When I Fell in Love with Herzl Camp
March 23, 2012 by Herzl Camp Admin, under Letters from Alumni.
By: Aiden Pink
I can remember when I first fell in love with a piece of music. I was in 3rd grade, and I went with my dad to Best Buy, because he used to go on business trips that lasted forever and I wanted to spend as much time with him as possible when he was in town, even though I hated shopping more than anything else in the world. Dad bought The Essential Bob Dylan – yes, this was when people actually bought physical CDs – and popped it in the car stereo as we drove home. The second track was “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” and I can still remember the goose bumps I got as it slowly dawned on me that music can mean something. Later that night, I asked my parents to sign me up for Herzl Camp, because if Bob Dylan went there, I wanted to go there too. My first day of Taste was the day after the big Siren tornado. The kids on the bus, no doubt made even more anxious by the debris still blocking the road, probably didn’t appreciate my rendition of “Blowin’ in the Wind.”
I can remember when I first fell in love with writing. I was in Kadimah, and the canoe trip had pretty much been a disaster. The Namekagon was maybe three inches deep for most of the trek. I had two canoe partners: one who never talked, and another who never stopped talking. Neither of them was very interested in rowing. I had forgotten my lunch back at the campsite. The garbage bag holding my sleeping bag split open and fell in the river. So when we finally made it to the beach, I was in a pretty bad mood. But I channeled that energy into helping to write the Kadimah song, and it was definitely the best one ever:
Let’s get down to business to climb the wall
126 Kadimahniks, we did not fall
We did it in 8:51, and you can bet before we’re through
Herzl we’ll put a show on for you
I can remember when I first fell in love with a girl. I was in Nisiya, so maybe it wasn’t “love” exactly, but it was definitely my first crush. We were on the Nisiya death march journey. She borrowed my bug spray. I caught a Frisbee before it hit her in the face. I asked her to final banquet without making eye contact. She said yes without making eye contact. We sat across from each other at final banquet, too scared to say anything. We avoided each other the rest of the night. Love hurts.
But for some reason, I can’t remember when I first fell in love with Herzl Camp.
My friend Andrew Lifson first fell in love with Herzl Camp on his Kadimah Shabbat, when he first realized that his responsibilities in picking songs and leading services made him part of a tradition that stretches back 60 years. Ilan Gordon first fell in love with Herzl Camp in Tzofim, when he learned how to sail and won the Herzl sailing regatta. Adam Stillman first fell in love with Herzl Camp in Nisiya, when his Ozrim Jason Shapiro and Todd Sandler pulled a prank, and then swore him to secrecy – and that secret still connects them today.
I don’t have that one aha moment. I have memories – flashes, really – of times when I was so unabashedly happy that I couldn’t do anything but soak it in. Playing 500 with a dirty tennis ball outside the Beitan Chadash. Laughing at a Gates joke because everyone else was laughing – and then finally getting it, and laughing again. Finally – finally! – getting the harmony right in Erev Shel Shoshanim during song session. I don’t remember how old I was when they happened, or who I was with, or what I was wearing (although the odds on dirty Shabbos whites are high for all three moments). I just know that in those moments I felt a warmth of contentment that I have yet to experience anywhere else.
Those fleeting, private moments were what made Herzl the greatest place in the world to me. There’s just something magical about Herzl’s atmosphere, a mix of ruach and shtick and tradition that can’t really be described, only felt. And if you’re lucky enough to tap into that feeling – planned or spontaneously, privately or with a group – you’ll keep coming back so you can feel it again.
When my younger sister got home from Taste a few years ago, I asked her whether she wanted to go back for Noar the next year. “Of course,” she said, “I love Herzl.” When I asked her why, she struggled a bit, before replying, “Because…because…because it’s Herzl.” I knew exactly what she meant.
Shabbat Shalom.
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Giving Thanks
November 25, 2010 by Herzl Camp Admin, under Top 10 Lists.
By Aiden Pink
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It’s definitely in my personal top three, along with Chanukah and Bikkurim. Actually, now that i think about it, Thanksgiving and Bikkurim have a lot in common: great food, exciting sports, and long periods without noise (due to Silent Lunch or a tryptophan-induced “food coma”). Many families have a Thanksgiving tradition where they share what they are thankful for in the past year. Not one to break from tradition, here is my personal, Herzl-inspired list.
I am thankful for:
- Herzl Camp’s great full-time staff. Anne, Drea, Holly, and Gary have done an amazing job mixing the “classic” and the new, creating a one-of-a-kind environment that has shaped the lives of hundreds of kids from around the world.
- The fact it always rains [Director's Note: It never rains at Machane Herzl, it only heavy dews!"] when Kadimah comes back from the canoe trip.
- The absolutely incredible new facilities. The new tzrifim are great, with lots of open space, air conditioning fans, and comfy beds for both madrichim and campers. The Kfarim have been great for facilitating programming, and the new Haks are big and clean. And the benches on the Mercaz now have backs, perhaps the most underrated improvement of the whole process! It truly is incredible, and if you haven’t yet, now is a great opportunity to contribute by donating to the Here’s to Dear Old Herzl Capital Campaign.
- The delicious, healthy, Kosher food prepared with care by Andy and Myron. The kitchen staff are really nice to campers, Ozrim, and counselors alike, something that I am told was an issue in years past … *cough*Brandon*cough*.
