New Celebrity, Old Staff Look-Alike
February 24, 2011 by Herzl Camp Admin, under General Posts.
By Danny Soshnik
That’s right, an old Saturday Night Dinner Game makes its electronic debut. In truth, I don’t when the Celebrity Look-Alike game began, or even if it still goes on. But in my day, the all-veggie dinner included a side of comic relief, usually at the expense of the staff.
In the 1990s, there were some look-alikes that were as predictable as the jokes in 12 Gates. Jason Grais = George Castanza. Dan Parsow = Yoda. Those are the obvious ones.
Like everything else at camp, I loved this tradition because it was predictable and reliable. Even if we had a tough time coming up with new matches, it never got old to me.
The other day, I was was watching an ESPN interview with Adrian Gonzalez, star first baseman who just got signed by the Boston Red Sox. I knew I’d seen him before. I paused my DVR and said, I know that guy!
Well, not really. But I did use to work on staff with his look alike. Now, I haven’t been in contact with him since 1998 or 1999. I hope it is ok — I ripped his picture off of a phenomenal video that Jesse Zimmerman put together with the 1998 staff mugshots (which I don’t remember taking). This is worth watching — just hit play and enjoy.
Anyway, who does Adrian Gonzalez look like?
This guy?
David Adelman — if you play baseball as similarly as you look to Adrian Gonzalez, you can afford to finish off the Capital Campaign yourself.
And for all the loyal readers…if you have ever wanted to contribute to the blog but didn’t know how, send me a picture and celebrity look-alike.
Herzl may lay claim to Bob Dylan, Bryan Greenberg, and Debbie Friedman as its famous alumni. But with the look-alike game, we can claim to resemble far more famous people.
Shabbat Shalom!
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Herzl Magic Bracket: Round 3, Tzafona Region
March 24, 2010 by Herzl Camp Admin, under Uncategorized.
By Danny Soshnik
It’s march. Spring is in the air. Everyone has brackets filled out, telling all their coworkers, “I had that upset”, intentionally omitting every upset they had that didn’t come to fruiting. Yep, March Madness is good. Who would have thought a #13 could beat a #4 in the first round? Yep, that’s the way it goes (Hazak V’almatz defeats Kitchen Raids in a shocker).
No, we’re not talking about the NCAA; we’re talking about the Herzl Magic Bracket. We’re on the first round of the Tzafona region and we have some fascinating matchups!
1 World League
16 3 AM Wakeup for the Airport Bus
World League is the true Chugim success story. While chugim have come and gone (Yo Mama Drama, anyone?), World League’s immense success is startling. The Chug is celebrating it’s 21st anniversary this year, and I believe it is still on top. The most amazing thing is that the real football league the Chug was named for only lasted 2 years. I was a big fan of the early wakeup for the airport bus, mostly because I was often the cause of the 3 am wakeup. My thought – once camp is over, it’s over. Might as well get on a plane and get home. I always wondered what went on at camp after the bus carrying the most important campers left. In my mind, the rest of camp was in agony. Soshnik’s prediction: World League, no question
8 Speed Letters
9 Overnights
The speed letters were great – a chance to comment on the orangeness of the cabins without having to write anything. As a camper, speed letters were always the first, and usually last, letter I’d send home for the summer. As a counselor, speed letters were plenty entertaining too. Overnights are intense. Just ask Fun Bobby. I was always fond of the overnights when they were off site, and Klugman’s Forty. Situated right on the St. Croix River, that overnight spot was great. I triumphantly threw a rock all the way across the river into Minnesota and thought I was the man. When the cool kids played “spin the flashlight” with the girls in the other tent without me, I realized that I wasn’t. Danny’s prediction: Since overnights aren’t uniquely Herzl, I’ll go with speed letters.
