ACHDOOT (Unity)

12 days.
3 backpacking trips - (that's 3 pack outs, 3 pack ins)
50 children
2 1/2 thunder storms
1 raccoon family


I'll
keep this list short. . . because lists have been far too present in
the past 12 days. I'm just finding the time now to reflect, to think,
the breathe, after an intense but incredible, jam packed,exhilarating, and busy 12 days. The Achdoot season!


I worked this spring leading the Achdoot program at Teva. Working with the amazing Mati
Cooper and our fearless intern David Blank(man!), I was responsible for
organizing, planning and prepping 3-day back packing trips for 3
schools and 1 synagogue. From food orders, gear lists, cleaning peanut
butter containers, hanging tarps and schlepping tents - not to mention
the many car rides, it was a daunting task...

But worth every drop of sweat - because out in the backcountry, surrounded by 7th graders, we got to camp! We hiked, built fires, ate smores and had the privilege
of taking nearly 50 children on their first ever camping trip. We had
the honor of introducing these kids to something they had never done
before - and thus got to take part in creating anexperience that most of them will always remember.

Our first trip was with the Reconstructionist
Synagogue of the North Shore. I hadn't known much about this branch of
Judaism before the Memorial Day trip, but they taught us a lot and I
was very impressed. The first trip had some extra challenges.Teva
usually does car camping trips, but our site for this one was about 1/4
mile up beyond the van. When the children arrived (late on a Saturday
afternoon,
of all times), we did a "duffel shuffle." - -teaching them how to pack
their backpacks, and checking their gear for excess clothing and
toiletries.


Only a year after my first Outward Bound trip, I loved the chance to
pass on some of the tricks that I was taught in North Carolina and
California. For me, there was a powerful message in knowing that I can
now teach and facilitate backpacking with confidence - when a bit over
a year ago I was truly a novice.

Once we had reached our
site, it was time to send out scouts! We structure our trips as a model
for the Exodus from Egypt and the time the Jews spent wandering in the
desert. When we arrive at a new site, we send out scouts. We encourage
them to bring back positive feedback like Caleb and Joshua so that we
can all enter the Land of Milk and Honey. As a community, they choose a
kitchen location, a sanctuary and tent sites. Later, we divide intoshvatim - tribes. These 3 groups will rotate responsibility
for cooking, cleaning and fire/water. Each tribe is given a student
leader, just as Moses gave each of the Israelite tribes a leader.

Our first night out was eventful! As Blankman
was cleaning up dishes, he was visited by a very bold raccoon. Despite
his attempts to scare off our company, the raccoon (who the kids named
Caveman Joe) called upon his friends who started inching towards our
stronghold from all directions. We cleaned up impeccably and huddled
around the fire, hoping that the raccoons were feeling more curious
than carnivorous. The next day, I humbly threw away a piece of gum that
I had left in my backpack - turns out it had been the bait that was
luring Caveman Joe and his family.

Mati was a reliable
alarm clock throughout the trips. We take away watches from the
children in order to encourage them to be in tune with the natural
rhythms of their bodies and the world. Some of them are frustrated at
first, but by the end they appreciate the break from time - being on
time, knowing what time it is, having enough time, etc... We wake up
the children with a Jewish prayer "modeh ani" that talks of gratitude for another day of life. We sing as we walk through the tents, gently shaking the rainflys
above the children's heads. Before heading to our chosen prayer spot,
we drink hot chocolate and do some morning stretches, accompanied by
their corresponding prayers in Jewish Liturgy. (akabirchot hashachar)

With the Reconstructionist group, prayer was amazing! They have a beautiful book with drawings and readings about Kavanah - intention. We had them break up into groups to talk about each of the blessings of the Amidah
(a central Jewish prayer.) They came back to share their insight. We
sang and played drums and although services lasted an hour, no one
seemed bored or antsy. After praying, we head down to our kitchen for
morning chores and breakfast prep.

During the day, we do
group building activities and go for a hike. With lighting threatening
in the distance, we had to keep the hike short. We did get a chance to
go to the overlook and the kids were dazzled by the turkey vultures
that circled about the mountaintop. We had a view of Surprise Lake Camp
and the lake from our lookout. Back at camp, the rest of the evening
progressed uneventfully . . . until around 2am.

I woke up at
1:30 with the feeling that something was about to happen. Rain was
pounding on my tent and thunder rumbled from a not so distant place
nearby. I woke up Sara who was sleeping beside me. As the lighting
began to flash, we debated our options. Waking the kids would scare
them, but we could put them into a safe position. We decided thatoutting
them outside of their tents was too risky - most of them lacked decent
rain gear and we didn't want to compound our situation with the added
risk of hypothermia. Once the lighting was about miles away, we woke up
the kids, sternly but lovingly. We told them to sit in their tents in
the lightning position = on their sleeping pads, knees up, not touching
their tent mates. The lighting drill - which ended up lasting several
hours - was a highlight for many of the students. David, Sara and I set
up our own mats encircling their tents and as the thunder crashed ever
closer, we sang songs to stay awake and keep busy. Everyone came
together, no one was scared. One girl told me the next day that she was
sad when it was over.

Exhausted the next morning, the kids asked for breakfast smores.
Of course! We spend the third day packing up - the kids were thorough
and tireless. They helped us pack out and clean the gear for the 2nd trip, which was leaving only about 18 hours after the close of this one. We were bleary
eyed but ecstatic when the group drove off. It was a hot Memorial Day
and I finished with a dip in the lake. Without hot water, I showered
anyway, and then got to work packing for trip 2.

