Why Do You Work at Herzl Camp?
October 22, 2010 by Herzl Camp Admin, under Letters from Staff.
By Avi Baron
So as my first and introductory Blog post on the Herzl Camp Alumni blog, I’ve decided to tell my Herzl Camp story, answering the question I get asked most, “Why do you work at Herzl Camp?” or more often the case and more specific, “Why do you still work at Herzl?”
I started my Herzl Days as a Ha’Atid camper in 2001, for the reason most 11-year-olds do things; because my parents told me I was going. After being very… displeased, shall we say, from the two week overnight at a different camp two years prior, I was not looking forward to my upcoming three week stay at Herzl Camp. But nonetheless, with a closed mind, and a mother-packed bag, I sat silent on an inside seat the two long hours up to Machaneh.
Congregating with the rest of the new arrivals in the Ulam, I quickly learned that I was not in a cabin with the cool people I had thought to be my good friends, but instead was put in a cabin with nobody I knew. I managed to be bunked with a strange and goofy boy who seemed to know a lot more about this place and about life in general.
So the first 10 days of my Herzl life were spent being silent and respectful, a small child who kept to himself. Yet each day I would write letters home to my parents, letters that would force them to call Steve Mintz (the Herzl Camp Director at the time) and question what they could possibly be doing to me at this camp that seemed so terrible to their son. I am told that my spelling of ‘constipated’ and ‘diarrhea’ was flawless when detailing what the ‘horrendous’ camp food did to my gastrointestinal tract. Ending every mailing home with the simple and elegant, “When will you come pick me up?” I cannot begin to imagine, now, how my parents were holding up, or worse, my then 13-year-old sister who was stuck at home with them having to listen to their worrying and constant phone calls to Steve.
Then something changed, it wasn’t a gradual change, as most are, but instead a very distinct one. The day for our cabins’ Teva [Director's Note: Excursion!], overnight in the woods, had arrived – and just as everyone was leaving, I finally broke down into tears. Bawling my eyes out as the rest of my cabin trotted off to fun games, one of my counselors, Marcus Magy, stayed behind with me. We sat on the concrete steps of Tzrif 4 and talked for what seemed like hours but was most likely only 30 minutes about my troubles at camp, and why I thought I wasn’t having fun. Marcus retorted that I was actually having a lot of fun, saying that I’ve made new friends, enjoyed my chugim, learned new skills, and even enjoyed the food. It wasn’t until he had pointed out everything I had done that I really noticed, that I fully realized what I had accomplished at this camp in a mere few days.
We walked to Ozo Park after I had decided I was ready to continue with camp, and we played catch (with a disc of course) until the three cabins of the teva excursion came to the part in the challenge course right at the edge of the park. That night began my true love for Herzl Camp. Fore it wasn’t until that night I truly understood how much a 120 acres in western Wisconsin can do for a shy 11-year-old kid.
Our mission statement is true, for if not for Herzl, I would still be a shy kid who rarely leaves his comfort zone, I would have become a Linux loving, socially inept nerd who depends on his mother for everything. Herzl has taught me simple tasks from how to correctly wipe down a table to big concepts like creating lasting friendships. But most importantly, Herzl has enabled me to embody what I am – that it is okay to be unique and even a little crazy, instead of fitting the mold of the rest of the world. I can proudly say that I am actually writing this on a computer running Linux Mint OS, that am well known as a geek and I love it. Being in the wonderful community formed by Herzl has allowed me to embrace my unique attributes, it has empowered me to become a strong member of my community, even as I continue to grow through my Herzl experiences.
As it turns out, that goofy bunk mate was Michael Kane, my inseparable best friend, and the catalyst for my returning to Herzl as staff. Herzl has brought me this friendship and many more in the ongoing cycle of camp life. I love watching the Herzl community self perpetuate as so many wonderful campers come back as part of the staff to give Herzl what it deserves by being fantastic counselors for new campers with a bright future.
So whether you love or hate sports, enjoy swimming or drama, riding bikes or writing songs, you will be welcomed at Machaneh Herzl and learn to express who you are in the best possible way.