5 Puddle Jumping
12 Dressing up for Saturday Night Dinner
Puddle jumping is amazing fun. I’m always amazing how many people thought the best jumping was along the caravan circle around camp. With all the rocks and gravel, you all but ensure that you’re only going foot first and not going to really land on anything but your feet. Me, I always liked it in the sports field. Wide open, not a rock in sight. The best puddle jumper I ever saw was Dave Jurisz, who, with a full head of steam, dove head first, reverse arched his back, and could slide 30 feet on his slightly larger than average stomach. Dressing up for dinner is a funny one. Always good to see the entire staff showered and clean for the big Saturday night staff meeting. Also fun when all of camp did themed dress ups (sports jerseys come to mind). Danny’s Prediction: My vote is for the “other” heavy dew activity at camp.
4 Kadimah Canoe Trip
13 Deaver Song
This is a great matchup. I love the Kadimah Canoe trip. So much so that I actually skipped my own intersession in 1997 to go on the canoe trip as extra staff. Great food, bonding, the stressful writing of the Kadimah song – all good things. And what’s a good canoe trip without drama – getting lost in 1990, tornadoes, Ricky tipping. The Deaver Song, in my opinion, is the greatest program song in camp (followed by Maba). Short, energetic, easy to remember, and no cryptic lyrics to make you feel like you’re on the outside of one big inside joke. This song is so good that it was copied by Alex Locke for the K’Shishim song. Danny Soshnik: I’m calling the upset here – The Deaver Song is my Northern Iowa (sorry Jayhawk fans). If you’ve read my other posts, it is no surprise that I lean this way – I love every single thing about the N’Divim program, may it rest in peace.
6 Cabin Raids
11 B’yachad Blindfold Walk
Raids were really fun –sneaking around camp, waiting in the dark to run in as your counselor posed as the Schmear. Then the awkwardness ensued. Boys sitting on trunks talking to each other, trying not to make eye contact with the girls in their bunks. At least there was milk and cookies. And it didn’t feel contrived at all, right? The B’yachad Blindfold Walk must have come from some lousy fraternity hazing ritual. Kids woken up in the night, escorted around Ozo park, being yelled at about how they need to come together. Yep, sounds exactly like my freshman year. BTW, Neil Fink is a ruthless hazer. I wonder if they still do this tradition. Danny’s prediction: Toss up for me.
3 Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
14 Camper/Staff Celebrity Look A-likes
To me, this lunch is the best single meal in camp. Who doesn’t like baked (let’s not kid ourselves) cheese. My favorite was always the “dump and run” system for hoarding all the grilled cheese sandwiches we could before the kitchen would run out. Dan Rodich was a fantastic dump and runner (or so we told him so he would continue to get us food while we ate – I know, we’re bad people). The look alike game is great, though the same names get tossed around each Shabbat. True, there are some classics – Dan Parsow = Yoda, Jason Grais = Costanza, that guy who was a camper in 1995 who looked like Quentin Tarantino). I still think I look like Shawn Kemp. Danny’s prediction: Stop reading this blog and go get me a grilled cheese.
7 Israeli Dancing
10 Mo Cheers
Israeli dancing has come a long way. In the 80s and 90s, it was an optional activity after Friday night songs before lights out that nobody opted to do. It took place in the empty Beitan. In 1993, our Deaver directors, Adam Chall and Jen Horovitz, told us that we had to go and we thought they were insane. The real insanity followed – it was a blast and we never missed again. They became more formalized under Steve Mintz, and people actually learned the real words and real dances. I wonder how Israeli dancing is doing in the post-Mintz era. The mo cheers have evolved nicely with the times. It used to just be “our mo (clap, clap, clap)” repeated. Originality paved the way for creative cheers for all the groups. On a side note, my personal favorite is when Ha’Atid claimed the Ulam as their own mo in 1996. Danny’s prediction: I vote for Israeli Dancing.
2 Ozo Mo
15 Maba Song
The flagship of all Mo’s is undoubtedly the Ozo Mo. It’s haunted. It’s decrepit. It should be condemned. It’s…great. The Maba song gets the short end of the stick with this seeding and in this region. Not even the best song in its own region, it doesn’t have much chance in this first round test. I was never in Maba – my first year was in 1989, going into 6th grade. But I always loved their song. The cool thing was I still got to sing it without having to go to their Hebrew classes. Yishmichu Mabaim!
