While Machon went on their tiyul, Bogrim (entering 9th grade) stayed back at camp for Shavua Bogrim (Week of Bogrim)! The week included three hours a day spent in specialized workshops, lots of shtick, and more, culminating in a legendary synchronized swimming performance in front of the entire machaneh (camp).
“It was super fun,” Bogrim camper Shayna said.
The week isn’t a typical one at camp. Rather than having three different chugim (electives) for one hour each, Bogrim enjoys one workshop for three hours each morning. This year’s workshops ranged from campers creating their own bike trail to building a new ammud (stand) for tefillah (prayer) each morning to creating a parsha-themed comic book.
Shayna and Aiden were both in the biking workshop with Rosh Machlakah Sport (head of sports) Mark Kelln, and both of them had a blast exploring new trails with their friends.
“It was super fun because we got to go out of camp to a bike park and do things I wouldn’t have normally done if I were at home,” Shayna said.
Aiden agreed, adding that he enjoyed leaving a legacy at camp by creating the trail.
“It’s really cool to know that it’s something that camp is going to have in the years to come,” Aiden said. “They’re still going to have that one trail that we built during (Shavua Bogrim).”
Rosh Bogrim (head of Bogrim) Alon Hankin watched his campers grow as leaders throughout the week, which brought him great pride.
For Hankin, this was his second Shavua Bogrim after he experienced one as a counselor in 2023, and it was still a highlight of his summer.
“It was amazing to see the campers engaging, doing their best, being mensches and working together as a team and as a group,” he said.
When Hankin planned Shavua Bogrim, one of his favorite memories to plan was the shtick.
He truly embraced that with this year’s group, with each meal having a different theme or element of shtick, starting with the first dinner Sunday and continuing all the way until right before synchro on Friday.
The shtick Aiden enjoyed most was one that didn’t go as successfully.
One peulah (activity) for each binyan (building) was planned by the counselors for the other binyan. Due to weather, the peulot didn’t go as planned, but campers still enjoyed it.
“They really try to make it so much fun,” Aiden said.
Shayna agreed, adding that one of her favorite activities was one planned by a counselor for peulat erev.
Bogrim Chevrati (cabin counselor) Nina Pickus is a big fan of the board game Clue after playing with her mom growing up and performing in the show, so she created a Clue-inspired game for the entire eidah.
“I thought it would be super fun for the kids to get all dressed up, and they did a really good job trying to solve the mystery, and they had a lot of fun at the party, got really into it,” Pickus said.
The campers enjoyed all aspects, from the murder-mystery solve to the 1920s theme, complete with costumes supplied by the drama closet.
“It was really fun because we all dressed up like (we were from) the 1920s. In my group, we had a really fun time, and we figured out who the killer was, and it was really fun to dress up,” Shayna said.
Now, after the experience, campers are glad they were able to participate in activities they are passionate about.
For Aiden, that came through the workshops’ specialization.
“When I came to Bogrim, I didn’t really know what (Shavua Bogrim) was. And I think that it’s just good to know that it’s a week where you spend half the day with something that you choose, you want to do, and (that camp) gets people who specialize in it, and that’s what you’re spending multiple hours a day,” Aiden said.
He’s looking forward to applying the lessons he learned this week beyond camp.
“It’s an activity that you’re gonna be doing the rest of your life,” Aiden said.
