The Tavor Times
March 2021
Small Camper Incentive Program / Refer-A-Friend
Tzedek Happenings
Camp-wide Ken: Saturday Havdalah
New Camp Program Project F.I.S.H.
COVID Return to Camp Town Hall
Ensure Camp Tavor's Future
Thank you Donors
Randy Reminders
Big Savings for New Campers
We're so thrilled to share our Small Communities Incentive program with the Tavor community.

Reminder:

Eligible new campers entering 4th grade through 10th grade in Fall 2021 and registering for a summer session that is 3-weeks or longer at Camp Tavor will receive $1500 toward tuition this year and are guaranteed another $1500 for next summer.

Registering for camp now ensures you receive
the grant for the next two years.

Eligible communities are described as communities with 10,000 Jewish households or less and include but are not limited to:

  • Ann Arbor
  • Ypsilanti
  • Madison
  • Champaign-Urbana
  • Springfield
  • Kalamazoo / Grand Rapids / Battle Creek

If you're not eligible but know someone who is... you can refer them to Camp Tavor and if they register you both could save another $180 through our Refer-A-Friend program.

Click HERE to read more about the initiative and to see more of the eligible communities. If you don’t see your area listed in the FAQs, please email [email protected] and we will research your eligibility.
Be a Camp Ambassador
Help us spread the word about Camp Tavor!

Are you willing to post some flyers on your social media?
Contact [email protected] and we will provide the materials and a small gift to you as a
token of our appreciation.
Bonimot Tzedek Happenings
by Shosh Grode
This past month tzedek has continued to meet weekly!

We have been working on a fundraising video that we will be debuting soon! Tzedek participants have also been learning about surveillance, specifically in schools. We are partnering with Bend the Arc Ann Arbor working to ban facial recognition from schools in Ann Arbor.

Here is a link if you want to stay updated on this work: https://banthescana2.com
Environmental Justice 
On Tuesday, February 16th Tzedek had the chance to hear from three important members of the community in an Environmental Justice Panel! Together we virtually mapped out how climate change interacts with many other issues we have talked about as Tzedek. Things mentioned in the map were the Housing crisis in Detroit, the water crisis, California wildfires, and so much more. We then were able to hear from our guests!
For the context of this blog, the Sunrise Movement is a youth movement to stop climate change and create millions of new jobs in the process. Sunrise was founded in 2017 and has worked to elect proponents of renewable energy in both midterm and general elections. Sunrise has hubs all over the United States, many of our Tavor chanichimot and alumni are involved with Sunrise.
Our panelists each spoke to us about their experiences both getting involved in the climate justice movement as well as how they are continuing to do this work. We had a full range of intergenerational knowledge to hear from!
Jesse Schwalb, a Tavor chanicha, and sunrise organizer touched on why she felt a pull to join sunrise. Also, how she has been working to train new organizers and the importance of training and inspiring younger generations. As well as the importance of Sunrise being a youth led movement! Similar to our movement.
Our next panelist, Maya Smith is a Gilboa Alum and current Sunrise organizer. Maya spoke to us about why she got involved in Sunrise. She also touched on the tensions she feels between short-term and long-term goals and what it means to want to abolish the system and also elect officials to work in the system to help push policies that slow the effects of climate change.

Quote from Maya:

“Climate justice is necessarily and inherently connected to these systems - and undoing these systems is necessary to truly fight climate change. That makes it a much bigger and much more abstract problem - the solution is so much harder to come up with or even conceptualize. But for me that also relieves a little pressure and provides a bit of a clearer way forward. There isn’t this perfect end-goal for climate justice because climate justice is a complete restructuring of society. No one knows what that should look like, and the only way we figure that out is by practicing new ways of being and living, and messing up, and then trying something new, on and on.”
Our last panelist, Frank Hornstein, a member of the Minnesota house of representatives spoke to us about his work in the climate justice movement! We also learned his sister is a Tavor Alum! He similarly touched on how youth is an integral factor in fighting climate change.
He discussed environmental policy at the local level and the history of the progressive movement. He spoke to us about being a strong proponent of the Green New Deal and about legislation he has authorized to increase the state of Minnesota’s renewable energy.

He left us with a final thought; “The only way to defeat organized money is through organized people!”
Coming Up:
Join Tzedek for a movie night on Saturday, March 20th, 7 pm CST/ 8 pm EST!

We will be watching "Naila and the Uprising".

