Week Four Review
Director's Note
Dear Parents,
Believe it or not, this is our last Week in Review blog post and photo upload of the summer. You can also expect email updates when each flight takes off enroute back home to Canada.
We began this week by spending three days touring Tel Aviv with a jam-packed itinerary that included tours of Old Jaffa, Independence Hall, and the Palmach Museum, as well as a Graffiti Tour, a workshop surrounding LGBTQ life in Israel, and some time to relax on the beach. We then drove down to Eilat for a beautiful sunrise hike on Mount Tzfachot and enjoyed some afternoon snorkelling on the beach, after learning about the high-tech start-up scene at “Eilat Hub.” After concluding our final Shabbat together at Kibbutz Almog we are now spending our last couple days together in Jerusalem.
As we wrap up our time here in Israel, I wanted to sincerely thank you for entrusting us with your children over the past four and a half weeks, and for choosing Biluim Israel for their 2018 summer.
Although there have been brief moments of relaxation, as your children will tell you, the past month has been very fast-paced. There have been early mornings, long days, hot sun, loads of touring and Israel Education, Hadracha (Leadership Development) sessions, camper-run programs, and much more. The group is always on the move; and as a result, Biluim Israel has a different pace and tempo than a typical summer at camp.
Yet through all of this, it has been an absolute pleasure to see your children grow and flourish before my and the staff’s eyes. Whether it is an insightful question or idea shared during a tour or workshop, a thoughtful point made during a Hadracha session, or simply from seeing an act of kindness shown by one camper to another, it has been these moments that have made the summer so special.
I hope that you can use the photos and weekly updates written by Chanichim themselves (including the latest one below) as a starting point to begin unpacking and reflecting on this summer with your children. I believe that each one of them has taken something meaningful out of their experience here.
Wishing you all the best in the year to come.
Chazak Ve’Amatz,
Ryan Peters Director, Biluim Israel
PS: Stay tuned for one last special surprise to be posted on Facebook and Instagram soon…
Camper Letter
Dear CYJ campers,
Shabbat shalom! Hello from your friends in Israel. We are currently at Kibbutz Almog, getting ready for our last Shabbat as campers. Although this makes us all sad, we are ready to enjoy this last Friday and celebrate harder than ever.
After a great family weekend, we all joined together in Tel Aviv to spend time by the beach and experience the vibrant city. From walking in the Carmel Market to going on a graffiti tour in Florentine and volunteering at a day care, we were able to discover many aspects of this wonderful city.
After a very long bus ride, we found ourselves in Eliat. The next day, We woke up at 3:40am to hike mount Tzfachot for sunrise. Although challenging, the view made it all worthwhile. At this peak, we were able to see Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt all at once. Later that day, we went to the Red Sea to chill and snorkel. It was a great reward after a difficult hike.
Today we left Eliat and had a pit stop at the choco factory where we enjoyed choco besakit - chocolate milk in a bag! We are at this Kibutz for Shabbat and then driving to Jerusalem for our final nights together. It's going to be hard to say goodbye to our best friends and our last summer as campers.
Looking back on the summer, we could not imagined it going any differently. These friends we've made and memories we've created will last forever. We are so thankful for the time we have had together in this amazing place. Cherish all the times you have at camp because the days are so numbered. Go back every summer because your camp friends are like no other. This is your second to last Shabbat at camp and your final week so remember to enjoy it and make the most just as we will be doing.
For the last time,
Shabbat Shalom from Billy Israel 2018:
Emily Jesin from Solelim, Hannah RD from Hatikvah, Sydnie Miller from Kinneret, and Hallie Benjamin from Kadimah
