1 / achdushighlights Week 7 / Eikev

highlights camp

achdus

week 7 / eikev

Sahara Sams Waterpark! After months of preparation (okay, it was only 10 minutes), Camp Achdus went to Sahara Sams Indoor Water Park for an amazing and wet adventure! It took some mid-day phone calls and a lot of jelly bagel-making (thank you, Rabbi Levi and Moshe Coleman!) to pull it off, but before we knew it, we were on our way. After a short trip over the Ben Franklin bridge, we arrived at the park and off we went. There, we were thrilled by three Monster Slides with the capacity to hold one, two, or four peo-ple, respectively, enter-tained by a huge Water Jungle Gym, sporting wa-ter cannons and smaller slides, and relaxed by drift-ing along the Lazy River (just look out for those water falls!). After two of the best hours we have ever had, we changed back into our dryer attire and headed back toward the bus for a kavanah-filled mincha (in collabo-ration with another camp that was there), snacks and drinks, and a pleasant trip home.

Trenton Thunder! Even though we had gone to the Trenton Thunder game once already this summer, the campers wanted to get a chance to actu-

ally watch the real Thunder play as opposed to just hearing it in the sky. So back we went to see the Thunder battle the Reading Phil-lies. After deciding that we would root for both teams, (how could we not root for the Phillies?) we sat back to enjoy the action. We bonded with Boomer, Thunder's mascot, numerous times throughout the game and

got showered by plushy baseballs (thank you, counselors for sharing). As the stadium filled up with "Achdus-chants," even some of the other fans at the game got involved, including broadcast announcer, Kevin Mcguire. Many previously Achdus-

unafiliated fans could not help but comment that Camp Achdus is GEESHMAK.

Bowling! Week 7 featured amazing trips for Achdu-sians of all ages. Bunks Vuv and Suf so-journed back to our old stomping grounds the Manyunk neighbourhood

for an afternoon at the Hi-Spot Lanes bowling al-ley. With DJ Beef (Avi Sharfman) leading the dancing and all sorts of trick shots, all campers even the few who didnt bowl perfect 300s had an awesome time.

Laser Tag! Bunk Daleds Laser Tag-ging trip was an orchard of "I Spy Middos." With abundant savlanus (week 7), campers patiently played arcade games as they waited their turn to laser tag. Then, when our turn came, campers ex-

hibited z'rizus (week 6), running to play the game. And even in the midst of com-bat, ahava (week 3) reigned supreme. All campers had lots of simcha (week 1) throughout this awesome trip!

(Continued on page 3)

Trips, trips, trips! Back to the Thunder; Kids Castle; bowling; laser tag; and even a spon-taneous waterparkAchdus does trips! // Page 1

We Specialize in Activities The adventure continues, with ever more innovative and hilarious an-tics. // Page 2

A Lost & Found Tale // Page 2

Special Guest // Page 2

Rainy Day Talents // Page 3

Reminders // Page 3

fea

ture

s

trips!

Week 7 / Eikev achdushighlights / 2

Grab Bag Comedy

Every bunk from Daled Kattan to Suf received an assortment of random props. The challenge: to create a five mi-nute comedy skit using the items, which included

things such as a bowling pin, Mr. Potato Head, and flip flops. The results revealed tremendous creativity. One skit had Mr. Potato Head almost passing out, if not for Hatzolah coming to the rescue; in another, Kosher Boy (Mr. Ed) reassured a Bnos Achdus camper that her cake was okay, even though it had been made in a house which contained mil-chigs. Yet a third skit was about a hu-man bowling ball and a party where no one showed up. Congrats to Bunk Vuv for winning the competition.

Musical chairs

Camp attempted and succeeded in playing a game of musical chairs with over 80 peo-ple. With chairs disappearing rap-

idly the kids had to scramble to make sure to find a seat while making sure not to land on a chas vshalom seat the re-

quired goofy actions to stay in. Bunk Alef opted to play their own game to ensure that a good time was had by all.

Chad and Phil

After Brad and Bill went on vacation they needed subs so along came Chad and Phil who attempted to fill the shoes of the best team in news radio. They even invited Bill to come and help them out after his vacation was cut short.

Whipped Cream Splash

The great ideas never end. Sim-cha Press and Moshe Goldman had their faces and heads cov-ered in whipped cream, while Shloimy Gorin and Daniel

Vaynberg dipped sponges into water to try to wash them off. Simcha and Moshe were great sports as Shloimy and Daniel used them for target practice. To add to the excitement, each team had an op-portunity to use heavier sponges if oth-er team members were able to get their rings on the ring toss! Congratulations to Simcha and his team on winning the competition.

