R.I.P. Old Chadar
January 28, 2011 by Herzl Camp Admin, under General Posts.
By Aiden Pink
Last month, when I was in town from college, I drove up to Herzl with a dozen or so other madrichim as part of “Wacky Wednesday” staff training. When I walked around camp, I was struck by how things looked pretty much the same as it does during the summer, even under two feet of snow and a giant field where the Old Chadar and Tzrifim 19-22 used to be.* Everything seemed pretty normal. Of course, “normal” is all relative.
Two summers ago, my dad came up for Visitor’s Day for the first time since he was on staff in the early 80s. I gave him a tour, but my dad was really confused. The Marp was now at the north end of camp, the old Mercaz was abandoned, the Teva overnight site was in a completely different spot, there were flagpoles where the Central Haks once stood – everything was different! The landmarks that defined his summers as a child and teen no longer existed. Even so, he still felt at home, because the traditions and the ruach, those ineffable qualities that makes Machaneh what it is, are still alive and well.
Last summer, most of the “classic” tzrifim were replaced. Those cramped, dirty, sweltering, beautiful, history-laden cabins had connected campers to the past. It seemed like every cabin had “Bobby Zimmerman” written somewhere on the walls (they were fake signatures, of course – I wrote one myself on one occasion). One of my friends when I was a camper in Ha’atid boasted of sleeping in the same bed – back right corner, top bunk, Tzrif 9 – as his father. With the changes already in place last summer, I wasn’t sure that camp would be or feel the same with the new tzrifim. But the ruach persisted, and camp stayed shticky, and the summer was a resounding success. Some campers even took advantage of their new digs and actually slept.
Every year, like a phoenix, Herzl reinvents itself but preserves its identity. Legendary staff members “retire” and enter the real world, and new Ozrim join the ranks. Buildings are built and demolished, campers rise from Taste to Teva, new chugim are created and fall out of fashion. The only constants are the ruach and the traditions. We still do Shabbas Caravan, but now the path is a little bit longer. We still do Israeli dancing, but now the circles are a little bit bigger. We still do 12 Gates, but now the microphones are a little bit louder.
When I toured camp a few weeks ago, it barely registered that the Old Chadar was gone. Of course, my first year at camp was 2001, so I never ate in the Old Chadar. But it was my Mo in Nisiya, and it was the site of my great Bikkurim floor hockey triumph. And, of course, I know the Rosemary story.**
Even so, I view the demolition as an opportunity rather than a tragic loss. The 2011 staff will think up new traditions and chugim that will take place in the space, and Herzl Camp will continue to thrive and grow. I’m sure my kids will be confused when I tell them that people used to eat where the Quidditch field now is, just like I was confused when my dad said he used to poop in what is now the flag circle. Hearing the old stories will remind them, and us, that what is most important and special about Herzl is what stays constant.
*The only “classic” cabin still standing is Tzrif 18, which makes it even creepier than it already was.
**By the way, Rosemary has officially moved into Tzrif 18. Maybe a change of scenery will allow her to move on.
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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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Herzl Magic Bracket: Round 1, Yama Region
January 24, 2010 by Herzl Camp Admin, under Uncategorized.
A month ago, we announced (I dare to you to fly to St. Louis to throw me in a lake) the “Herzl Magic” Bracket. The idea is to try to discuss, reminisce, and ultimately vote on your favorite Herzlism, traditions, and schtick. As promised, it is now time for the tournament to begin! I have taken the liberty of breaking down the first match-ups in the Yama region, and now it’s your turn. Leave a comment with your voting choices and let the games begin.
| 1 | 12 Gates |
| 16 | Buzzards |
| 8 | Star Gazing at the Mercaz |
| 9 | Ultimate Frisbee |
Neither is uniquely Herzl. I will always hold a special place for Star Gazing at Herzl. That said, the Mercaz is not the best place for it. There is too much light pollution from camp there, and the tree cover nearby does not give you a full sky. The tennis courts are MUCH better. On the other side, Ultimate was a largely non existent Herzl sport until Tin Tin helped popularize the sport in the early 90s. Since then, it has changed the face of Herzl, as well as the college Ultimate scene. (Editor’s Note: The Twin Cities High School Ultimate League was also formed by Herzl Alumni, and can thank its popularity to the sport coming to Herzl). Danny’s prediction: Ultimate
| 5 | Buddy Checks |
| 12 | Root Beer Floats for Rate-a-Room |
Buddy checks are a fixture of the waterfront. Who doesn’t like having to scramble to find your buddy (who may be 50 yards away) in order to triumphantly shout out your number when its your turn. I’m also a sucker for the group that forgets it is their turn repeatedly as the waterfront staff gets increasingly impatient. But there is something about Root Beer Floats. They are readily available 365 days a year but do you ever really get a root beer float at home? Of course not. They’re just better at Herzl, especially when earned by daily Nikayon. Danny’s prediction: ?