And just a side note for parents of hesitant campers, if the letters suddenly stop, that’s a good sign. It means your child is having too much fun to remember to complain about camp. [Director's Note: Here here!] Shabbat Shalom!
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Everything I Learned in Life, I Learned at Herzl Camp
April 29, 2010 by Herzl Camp Admin, under What I Learned from Camp.
By The Brothers Puchtel
Part 5
“On the Caravan”
So there we were; me, the guy with the guitar, the girl with the guitar, 20 Herzl guests, Steve Mintz, Minced Meat, Anne Hope, Hope Floats, Bruce Golob, Anna Simon, Jesse Simon, Josh Simon, Simon says, Simon & Garfunkel, Simon Cowell, Nina Simone, Timone and Pumba, Rosemary, Jesse Zimmerman, Robert Zimmerman, Brandon Tagg, Mark “the Dink” Dinken, Bender’s tongue, Zach Freeman, Morgan Freeman, Morgan Fairchild, Mogane David, David and Goliath, Salt & Pepper, TLC, the Torah, and Bryan Grone. (#81, it was an awesome caravan.) Only 1 minute until launch, and Max hadn’t even gotten out of the shower yet. (#82, caravans always form last minute) I shouted towards Max’s room in the new Chadar, “Max, we’re leaving, afo ata?” (#83, Herzl builds Hebrew vocabulary) He shouted back, “Don’t wait for me, I’ll be there, trust me!” (#84 I’ve learned over time to trust this phrase, though it usually means Max is up to something)
We had no choice but to start. I knew the caravan rules, if you hadn’t joined by Tzrif 1, you couldn’t join at all! (#85, if you don’t join the caravan by Tzrif 1, you can’t join at all!) I looked back at the Chadar and out of the corner of my eye saw Max crawling out of his window, and onto the roof. Dressed in whites, and running full speed in Birkenstocks, he took off. (#86, Max has a knack for dramatic rooftop entrances (see Buzzards circa 2000)) (#87, for most this would equal death) A quick kick off of a tree then the climbing wall, and Max was in line a solid 10 feet before we hit Tzrif 1.
“Nice of you to join us Max,” I said casually. “You know me, never missed a caravan, not about to start.” I had to admit, it was a really impressive jump, but now he really smelled just awful. (#88, when you sweat before the caravan, you smell for the rest of the night) With that, Max administered a loving bear hug in hopes that some of my cologne would rub off. (#89, share and share alike) Because I love him, I allowed him to rub under my armpit, and we were on our way…
Passing Tzrif 1 fully entangled and in harmonic unison, I looked around the sea of white and was reminded why I love camp so much. (#90, I love camp so much) From Bim Bom to Shabbat Shalom to Kumbaya to One Tin Soldier, the songs emitted never-ending love as the caravan continued to grow. It seemed as though time, for a moment, was actually suspended within this tiny wooded clearing in Webster Wisconsin. (#91, scientists have concluded that the Herzl Shabbos Caravan does indeed affect the space-time continuum) Now a giant white entourage, we scooped up the last cabins, catching smiles and laughs as we approached the flag circle.
At last, it was time to unveil the flag songs which we had all worked on so vigorously for the half hour before we showered. (#92, all great flag songs are concocted in 1 hour or less) A beautiful creature emerged from the crowd, guitar in hand, harmonica in mouth. (#93, Aaron Gelperin cleans ups well) Goosebumps were stapled to my body as each group eternally solidified their camp experiences of the past week with love, music and humor. (#94, I still have all of my song sheets) (#95, Special shout out to Flip and Melanie Muscoplat, I loved when you guys would sing at camp, seriously, it made my experience, thank you)
Trying to hold back the emotion stemming from recalling Melanie’s version of the Sh’ma (#96, if you never heard this, you never really went to camp), I wrote onward…wow, does anyone have a tissue? Whew, deep breathe, ok I’m fine…(#95, sweet camp memories tend to make me ferklempted (#97, spell check had no suggestions for this word, but you get it, Yiddish, Mike Myers, etc…))
But I digress…where were we now? Ah yes, the caravan. The songs are done, the flags are down, and food awaits us all in the Chadar, where fancy dining tables are dressed to their best. The caravan now evolves from line to wave, as it rolls towards Shabbos dinner. There will be many more caravans before the night is through, some consisting of 4, 3 or as little as 2. No event at camp quite matches the mystique and allure of the caravan; let this be a lesson for all time. (#98, THE SHABBAS QUEEN, SHE LIKES IT CLEAN … and white.)
