older campers have a chance to take Nachshon’s Jump. Also very popular are the flying squirrel, zip line and all the high ropes course has to offer.
Our Machon Intensive group has been working hard this last week, preparing for their upcoming trips. They learned how to build different types of campfires for cooking and warmth, navigation with topographical maps, wildlife in the northern woods of Wisconsin and the basic components of a wilderness survival kit. They just finished making the iconic fire signs that kicked off Yom Sport for all of camp and are now preparing for their intensive trip, a fifteen-mile hiking trip in the Wisconsin north woods.
The forecast is sunny as we look ahead to the Nivo canoe trip, Bogrim ropes course and a host of further outdoor adventures in the Northwoods of Wisconsin!