| 4 | Rosemary |
| 13 | Kadimah Wall |
All camps have ghosts and ghost stories. That said, even as a Papa Ozo, I didn’t like to be alone in the Ozo Mo at night (Editor’s Note: Do not be fooled, the demolition of the Old Chadar has not silenced Rosemary’s haunt of camp… it only made her more angry!). On the other hand, the Kadimah Wall is the best way to objectively measure one group versus past years. Just read Zoe’s blog about it. It must be noted however, that the Kadimah wall has gotten some significant face-lifts over the years which have changed the times dramatically. Most people will point to the ledge on the back where four people can easily stand reaching downward. However, I think the big change is that the wall now has horizontal pieces of wood. The old wall had vertical. There was no way to dig your fingers or heels into the wall. My Kadimah (’92) climbed the wall in 19 minutes, considered a great time in our day). The year before us took 46 minutes. All of camp could get over in under 46 minutes on today’s wall. Like the steroids era has cheapened baseball, the new wall has made it too easy. Danny’s Prediction: I’m going with the ghost.
| 6 | Peanut Butter on Eskimo Pies |
| 11 | Meltzer Songs |
Again, you have a dessert that can be eaten anytime at home. But it never is. It is a beloved Herzl treat, though as I understand it, they don’t always do Eskimo pies on Saturday nights anymore. They’ve moved on to ice cream sandwiches? Meltzer songs are always lost in the shuffle. They’re not as high profile as flag songs, and since they are only once per session for the campers, they are often forgotten. Still I’m a sucker for a good Herzl song. Danny’s Prediction: This one is too close for me. What about you?
| 3 | Schmutz Busters |
| 14 | Angry Swim Staff after Sweeping the Lake |
This one is an amazingly tough #3 vs #14 matchup. On the one hand, you have Schmutz Busters. Presumably named for the 1980s movie classic “Ghostbusters”, these shirts have stood the test of time. Coveted every year, the shirts drive campers to obvious garbage pick-up in front of counselors in the hopes of getting noticed … without looking like they are trying to get noticed. The addition of “dance like _____” to receive the shirt in the late ’90s only increased the fun. That said, nothing breaks the monotony of a mid-day lunch more than a livid swim staff making some poor kid shake in his flip flops in front of a silent Chadar after forgetting to take his buddy tag off the board. Thankfully, I never was the kid who left my buddy tag; this scare tactic worked well enough for me. High drama before Minucha if you ask me. Danny’s Prediction: This one is tough. I have a feeling Schmutz Busters will take it.
| 7 | K’shishim |
| 10 | Escape to Israel! |
They’re lovable, happy. They even have their own song to the tune of the old Deaver song (just ask Alex Locke to sing it for you). I think when you’re little, you sort of mock cheer for the K’shishim. Now, all I want is to be one some day. Escape to Israel was and hopefully still is the most intense evening program. I never successfully escaped. I spent all my time dressed in black crawling through the woods just north of Ozo Park. An hour (and 50 feet of crawling) later, the air-horn would sound and the adventure was over for me. Maybe if I’d just been a little more mainstream about my strategy I could have actually gotten somewhere… Danny’s Prediction: Give it up for the K’Shishim. And put in a good word for me in the summer of 2050.
| 2 | BIKKURIM! |
| 15 | Chiri Bim Chiri Bom |
This one is easy. I mean, one of these has it’s own Facebook fan page! The other hasn’t had a spot in the Saturday lunch lineup since the 20th century ended. I hope that they didn’t just decide to stop Chiri Bim Chiri Bom. Herzl tradition is all about an evolution – the new stuff builds on the old. I’m sure whatever they do now is fresher, funnier, and more creative. I just hope it wasn’t replaced by silence. Danny’s Prediction: We love you judges, oh yes we do…
So, I’ve dissected the match-ups, I’ve analyzed the competitions … now, I want to hear from you. If it were up to just me, I’d name the 1993 N’divim the champions and there would be no discussion. But this is a “Herzl Magic” Bracket, so its time for the readers to leave their vote, tell their friends, and help us find the exact schtick that makes Herzl what it is. Have at it.