(#99, the best caravans are the ones that take place after dinner. Drunk with life from the song session, there are few feelings on earth that match being arm in arm, yad b’yad, singing about peace, unison, and love. If it were possible to capture this feeling and deliver it across the world, there would be no war).
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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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Alumni Camp Flag Song
August 28, 2009 by Herzl Camp Admin, under Letters from Alumni.
By Danny Soshnik
To the tune of “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel
Harry & Rose Rosenthal, they’re the ones to start it all,
Herzl camp at White Bear Lake, livin’ Theo’s dream.
Then the move to Devil’s Lake, cabins covered in orange paint,
60 years of history, about which we’ll sing.
Dylan Bob, Maba, Bikkurim, Bruce Golob,
Roof Ball, The new Beit Chai, Rosemary will never die.
Chartreuse Buzzards, Kuntzing, Schwartzy stacked his World League Team,
Bryan Greenberg, Golda Meir, Peanut butter on Eskimo Pies
CHORUS:
Living the dream with Theo,
We are always yearning, hoping we’re returning.
Living the dream with Theo,
It’s been such a pleasure, memories we treasure.
Kadimahniks, N’divim, Bogrim and K’shishim
Brandon’s kitchen, Swimmers itching, turning back the clocks.
Schmutz Busters, Chanut, Puddle Jumping, Forkman
Drive In, Bakfar, Pooping in South Haks.
Mercaz, Ner Howie, Deavers passing LGT,
Butt Olympics, Airport Van, Klugman’s Forty, Caravan
Bakfar, Anouncements, Drama Games, Buddy Checks,
12 Gates, Ozo Plays, Heavy dew it never rains.
CHORUS:
Living the dream with Theo,
We are always yearning, hoping we’re returning.
Living the dream with Theo,
It’s been such a pleasure, memories we treasure.
Swim the Lake, Rick Recht, Shower buckets, Teva Trek
Anne Hope, Starry nights, Don’t forget your Shabbos Whites
Hack n Sack, Kundra, Who took down the tetherball?
Avodah, Shabbas Queen, Speed letters we always read
Chugim Follies, Flip Frisch, Intersession, Ultimate
Bikkurim, Staff Mo, CSRs are no-nos
Ga Ga, Ha’Atid, Overnights, and T’Filim
Barry Golob, Ozo Zoe, Steve Mintz plays the bongo.
CHORUS:
Living the dream with Theo,
We are always yearning, hoping we’re returning
Living the dream with Theo,
It’s been such a pleasure, memories we treasure.
Rate a Room, Tzrif Time, Tasters in the Beit Tarbut,
Aaron, Gelprin’s, Cheese Song is amazing.
Grilled cheese and tomato soup, Courtesy flush when you poop,
Shabbat, Sichot, I’m going to that one.
Schmear Snacks, Buddy Tags, Torans use the dirty rags,
Visitor’s Day, Oy Vey, Ozos still do not get paid.
CHORUS:
Living the dream with Theo,
We are always yearning, hoping we’re returning
Living the dream with Theo,
It’s been such a pleasure, memories we treasure.
Alumni Camp, Herzl camp, good to be back again,
Been too long, We’re 50 strong, Reliving, Theo’s Dream
Old friends, new friends, dressed in white, reminiscing funny times
Walking through the Caravan, Singing laughing hand in hand.
Shabbat Shalom, Herzl Style, Matzo Balls, Candle light
Singing songs, B’yachad, swaying, Yad B’Yad
Lots of good times are in store, Only two days, wished for more
Us and Theo, what a team, If you will it it is no dream.
CHORUS:
Living the dream with Theo,
But when we are gone, Theo’s dream lives on, and on, and on, and on…