Herzl Magic Bracket: Round 2, Vakedma Region
February 25, 2010 by Herzl Camp Admin, under Uncategorized.
By Danny Soshnik
As you may know, a couple months ago, we launched the “Herzl Magic” Bracket. In a “March Madness”-like bracket, the goal is to discuss and ultimately vote on what makes Herzl so special. I discussed the Yama region’s first round match-ups here and today will dissect the Vakedma Region. I want your votes, as my commentary is just a starting point and hopefully not the final determinant.
1 Shabbos Caravan
16 “Swimming” Before Shir Hamalot
This is a classic #1 vs #16 match-up. You basketball fans out there know that a #16 has never upset a #1, and it isn’t likely to happen here. I’ve always thought the swimming was slightly entertaining, but the real question is why we are ever swaying in the first place. The preceding song, “Hiney Ni Muchan,” isn’t pretty enough to warrant swaying, is it? I always thought swaying was for the Debbie Freedman Havdallah or something else truly beautiful. Danny’s Prediction: The big White Snake
8 Thursday Night Cookouts
9 Fish Stick/Chicken Nugget Eating Contests
This is a classic match-ups. On the one hand you have a great break from the grind of the normal week at camp. Giving the kitchen staff a night off and getting to watch some poor Madrich struggle with charcoal and undercooked hotdogs while trying to keep the Frisbee out of the fire is great But, so are the eating contests. Intermittently banned at camp, the eating contests allowed the boys to separate themselves from, well, the other boys. Didn’t a Puchtel eat almost 100? [Editor's Note: The epic Puchtel vs. Puchtel nugget battle of 2000 may go down in history as the single most amazing chicken consumption experience of all time]. I’d like an update on the current records. My personal record? I almost finished 1 fish stick in 1997. Gross. Danny’s Prediction: For me, it’s a toss up.
5 Kitchen Raids
12 Hazak V’almatz
Truth be told, I don’t know how either of these have changed in the modern (New Chadar) era. Not sure if the kitchen is “raidable” and I would assume Hazak V’almatz is still done, but the new acoustics may have changed things [Editor's Note: A new Chadar is no match for creative staff and hardware stores that replicate keys]. I remember my first kitchen raid vividly. It was an all-boys Machaneh raid, led by David Schwartz in 1990. We successfully snuck in through the Chiri Bim window and took all kinds of good stuff. Then we heard Mary Lou in the distance and made a beeline for the Sifriyah. Hiding in the dark, we heard Schwartzie get chewed out and fired on the spot. Boys were crying. Ricky Ofstein peed in his pants. But, alas, it was a joke. Amazing fun. It should be noted that there was a way to actually sneak into the kitchen involving climbing over shelves near Chadar Bet. We were taught it my Deaver summer in 1993, and we took literally everything in sight. What we needed a 5 pound tub of mayo in our Cabin for is beyond me. Hazak V’almatz is one of those traditions that you have no idea what it means, where it came from, or why we do it. For all we know, it means “I’m an idiot and here’s why…” Some of them were creative and funny, but more often than not, the cabin leading couldn’t coordinate 12 voices into one and make coherent sense. Danny’s Prediction: This one has to go to the raids.
4 Tzrif Introductions in Ulam
13 Rhythmic Clapping between Lists of Peoples’ Names
There is never a time in the summer with more energy than the Tzrif introductions. Not even when Bikkurim is announced. Remember your first summer, sitting there, slightly to totally overwhelmed by all this singing and dancing? Wondering which crazy counselor would be yours? Hoping they wouldn’t forget to call your name? The rhythmic clapping is another one that I have no idea where it came from. It has evolved. It used to be a clap in between the names. Then Jesse Simon made an art form of it and read the lists in an almost rap-like manner to fit the words around the clapping. Then the clapping took over and didn’t go between the words but concurrently with them, making the speaker virtually worthless because nobody could hear. [Editor's Note: Or my personal favorite, Ross Tulman version which would simply have him nonchalantly request to "hold all applause until the end"]. Danny’s Prediction: I like the clapping but I love the introductions.
6 Knock Knock
11 Shake your Booty
Knock Knock is a newer tradition (I think early 90s) during Saturday lunch. Not sure where it came from but I’m pretty sure it involved Marc Warren. It got the creative juices flowing for the 30 or so kids near the two yellers on either side of the Chadar.
“Hey Marc Warren!”
“Hey What!”
“Knock Knock!”
“Who’s there?”
“Owl”
“Owl who?”
“Owl bet you’re not reading this Blog!”
“OKAY!”
Shake your Booty is noise pollution – ruach for the sake of ruach. Don’t get me wrong. I have asked more people to shake their booty in my lifetime than I have to shake my hand. But it’s not uniquely Herzl at all, and doesn’t compare with Knock Knock. Danny’s Prediction: Okaaaaaaaaaaay!
3 Ozo Play
14 Announcements
The Ozo Play is great. An opportunity to make fun of the staff, while making campers believe they know what the skit is about. The best scenes were always the improv ones. As a staff member it was always entertaining to see the Ozrim imitate you. Larry Stein did the best Danny Soshnik impersonation ever in 1996. Announcements would be better if ANYONE knew the words [Editor's Notes: To fix this very real problem, recent years have actually had the Ozrim teach the song to campers every year at least once]. It’s not uniquely Herzl and now it’s just yell “Announcements” and sing a couple words and get the speaker wet. Not uber creative.
7 Morning Music and Dancing
10 Mega Lunch
I want to make it clear that I am old school and have always thought breakfast is about the Ozrim rising to the ruach occasion while the rest of camp sleep walks. It always drove me crazy when an Ozo group would play music so loud that campers couldn’t even converse. David Schlosberg and I challenged many a boom box to a ruach contest and I’ll have you know that we never lost. But something good happened over time – like any good Herzl tradition, the boom box evolved. The music drowning out conversation has been replaced by elaborate all-camp dances … Amazing. Also, I love mega lunch. From the reading of the airport bus list, to the lost and found, to the song session countdown, this lunchathon seemed to last for two hours. I know that on my final day at camp, there’s nothing I’d rather do than sit in an overcrowded, hot, smelly Chadar. Who need Chugim or Minucha when you can have mega lunch?
2 Flag Songs
15 Elbows on the Table
This one is almost as easy as the first match-up. Flag songs are amazing. It used to be that some cabins did flag songs, and others did Israeli dancing at the flag circle after caravan. Then someone wised up and realized how great flag songs are. I remember many of the songs I helped write and sang. Drives my (non-Herzl) wife crazy every time I hear one on the radio and sing my own lyrics. Elbows on the table is like shake your booty. It’s not really Herzl. It’s noise pollution, but it does break up the routine. Anyone else remember when Bobby Shapiro (Fun Bobby) tried to convince camp that we were singing the elbows song incorrectly? His version went something like, “Right elbow up. Down! Left elbow up. Down!” That was in 1995, my Ozo summer. Guess who played Fun Bobby (brilliantly, I might add) in my Ozo play? Danny’s Prediction: “Ha’atid, we’re Leaving, we’ll be back … next summer” (to the tune of Free Falling)
So there you have it. I don’t see major upset potential in this region, but I’d love your opinions and stories! Please leave comments below with your votes!