That’s the region in a nutshell. I think that this region has some interesting matchups. What about you? One more region than we’ll tackle the entire second round. That’s when the matchups get really interesting.
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Everything I’ve learned about life, I learned at Herzl Camp (A Parenthetical List)
January 17, 2010 by Herzl Camp Admin, under What I Learned from Camp.
By The Brothers Puchtel
Part 2 – At the Waterfront
So there we were, Zach and I, getting ready for our first day on the waterfront (24. First day on the waterfront = Swim test!). We were waiting at the top of a winding concrete pathway (25. Stay at the top until you are told to come down!) when Beth Altman, in a stunning red Baywatch swimsuit, told us to come down with our buddy (26. Always choose a good buddy – one with whom you want to be seen holding hands… so not the smelly kid). Buddy tags hung, cubby items cubbied, and off we went into Devils Lake (27. No, not the town in North Dakota, I mean the real Devils Lake). “OK, kids” Alex Locke began, “when I say Go, you will swim to the other end of the dock.” (28. All staff love the illusion of control) Zach and I swam like the wind, partly to avoid the embarrassment of not being able to access the far dock for the rest of the summer, but also because it was cooooooold!
With the swim tests over early, the staff used the opportunity to put their hours of creative programming skills to work by designating the rest of the hour to…..free swim! (29. Free time triggers an unexplainable excitement in campers) Zach and I headed straight for the far dock, (30. The far dock is the cool dock) and upon claiming the territory as our own, proceeded to keep all the other kids off. “But we want a turn”, said the other kids insubordinately. “Alright”, we civilly explained, “But there are Puchtel rules aboard this vessel”. (31. PUCHTEL RULES!!!) (32. Thank you, Marc Warren) “The rule is simple: If you dare to climb up then we will throw you off. Sound fun?” (33. Puchtels are always reasonable) Out in the lake we spotted what seemed to be a sea creature gnawing on the far floating bob. Looking closer, we saw that it was actually Aaron Gelperin munching on some seaweed. (34. Seaweed is a good source of iodine, and there must be some bark in that thing too) (35. I can feel this turning into a running gag)
After a while aboard the far dock Zach looked out onto the lake, pondering the many higher philosophical points of life. “Max”, he began, “do you think G-d is in the lake? And if so, could he beat Kundra in a fight?” (36. What does happen between two invincible forces?) I realized I had an opportunity here to act like the older brother and set things straight. “Zach, that is ridiculous. You’re forgetting about the Lumberjack!” Upon hearing that utterance, Aaron swam towards us. “The Lumberjack, heh?” he said. “If you want to know about the Lumberjack you will have to come back tonight, when the moon is high and the lake is still.” (37. The more ambiguous a descriptor, the cooler it is)
Luckily, that evening’s lights-out program for our cabin was…. (38. Wait for it – it’s going to be good) ….at the waterfront! “Follow me, kids”, said Neil Fink. (39. Shout outs are good, even if uncreative) Hmm, I didn’t know that one could access the waterfront from this shady entrance. (40. The boating side entrance is inherently shady) Down a rickety staircase we went, the forest overgrowth seeming to reach for us. Climbing onto the pontoon boat I noticed that the moon was indeed high and the lake was indeed still, so taking this opportunity to act like the older brother I said to Zach, “Oh boy, I think the Lumberjack is going to get us!” (41. Zach “Zachary” Puchtel is actually quite easily frightened, just ask him about bees, ghosts, and miniature heads) “Shut up, Max. You’re just trying to scare me.” “Oh, you will be, you will be” came a voice from the wheel. (42. No, not Yoda. Although, wait a minute, yes, it definitely was!) Yoda said, “I’m going to tell you a story about a misunderstood man, a very large misunderstood man…” The story of the Lumberjack was told as we came to a stop in the middle of Devils Lake. I, of course, knew not to believe in such silly things. The Lumberjack was just as fake as Kundra, Rosemary, and…… Ahhh! An enormous hand reached over the railing from the water and took hold of my shoulder! The entire cabin screamed and I eff’n pissed my pants. Laughing as he pulled himself onto the boat, Ben Jurisz (43. Yes, he was on staff then) glowed with the kind of pride you can only get from scaring children. “How did you get to us in the middle of the lake?” I asked. “Are you some sort of Navy Seal?” (44. A camper really did ask me that once after that trick) (45. Ooooo, Navy Seals!) Looking us straight in the eyes, he (46. I) said, “Yes, yes I am.”
