by Jonah Harris, Rosh Solelim Our Solelim (entering 7th graders) had no shortage of fun celebrating the Fourth of July. At the end of morning tefilot (prayer), we sang the Star Spangled Banner, which can conveniently be found in the Siddur Sim Shalom. We then had announcements entirely in English, which can be a challenge at Camp Ramah given the holistic integration of Hebrew into our locations and activities.
Our morning included some regularly scheduled activities until Solelim departed camp for the Conover Fourth of July Parade! At the parade, some of the campers boarded a Camp Ramah float, graciously created by our dedicated staff members after the children had gone to bed over the previous few nights. Our float included a beach theme on the sides, and we built a “cabin” on the trailer which even included a bunk bed! Other campers walked alongside, singing songs and throwing candy to those watching on the sides. It was a splendid way to celebrate America’s birthday with the Northwoods community.
In the afternoon, we participated in the camp carnival, spread out among the soccer and softball fields. Along with the carnival games like football toss, bean bag toss, face painting, photo booth, the popular dunk tank and much more, we also had multiple inflatable obstacle courses and a basketball moon bounce. The carnival fare included popcorn, snow cones, and cotton candy, much to our campers’ delight.
After a picnic BBQ dinner, Solelim played an American-themed popular camp game called radio schlep. Objects were announced over Ramah’s radio station, 89.3 FM, and campers listened in their cabins and rushed to bring whatever was called. Each camper who arrived got a chance to speak on the radio, which is always a thrill. Our day was one of many great days we’ve already had this summer – and there’s still so much more to come!