To celebrate the victory, both partici-pants were showered off by our giant orange water coolers.

A TALE ABOUT LOST & FOUND

Their once was a woman named Mrs. Hickorysmoke whose son, Shloimy, just couldnt wait until Camp Achdus would start. But once the summer began, things did not go exactly as planed: Although Shloimy re-turned home from camp each day with a grin from ear to ear, his backpack was always signifi-cantly lighter when he came home than it was when he left. Shloimy would lose everything from his socks to his yarmulke, and all Mrs. Hickorysmoke could do was shake her head. Until one fine morning when the birds were chirping and the air was crisp and clear, Mrs. Hickorysmoke had an epipha-nymaybe Camp Achdus had a lost and found! That very day, she ran to Rabbi Goldstein asked if she could see the lost and found. Rabbi Goldstein led her to the inviting blue crates which were outside in the park-ing lot at pickup time. Mrs. Hick-orysmoke found many of her sons lost items, and now when Shloimy comes home from camp, she can smile too.

special activities

special guest

Breaking negative midos (character traits) is a job that is about as tough as any job could be. To that end, this sum-mers midos program, I Spy Midos, has been a smashing success! We have been working on such midos as Simcha (happiness), Nidivus (giving), Ahavah (love), Zrizus (alacrity), and . . . wait . . . one second . . . Savlanus (patience). Today, campers in bunks Alef and Ches had the extreme honor and pleasure of listening to a lecture on the topic of

savlanus given by Mrs. Bessie Katz of Politz Hebrew Academy. From the start, Mrs. Katz demonstrated the key to savlanus by promising lollipops to all of the boys who would sit quietly during her speech. Savlanus is easy, she ex-plained, when its reward is worth the wait. Mrs. Katz brought her lecture to life by asking each boy to think of and share one personal example that demonstrates this midah.

Thank you, Mrs. Katz, for taking time from your very busy schedule to speak at camp. Your love for each child was readily apparent. In fact, before you left, you remarked how easy it is to for-get how much you miss the children. Soon enough, though, we will return your little treasures to you, their neshamos clean and pure, on an even higher plane than when they left you last June.

3 / achdushighlights Week 7 / Eikev

Kids Castle! While Daled, Vuv and Suf were watching baseball on Wednesday in Trenton, Bunks Aleph and Ches went on a trip of their own to the massive Kids Castle in Doylestown, PA. Campers were enrap-tured by the famous Three Story Slide, having a blast while sliding down again and again. They also followed clues and scoured the Castle in their attempts to locate the hidden treasure. Campers even organized a lively game of tag in-side the structure. The trip was fittingly capped with cold ices back at camp.

(Continued from page 1)

ANNOUNCEMENTS & REMINDERS

Mazel Tov to Rabbi Nulmans Mishnayos group, on their completion of Maseches Horayos! May

this great accomplishment bring all the boys to even greater heights in their learning.

Intercamp games! When Camp Bonim met Camp Achdus, they spread the word that we are a force

to be reckoned with. Since then, we have received invitations from every camp who thinks they

have what it takes to take us on. This Tuesday, wear your yellow Camp t-shirts, as we welcome

Camp Areivim for a friendly intercamp match of the mighty.

Thursday is, unfortunately, the last day of camp! We welcome all of our campers, from first and se-

cond session, to join us for the banquet, video, and closing ceremonies.

TRIPS GALORE

On Friday morning, Hashem, in his infinite generosity and care for his children, filled our lakes and watered our plants. Here at Camp Achdus we simply adjusted our morning schedule from swimming at the Max Meyers pool to some indoor enter-tainment back at camp. First, the entire

Achdus staff and camper body plus our marvelous team of swimming instructors danced to the full gamut Mendys Music hits. It was then time for a talent show fairly judged by the judicious Yoisef Kahn, the impartial Binyomen Rosscam and the just Judge Beef (Avi Sharfman). The show

featured elephant sounds by Avrumi Pol-lik, pig sounds by Yitzy Levitt (not kosher), an appearance by Achdus Legend Matti Brenan (he sang Hasheivanu), and was highlighted by Drew the swim instructors 6 hour headstand on the table!

talent expo

Week 7 / Eikev achdushighlights / 4