(Editor’s Note: This only works with your help! Please forward this on to as many Alumni as you know and ask them to weigh in their vote as well. Leave a comment, spread the love, and help us find the true Herzl Magic!)
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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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The Dream Lives On and On
July 10, 2009 by Herzl Camp Admin, under Letters from Alumni.
By Lindsey (Gordon) Rose
The dream could have started one year earlier for me had I not chosen to get a bay window seat in my new bedroom that my parents were building (circa 1987) What were they thinking negotiating a box of wood with me over a summer at HCwith my friends? And what was I thinking for choosing the window seat? Clearly I wasn’t – but while I spent that lonely summer staring out my beautiful new bedroom window and then glancing back at my gorgeous framed poster of Andre Agassi above my bed, there were much bigger, better and more interesting things happening at HC. I heard what I missed from my friend Dawn Davidson (Zouber), and albeit a year later than it should have been … my dream finally began in 1988.Of all of the years I spent at camp, that year holds the most vivid memories, many of which set the stage for me coming back for more HC adventures each summer.
- Cabin 7 was my first Herzl home: Anna Simon was my Ozo- she rocked. Still does. Susie Greenberg was my counselor. She was the same height as all of her campers, so she fit right in. We loved her.
I passed the swimming test on the first try (whew) though I was convinced I was going to get swimmers’ itch every minute I was in the water for that test.
- I was in awe of and in love with the fact that we sang songs about bunches of bananas and tying kangaroos down (sport) after lunch. Ruach was in the air at all times.
- I convinced myself that I saw Rosemary run into the Ozo mo one night carrying a lantern and a bag of cookies she’d nabbed during a kitchen raid.
- Favorite Funny Cabin Memory: Lori Charney was chewing a piece of gum on her top bunk that fell into Shira Frailich’s hair on the bottom bunk. Lori had to cut it out with a scissors because it was stuck so badly. Shira was mortified. Lori felt terrible but couldn’t control her laughter (neither could the rest of us). Being a good friend, she cut a chunk of her own hair out to make Shira feel better.
- Favorite cabin bonding activity: Using shaving cream to shave my legs along with other cabin mates on the front stoop of the cabin—I love that nobody ever questioned dozens of teens shaving off their leg hair and letting it float freely throughout camp grounds.
- The (old) tennis courts were starting to fall apart but Jessica Rivas and I played on them as much as humanly possible in the three weeks we were there.
- Grossest shower moment: Going into the West Haks one day and seeing a pile of poop on the shower floor, and questioning whether it was human poop or one of the random camp dog’s poop. It magically disappeared within minutes of my discovery (no doubt the good deed of some poor Ozo that summer)
- Josh Stein from Kansas City was my summer crush. Or maybe that was 1989?
- Lauren Berman and Danny Kaplan were mama and papa Ozo, and to me, they were so dreamy— like John Trovolta and Olivia Newton-John from the movie Grease. But they actually did get married in real life!
- Final banquet was better than any prom I ever attended later in life.
- I dropped a pair of my sunglasses over the mercaz one morning (oops).
- I lived for eating melty Twix bars from Chanut during Minucha.
- I loathed every time I accidentally got a wiff of the camp garbage truck.
- I was mesmerized by Barry Golob and Paul Schraber’s 12 Gates performances each week. They are legendary.
- I cherished the special after-dinner Shabbat singing sessions.
While I will never be a camper again, these experiences and memories will live with me forever and constantly put a smile on my face. I hope my children and their friends feel the same way one day after they’ve experience their own dream. This August, hundreds of Herzl alum will have a few days to re-live their own Herzl dreams, looking back at your own journey, why would you want to miss this opportunity? Please sign-up today to be there in August to enjoy every moment as if it was your first. Shabbat Shalom!