TRIP 2 - Solomon Schechter from South Boston

For trip two, we recruited our favorite Teva Superhero Intern David Blankman. Mati
and I were psyched to have the extra help and the kids enjoyed his
presence, especially those lucky enough to be in his tribe. (He taught
them some great cooking skills, and they excelled at craftsmanship when
they made dinner on the last night.)

But I'm jumping ahead:
The
week began in a bizarre manner. The group was due to arrive at 10. By
11, I was starting to worry because they still had not arrived. And
then my phone rang.
The group had managed to miss exit 50 in
Hartford Connecticut and was calling from Pennsylvania! I carefully
directed them through New York and back to our site on Route 44. 2
hours later, the phone rings again.
Excitedly, they declared their arrival - - -
at Surprise lake camp in New York.
But we were in Connecticut...
So
it wasn't until around 2 PM or so that the group arrived. We had a full
lunch plus added cookies and watermelon ready for them. They were
remarkably cheerful and excited to be there. I was especially impressed
with the staff's ability to maintain a positive attitude throughout the
ordeal.

The week went smoothly. I was proud of my backpacking
skills - we seemed to have the exact right amount of food. But the
school felt that a lack of leftovers meant too little food - so for the
third week we added in some more food. It felt good, nonetheless, to
know that I was developing my ability to assess the needs of groups in
terms of our pack out - gear, food, etc.

The highlight of the week happened on Thursday morning. One girl, Layla, was being Bat Mitzvahed
the following Saturday. The school had asked us to do something special
for morning services. during free time on Wednesday, we had some of the
children decorate our "makom kodesh" - the holy space reserved for prayer. Thursday morning, as we marched into our sanctuary, Layla led the way carrying
the Torah. (The school had brought with them a small Torah.) When we
walked up to the plateau for services, there were sticks and leaves
forming decorating the altar for the Torah. The sticks spelled out
Layla's name and there were patterns of Jewish stars. We carried over a
picnic table to use for the Torah. We prayed standing in a circle and
offered the children the opportunity to venture into the woods for
silent meditations.
But our surprise came during the Torah
service. While we knew that Layla would read from the Torah, I had no
idea that she would actually receive an ALIYAH - the moment and honor
that defines someone as a Bat Mitzvah. There, before my eyes, in the midst of the trees, the birds, and the morning sun, Achdoot had its first ever Bat Mitzvah! There were tears in my eyes as she finished the blessings and we all
sang loudly to her, then took turns hugging her. In her honor, there
was chocolate at breakfast, a too small token for the momentous
occasion.


Trip 3

The third Achdoot trip was an amazing end to the season. It was just Mati and I, so we delegated many of our duties to the staff from the 2 schools. One teacher had sent her two kids as chaperones. Veteran Camp Ramah staffers, they were always entertaining the kids with games and improv.

We
were worried about the weather all weekend. The kids arrived in the
pouring rain. The forecast was for continued rain and thundershowers.
We set up tarps all over the site and huddled under them for our
introductory meeting. The kids kept their spirits up, and the rain
cooperated with uncanny timeliness. It subsided during tent set up and
dinner preparations. WhileTuesday was full of rumbling thunder, the
lightning never came close, and we only had a brief rain drill in the
afternoon. As the thunder was building up on the second day during our
hike, we walked/ran back to camp to take cover. There, a few of us made
sandwiches while the kids stayed safe and dry in their tents. We
delivered their meals and waited for the storm to arrive.
It didn't.

After an hour or so, we gathered everyone together for group building challenges. We designed afternoon chuggim (choice periods) with the help, again, of Arielle and Noah, the Ramah kids. Mati taught the children to make dream catchers. Arielle and Noah did improv and acted out the Exodus story and its relevance to camping. I led a class on knots and tarping.

I
had been very nervous to teach this particular class. Knots are new to
me and in order to put up a decent tarp, I had to teach the children
several principles oftarpibng and 4 different kinds of knots. They were
incredible! I ended up showing them about 8 to 10 different knots. They
each practiced on their whistle cords. A math teacher who was with us
taught them all to daisy chain, so for the next two days, they were constantly daisy chaining
our ropes - keeping them organized and untangled. For a final
challenge, the kids hung up a tarp without our help. They did it
perfectly! I was blown away - and flattered whenmany of them told me it
was the highlight of their week. When it came time to breakdown camp,
we had many willing volunteers to help with the ropes and tarps. I told
the children that they would be set to camp on their own in a few
years. Tarping can be one of the most technically challenging parts of camping to master. They excelled.

Beyond
the rain, the week offered some additional excitement. One girl, fell
badly on her wrist. Another boy got a tick engorged and had a strange
mark left behind. On the last night, I took these two tough kids to the
local clinic. The boy with the tick was fine. The girl needed to see an
orthopedic surgeon for follow up. I am hoping she is okay. She handled
the pain very well and kept her wrist in the splint I made for her.
They took several x-rays at the clinic, and we stayed busy and laughing
with my dramatic reading of children's books that we found in the
waiting area.

When this group of kids left, I was elated. Not
by their departure, of course, but by the knowledge that the season had
been such a success. We marched them down to the bus in song, as
always, and ran after thebuses as they pulled off on the gravel roads.
When I turned and walked back through the trees to our deserted camp, I
cried a few tears of joy.Mati and I pulled off a kickass Achdoot season, with happy kids who learned and had fun, and overcome obstacles ranging from 2am lighting to unabashed raccoons, from a lack of flushing toilets to relentless mosquitoes.

Modah ani- - - -I am so grateful.