By Amanda Willen, Chloe Brandwin, Sarah Kimel, Capital Camps Assistant Village Leaders
What an amazing first week full of so much bonding, story sharing, fun in the pool, and a special Shabbat. To kick off week two of camp, let’s hear from three of our amazing Assistant Village Leaders on what the past week has looked like in their villages.
“Benjamin Village has had the most amazing time. I love how some of our programs have really allowed them to express their creativity to the fullest – activities such as creating their own robot and even performing for our very own Benjamin Idol! As Assistant Village Leader, it has been unbelievably special seeing them fall more in love with camp every day and continuing to form amazing relationships with their counselors, cabin mates, and Macks Buddies. I was inspired watching them experience Shabbat this past weekend, as for many of them it was their first ever Capital Camps Shabbat! Our fifth graders baked Challah and other Benjamin campers helped spread Shabbat joy by decorating posters for the dining hall. It was fun seeing them dance around at Shabbat and learn from the older campers some of the traditions that make camp so memorable. Also, super proud of our very own Benjamin camper who read Torah for the camp community this morning!” – Amanda Willen, Assistant Village Leader, Benjamin Village
“What a special first week here at camp for Reich Village! Something I’ve noticed about our young Reich campers is they are loving the independence that comes with being a part of this village, such as getting to choose their own sports during the week! Some overall highlights for Reich campers include aquatics – they LOVE the lake toys – and playing gaga. We’ve had a lot of fun programs that allow them to have a competitive spirit and build community through teamwork. I hope that the experience of having a little less structure than they did in Benjamin Village allows them to continue to grow and become more independent, grow more social with each other, and learn about themselves in a unique way.” – Chloe Brandwin, Assistant Village Leader, Reich Village
“Something I find very special about Kaufmann Village is it’s probably the first year where a lot of the bonding is done more on a village level than a cabin level, allowing for campers to really grow their friendships outside of their small cabin circles. It’s really so great to watch. Our Kaufmann campers have had several meaningful evening programs, including dyadic encounters, where they were randomly paired up and given a series of questions to answer, and our nightly campfires where a few counselors play the guitar and lead the village in song! They of course had a blast at Shabbat, engaging in rikkud (Israeli dancing) and all of the singing moments. I am so excited for them to continue expanding upon their leadership skills this summer and acting as role models for all of our younger campers.” – Sarah Kimel, Assistant Village Leader, Kaufmann Village