A Word from the 1999 Tripper, Neer (Far, Wherever You Are…) Lect
March 20, 2010 by Herzl Camp Admin, under Letters from Alumni.
By Neer Lect
Well, here’s a name you haven’t heard for a VERY long time
I will start with a funny situation: I’m a student (yeah, still…) in Tel Aviv University, doing my best to finish my bachelor’s degree, so I can start my masters’ in Archaeology. I used to take the bus from the south side to the university on the north side of the city.
Well, some time ago, on the morning bus to school, I noticed two girls giggling and pointing at me. One of them, a nice, pretty girl, turned and spoke to me in English and asked me “where did you get that shirt from?” Now, I usually don’t pay much attention to the shirt I put on in the morning, if it’s clean enough – it’s ok. I looked down to see the shirt, and noticed that it was my brown “schmutz buster” shirt! My retort was “(stupid smile) I was the 1999 tripper at Herzl” she then said that she was at Herzl Camp one year later, and said something about either being an Ozo or staff, at which point we had to disembark the bus and parted. It also made me realize how much time had passed, and how Herzl alters you, in ways you do not always realize.
The summer I spent at Herzl was unique in more ways than one. First and foremost, it was the first (and last) time I was in the US. Secondly, it was the how I was plunged head first into what you can call “American culture” which, like “military intelligence” and “Israeli politeness” is a contradiction in terms. Editor’s Note: Ouch. At times it was like facing a different surprise every day. From the worn out Chevy Suburban (Ricky Ofstein said I’m a hick for putting the keys in the visor – I asked him what’s a hick?), Editor’s Note: Does that make you the Terminator and Ricky, John Conner? to the Herzl code that combines Hebrew and English in to a kind of synergetic “Hebrish” or “Englew”. From heavy due (always on the Kadimah canoe trip) and never, EVER, say announcements … ddon’t utter that word in the chadar or you’ll be thrown in the lake
It was, after all, 1999. The new Star Wars Phantom Menace movie had just been released, everyone was playing with toy light-sabers. In one of the first 12 Gates sketches, I was told to play a character called “Darth Neer,” and had to lift Scott Kaminsky in the air. Editor’s Note: Is that shomer shabbas? Also, it was 2 years before 9/11, and when I suggested to then-director Steve Mintz that we are not very well protected with a front gate that is always open … well; homeland security wasn’t so much on the minds I guess, was it? Editor’s Note: Neer, my friend, if only you knew the tactics worthy of the Secret Service employed at camp today
To tell you the truth, most of the time I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. Sometimes, the impact I left was not exactly what I wished it to be (a certain incident concerning flag respect comes to mind) Editor’s Note: Don’t worry Neer, we haven’t forgotten that unforgettable speech either. But I think the other staff members were appreciative of the causes. I was lucky to meet a great bunch of people that accepted all 5 of us Israelis as an organic part of camp staff. For myself, I can testify that even in 11 years of retrospect, I remember names and faces, prayers and songs, situations that are etched (in a good way) to the mind, and that will always put a smile on my face
If any of you made, are making, or will make Aliyah, remember – you have a place here. You always had.
Yours Truly,
Neer (far, wherever you are) Lect (1999 Tripper),
Israel.
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Everything I’ve learned about Life, I learned at Herzl Camp (An Ongoing Parenthetical List)
March 19, 2010 by Herzl Camp Admin, under What I Learned from Camp.
By Max and Zach Puchtel
Part 4 – On a Rain Day
So there we were, Zach and I, recapping the previous day in our bunks late at night. “Today was awesome”, I exclaimed, “In 15 hours I sang flag songs, cleaned up half of camp, played 5 sports, ate 24 tuna melts, sailed across the lake, slapped 21 mosquitoes, went star-gazing, and saw a bear!” (68. All of which are possible within a typical day at Herzl) “That’s nothing”, said Zach, “I led services, cleaned the other half of camp and the lake, won world league, ate 43 fish sticks, canoed the St. Croix, killed 2831 mosquitoes with my bug-zapper, saw a shooting star, and ATE a bear!”
It was obvious that we both had very packed days, (69. Even more than Calvin & Hobbes) But what do you expect? Herzl is full of activities. (70. Time flies when you’re having fun) I vowed to Zach that I would out-do him during the next day by running continually from chug to chug!
We awoke! “Hey Zach, why does it feel colder than usual?” It wasn’t too early, no, it was only 7:30am, just the right time to get up and make a trip to the haks before flag circle. (71. Why were the haks always wet?) I got Zach out of his bunk because I needed a buddy for the walk, but upon stepping out of Tzrif 11 (72. All great campers’ stories emerge from cabin 11) we realized that camp was under some serious HEAVY DEW!!! (73. Heavy Dew is the great euphemism in my life to which all others are compared). “Awh, man! Now I’ll never get to do all that fun stuff!”
Off to the Ulam where flag circle and services were combined into an amorphous mess. (74. Like most things on rain days!) During breakfast we are told that there will be a special schedule today due to the heavy dew: a rotation of indoor activities throughout the day. “Zach, the staff won’t know where we are today because they don’t even know where to go themselves.” “Max, that is excellent!!! We can cause chaos!” (75. Lack of supervision = mischief).
First rotation – Where should we go? Peeking our heads into Amanut (76. Do dooooo, da do do), we see that weaklings are doing arts and crafts. That won’t do. “Max, let’s try the old Chadar, I hear that is where all of the cool staff go.” After trudging through the many lakes that form among the paths in camp, we arrived in the old Chadar, where we see Alex Locke sitting on the small stage with the microphone in his hand (77. Herzl staff LOVE using the microphone) organizing board games. As he leaves, Danny Soshnik takes the microphone to play his breathing guessing game: nose or mouth, and then Bender and Kaminsky steal the microphone in order to play a game that challenges you to identify a woman named Beatrice (78. or not).
After quickly leaving that place we saw a hairy, dew-soaked creature lapping up water from leaves on a tree. (79. Aaron Gelperin knows many water-finding tricks). “Aaron”, we asked, “all of the activities on rain days are boring! What can we do?” “Come closer and listen, kids. The secret to rain days is finding the magical traveling game of ga-ga.” “Ga-ga? What is that?” No sooner after questioning the origin of this game we were shuffled into the Ulam by Aaron. But it was no longer the Ulam! The benches were stacked 3 rows high into an enormous gladiator-style arena. Campers and staff stood in the stands and stage cheering for bloodshed. (80. Another opportunity to use the microphone) Bodies of defeated campers lay strung about the arena floor, while the last remaining competitor held the ga-ga ball above his head and let out a triumphant roar.
Zach and I looked at each other and smiled. “He’s going down!” Now we knew what rain days were all about.
To be continued…
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Buddy Check! 1 … 2… 3… 4… 5…
June 16, 2009 by Herzl Camp Admin, under Letters from Alumni.
Buddy Check sound off!
Check back every Friday before Shabbas, and every Saturday after Havdallah for a special tidbit from your favorite past Herzl buddies. Did Max Puchtel ever jump out from under the pontoon to scare you during The Lumberjack? Do you remember when ScottMary ruled the new Chadar? What about when the Buzzards were a weekly Friday afternoon physical debacle (and Marp/ER visit thereafter)? Come back each week and let your friends and staff tell you their stories first hand. And that’s just the beginning, share in them first hand on August 7-9th at Webster when you Relive the Dream.
Draw!