Well, those are the lessons learned from the waterfront, kids. We’re up to 46 and just gaining steam…
To be continued…
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I LOVE Herzl Camp
June 26, 2009 by Herzl Camp Admin, under Letters from Alumni.
By Danny Soshnik
It will come as no surprise to those of you who know me that I think about Herzl Camp a lot. By a lot, I mean every day. It seems the further I get from my time at camp – it’s been 10 years since I was on staff – the more I miss it.
Why? My longtime Herzl Heroes are old enough to have kids of their own at camp now. All of my friends who went there with me are long since gone. Even the youngest of Tasters who were there my final summers have moved through the ranks of campers, graduated to staff, Hanhalla, and moved on. It is truly a different era at camp. Yet I find myself longing to be at camp now more than ever. I love looking at the online pictures from the summer Herzl’s website. It may seem crazy to look at a bunch of pictures of kids I don’t know. But, when I look at the unfamiliar faces playing out the same roles I once played, it’s like looking into my own past. Take a simple picture of kids singing in the Chadar. I can practically hear the words of “Miriam’s Song” or “Master of all Things” through my computer screen. I can almost feel the sweat of the floor of the old Chadar beneath my feet on a hot summer day. I can feel the energy when I look at the picture of the kids pulling the tug o war rope as their Madrichim scream at them to pull harder. When I see the kids getting ready for caravan, I think of all the funny flag songs from my era. I still know most of the words to many of them.
There is a certain happiness I get by looking at pictures from today’s camp and knowing that it is, for the most part, exactly like it was when I was there. Invariably, some traditions have changed at camp. Chiri Bim Chiri Baum has long since been retired. “Round the Table you Must Go” got canned for “You Spilled, Hug a Poll”. N’divim and Maba? Gone. Nilakot? Gone and back again. The buzzards fell victim to the Avian Bird Flu. For every crazy Matt Lipshultz, there has been a Puchtel behind him. For every wise Herzl sage like Barry Golob, there’s a Zoe Stern or a Yoda. For every Flip, well, I can’t imagine a replacement.
Though I’m sure they get by. I’m sure most traditions live on, largely as I remember them. 12 Gates has to be the longest running story told in the history of mankind. World League of Herzl Sports, named for the defunct football league shown on the USA Network 18 years ago, continues to be the most popular Chug. Ultimate Frisbee still establishes supremacy. The Kadimah Wall will always be the objective benchmark for the group’s teamwork and collective athleticism. Looking at current pictures of camp gives me peace in knowing that Herzl Camp continues to provide today’s campers and staff with the same life atmosphere which had such a profound impact on my life.
I will be at Herzl Alumni Camp August 7 – August 9. I hope kids older than me are there to show me the way Herzl was before my time. I love Herzl History. And I hope the younger kids are there to show me how Herzl has taken the gifts my generation bestowed upon camp and improved upon them. I hope you’ll be there too – not as a board member, parent, visitor, staff member, or camper. But as an Alumni Camper, reliving camp exactly as you remember and love it. Reliving the Dream. I’m pretty sure that if you challenge me to a wild and crazy game of Hack ‘n’ Sack, that I’ll school ya.
I have no idea what the words are to the “Announcements” song, but you can bet that if you say the magic word, I’ll be the first one up to through your tuchus into the lake. And although I have never met her, I call shotgun in Pam Siegal’s Buick Regal Saturday night. See you in August. Shabbat Shalom!