The Tavor Times
New this week July 13, 2018
An Introduction from Amit
Rosh and Randy Report
Avodah in Action
A Tzevet Story
Camper Question of the Week
An Introduction from Amit
Shabbat Shalom!
Greetings from beautiful Camp Tavor. 
 
I want to share gratitude with all our 2018 Camp Tavor families - new and returning - for sharing your incredible children with us. We've been moved by their spirit, song, and creativity we have seen these pasts few days and are looking so forward to an engaging and enriching Shabbat together. The Mazkirut and I spend all year planning for these few sacred weeks together, and it is truly magical to see things come together as your campers run off the buses (and out of cars) and into the arms of their friends. It is a privilege to be a part of this community and I am looking so forward to learning and growing with your children (both our campers and staff) this summer. 
 
I want to take a moment to remind you of some of the exciting updates we've made for summer 2018:
 
- We are enhancing our Tiyul (camping) trips for each age group, building up to longer and adventurous camping experiences that will help your campers cultivate camping and wilderness skills that will serve them for the rest of their lives. 
 
 - We've brought a part time social worker onto our Camper Care Team. This summer, Evan Major (who works as a Middle School social worker in the Detroit-area during the year) has joined our team to bring additional support and expertise to our work ensuring the safety, comfort and engagement of every member of our community.
 
Looking forward to the opportunity to meet and see many of you on Visitors' Day!
 
Shabbat Shalom! 
 
Amit Weitzer
Executive Director, Habonim Dror Camp Tavor
Amit Weitzer, Executive Director
Click HERE to learn more about the year-round staff
Rosh and Randy Report
Each week we will start with a word from some of the staff. A little introduction of who are with some insight and observations from our summer leadership!
The second session is now in full swing and it has been an exciting two days.

As many of you know me by now, I am Randy, the camp’s Community Engagement Coordinator. I am here in the office to answer your calls and more importantly deliver your letters! I am always here to help with whatever you may need.

That includes answering questions about going home ☹! There have been some questions already about picking up chanichimot (campers) enrolled in Taste of Tavor July.

This 1-week program ends on Tuesday, July 17 th . We ask that you plan your arrival to be approximately 2:00 PM (EDT), so that you have time to join your camper for a tour around camp before your 3:00 PM (EDT) departure time.

I will be sending out email reminders this weekend.

Rest assured though, no matter the session or program, you can always expect travel reminders from me at least 2-days before any expected camp arrival or departure.

But I’m not (emotionally) ready to talk about camp ending! So back to the festivities!

As you may or may not know it’s tradition on the first day of camp to throw our beloved Rosh into the lake. I am happy to report your children kept the legacy alive.

Thanks for posting that photo Randy! Hi families! This is Zoe. I must say this summer has been incredible, and the second session is shaping up to be one of the best yet! (hopefully with a lot less
rain.)

It has been an incredible honor to watch our tzevet (staff) put the summer together, and now seeing it in action is amazing.

Every summer we have the privilege of watching your children learn and grow into empowered leaders, and I can't wait to see it and share it with you!

Click HERE to lean more about Camp Tavor's Summer Leadership
Avodah in Action
Each week we'll take a quick look at the kinds of avodah (work)
the chanichimot (campers) are  up to and what we can expect in the future.
New session... new avodah!

But first... lessons!

The chanichimot taking time these past few days to be trained by this year's Rosh Machsan Adam Rubinberg.
I have been told this training will help in developing a particular patch of so-called garden outside the Bayit.

(which my office also happens to overlook, so I have to admit I am excited!)

We'll just have to follow its progress over the next few weeks.
And look what can happen in a few weeks!

The chava is blooming!

It won't be long now till some of those veggies end up on our dinner plates!
A Tzevet Story
Each week we will profile one or two of the Tzevet (staff)
so you can get to know them better, learn how they came to camp and why.
Eliana and Kayla Wasserman
Name: Eliana Wasserman
Pronouns: She/Her
Name: Kayla Wasserman
Pronouns: She/Her
Age: 20
Hometown: Milwaukee, WI
Years at Tavor: 2

What is your job at Tavor?
Eliana: Madricha, art specialist for youngest campers, Amelim.
Kayla: Madricha and beito specialist and lifeguard
What is one activity you are sharing with campers?
Eliana: How to live collectively and care for each other! Also to be silly and have fun
Kayla: Bringing arts and crafts, like friendship bracelets to camp.
How did you first come to/hear about Tavor?
Eliana and Kayla: We heard about camp through a family friends. Also our mom did Habo in South Africa when she was young.
What is your favorite memory of camp?
Eliana: When my chanichimot had a fun theme lunch as a wedding! It was so cute!
Kayla: Running a chug called dirty jobs. One day we were artists and covered ourselves in paint and rolled around on paper.
What’s your favorite part of camp?  
Eliana: I really love being able to bond with campers during random off times. I also love silly peula ohel .
Kayla:I love zman chodesh and learning silly random things
Last but not least, most importantly: Is cereal a soup?
Eliana and Kayla: YES!
Shani Samuel
Name: Shani Samuel
Pronouns: She/Her
Age: 18
Hometown: Ann Arbor
Years at Tavor: 8

What is your job at Tavor? This summer I'm a madricha for bonimot, that is chanichimot entering the 8th grade.
What is one activity you are sharing with campers? I want to share with my chanichimot that they are allowed to be vulnerable and to be genuinely excited about the things that make us different. Even though they might be taught that apathy is cool, it is actually so revolutionary and rad to care and I am excited to care deeply about so many things with my chanichimot.
How did you first come to/hear about Tavor? My older brother went to Tavor and he would come home with so much excitement and so many stories and I wanted to experience all the things he did too!
What is your favorite memory of camp? My favorite memories of camp are silly late-night conversations with my ohel-mates.
What’s your favorite part of camp? I love havdallah because I never feel more connected to everyone at machaneh than at havdallah.
Last but not least, most importantly: Is cereal a soup? Cereal is not a soup, because milk is not a broth. Sorry, I know my opinion is controversial. Coffee, however is a bean broth. Coffee with cream is a bisque!
Stop: Photo Time
Click Here to See More Photos at CampInTouch
CAMPERS QUESTION
Little Randy trivia... Giraffe and Half by Shel Silverstein is my favorite children's book :)
.
Option A: Bottom of the Neck
Option B: Top of the Neck
Answer to last weeks question: Do you know what movie our Zoe was paying homage to with braids in the front of her hair?
76% Wet Hot American Summer
16% Reality Bites
4% Dogma
4% Romy and Michele's High School Reunion