The film chronicles the remarkable journey of Naila Ayseh and a fierce community of women at the frontlines, whose stories weave through the most vibrant, nonviolent mobilization in Palestinian history - the First Intifada in the late 1980s.
Have something you want to share with the
Tavor community? Write a blog!
Send your entries to [email protected].
The Tavor Ken is in Full Swing!
This year we are having a fully virtual Tavor ken, so anyone and everyone and anyone is welcome to join us!
This Saturday (March 13th) at 6PM CST / 7PM EST we will be having a camp-wide ken event to celebrate Havdalah together! 

The event will be over zoom!
We will be playing games and reflecting on the week with all our camp friends! 

Check your email for the ZOOM LINK or email Ken Tzevet and we will send it to you.

Can't wait to see you all at this super fun event on Saturday at 7! 

Let us know if you have any questions! ~ Ken Tzevet
Later this month
Be sure to join the Camp-Wide Ken for Passover Crafts!

Sun Mar 28th 3:00pm - 3:30pm EST

Check emails for ZOOM information
New this Summer at Tavor
Join Tzevet and Tavor's own Matthew Mosher for our very own Project F.I.S.H. program on beautiful Lake Kaiser!

Campers will learn all about Michigan Aquatic Ecology, People and Fish, Tackle Crafting, & Angling Skills in four unique sessions.

The full course is designed to educate young anglers about the importance of providing care for Michigan's precious natural resources while developing the skills to participate in sport fishing at the same time forming a personal code of wildlife ethics.
The vision of Project F.I.S.H. is to initiate and provide fishing education and fishing skills to interested adults and youth from Michigan's many diverse populations.

This preserves a natural heritage that ensures the future of fishing, which includes natural resources and environmental awareness, ethical fishing practices, fisheries stewardship, and positive developmental activities for children, families, and the community.

You can learn more about the program here: http://www.projectfish.org/
Return to Camp: COVID & More
Recently we held our first "Return To Camp" town hall laying out our current plans, procedures, and safety protocols. You can also find the information any time on our website or by clicking here: COVD-19 Health and Safety Plan.
Ensuring Tavor's Future
Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude for the outpouring of support from our community.

Together, we will weather this crisis and ensure a strong future for Tavor. 
 
Please consider joining your kvutzah-mates, friends, and loved ones and making a donation to Ensure Tavor's Future.
Right now, every $2 you donate will be increased 50%!
A new $10.4 Million Matching Grant is helping us make your donations go even further!
Lior Appel-Kraut
Sara London
Maya Lamm
Ziv Weizman & Danielle Weizman
Aviva Phillips and Mark Phillips
Hannah Roucher
Alix Gould-Werth
Becca Kahn Bloch and Jordana Starkman
Talia Spear
Nesher Asner and Carrie Sharkey Asner
Paul Gross and Susannah Lee
Gilbert Elenbogen
Danny Kanter and Agatha Jefferson
Bonnie Klein-Tasman and Marc Tasman
Gilbert Elenbogen
Eileen Stein in memory of Leslie Stein-Robison
Steve & Anne Hobbs in honor of Dena Hobbs
Camp Celebrations
Randy's Reminders
If you're registered for Camp Tavor Summer 2021 -- don't forget to start filling out your camper forms! You can find them in your CampinTouch accounts under Forms & Documents.

There are changes this year to our health form -- so please take the time to look them over carefully and update all relevant information!

All current forms are due APRIL 1st
TEE-rific News!
Don't forget to check out RETRO CAMP TEES!

Have a favorite Tavor Tee that's faded away?
Check out RETRO CAMP TEES!

If you have designs you want re-created, or know of a design that is not available please visit their CONTACT US page.  
RCT works with camps to re-create their old camp shirts so alumni and even current campers can enjoy the cool designs of old while continuing the traditions of their amazing camp experiences. 

And a percentage of all proceeds will be donated to Camp Tavor!
Why? Because they want Tavor and all summer camps to live on for generations to come.
Camp Tavor Reunion
Please note that, due to the continued uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, we've decided to postpone the upcoming reunion from June 2021 to June 2022, exact dates TBD.

We'll keep you posted and please let us know if you'd like to be involved as a "Kvutzah Captain" and help to connect with your kvutzah-mates ahead of the 2022 reunion.

Let us know at [email protected] and we'll connect you with the planning committee.
Happy Passover from Camp Tavor