- The fact Herzl Camp can boast among its alumni, Grammy winner Bob Dylan, Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas L. Friedman, Emmy nominee Eddy Kitsis (whose movie TRON Legacy comes out December 17th) [Director's Note: And was one of the genius writers that brought us LOST!], World Junior Ultimate Championship gold medalist Josh Klane, and future Oscar winner Jason Shapiro.
- The unsung heroes who make Machaneh run every single day – the volunteer doctors and nurses in the Marp, not to mention Dale and the maintenance crew.
- Rosemary’s Facebook page. You can friend her here. [Director's Note: The more friends she has, the longer she will haunt...]
I am thankful that I was a Herzl camper, Ozo, and Madrich. What are you thankful for?
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Capital Campaign Reveals Inside of Ozo Mo
April 2, 2010 by Herzl Camp Admin, under General Posts.
By Mike Neiman
had the pleasure of sitting in on a meeting earlier this week with Herzl Camp’s Capital Campaign, Fundraising and Program Committees to discuss a new donor contribution to the Master Plan. Although the donor wishes to remain anonymous, they requested that the funds go towards enhancing the Ozo program with larger Ozo cabins and a new Ozo Mo (to allow 30-40 total Ozrim) in Herzl’s Master Plan. Since they were not selected for the Ozo program, the donor wants to make the opportunity available to more bright young minds for the future. However, with this large donation, there was one stipulation –everyone gets to see what was inside the original Mo.
Now, normally the inside of the Ozo Mo is something saved only for current Ozrim (even a past Ozo can not enter without permission from the current Mama and Papa). However, with the large contribution on the table, and the ability to finally build a new Mo for everyone, Herzl Camp is happy to oblige and finally open the doors to Tzrif 13 once and for all. Past camp photographer, Ari Witkin, was given a roll of film and a one day pass to the Mo this morning and I am happy to share it with you now. Things have changed slightly since I was last there in 2005, but given the addition to Herzl’s campaign efforts, even I have to admit it’s better to finally let the cat out of the bag. Ladies and Gentlemen … the Ozo Mo…
Lining the Northern wall of the Ozo Mo, a modernized Tiki Bar provides the Ozrim with a much needed break from luggage. Since 1974, on the first day of each session, Mama and Papa don the grass skirts and serve up cool refreshments to their Ozrim.
In 2006, the Ozrim pooled their leftover funds and purchased a used 150″ plasma television to line the southern wall. If you sit in Ozo Park late at night, you can sometimes see Rosemary watchting “Wet Hot American Summer” through the chipped paint on the Mo’s windows.
Rumors have surfaced about a pool below the Ozo Mo. Yep, its true. But did you know it is an underground, heated, olympic size pool? Steps near the back door take you to a lower-basement of the Mo where the pool lies under Ozo Park.
Sometime in the 1980s, an addition was made to the sub-basement, where an indoor Go-Kart track was added. This exists under what today knows as Teva Land and the Ropes Course.
In 1998, Ozo David Bender spent countless weeks on the phone, sending letters, and gathering legal advice on franchising of fast food chains. His efforts did not go in vain. By the summer of 1999, the Ozo Mo had added a fully functional food court in the sub-basement with a prized Burger King that is staffed 24/7 during the summer.
The last couple years, campers and staff may have noticed increased cell phone strength around Webster. Although the intentions were good, to provide emergency phone usage if necessary, I think we can all agree that the 2001 addition of an underground cell phone tower has done more harm than good.
In 1994 the Chunnel was opened under the English Channel. What you may not know, is that those designs were purchased by Papa Jesse Simon in 1996 and construction completed in 1997 for a Webster chunnel connecting Herzl to Israel. Each year a select few Israeli staff are shuttled in across the Atlantic to the shores of Devil’s Lake.
The back room of the Ozo Mo has always been a mystery within a mystery. Most Ozrim prior to 1994 were not sure what the apparatus was that had been in the back of Tzrif 13 since it first became the Ozo Mo. By the mid 90′s though, it was Hollywood that provided the answer. This “Stargate” as featured in a Kurt Russell film, provided telewarping capabilities across the time and space. Finally unlocked, the magic of the Ozrim and their Program has been enhanced for over 15 years with learnings, experiences, and interstellar space travel to cultures of other solar systems and eras.
With the opening of the Ozo Mo doors, Herzl Camp is finally able to provide some new and exciting chugim for campers that Mamas and Papas have been pressing for years. It truly has been a magical and mystical place for generations, but with a new Ozo Mo comes new surprises as well as a chance to change camp for future generations. I asked a few past staff what they thought and was surprised to see what they had to say.
“We always say the best place for stargazing is the Mercaz, but every Ozo knows that the Stargate allows the best portal view up close of the 9-12 Geminorum Cluster,” Jason Shapiro explained. “Imagine if we could not only take kids stargazing, but actually transport them to a distant planet or time with all new stars?”
“Finally, we can teach B’yachad LGT in an underground pool!. We normally cancel half the program because of Heavy Dew!” Board Member Cassie Benowitz declared.
“It’s about time.” Said 1995 Ozo and 1999 Papa Danny Soshnick. “I’m sick of telling kids that the burning rubber smell is just my BO. Finally the truth can set me free.”
Not only does the promise of a new Ozo Mo add to the already impressive list of improvements in Herzl Camp’s future, but finally pulling the wool from the eyes of the campers and seeing why so many people cherish being an Ozo is understood. Though, you can’t blame Herzl Camp for keeping it hidden so long … you would want to keep it secret too if your clubhouse served Whoppers and onion rings. Happy April Fool Day’s and Shabbat Shalom!