July 30, 2021
Rosh Report
Summer 2021 Slideshow
Nathan's Notebook
MBTiyul
Randy's Reminders
A Snippet From Sunny
Photos of the Week
Tour L'Tavor -- Cabin Rentals
Camper Question
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Rosh Report
Reflecting On a Summer
Unlike Any Other
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It is truly shocking to think about how camp is ending in a few days. I have been planning with Mazkirut and Amit and Jonah and Randy and Shana for so long and then.. It all became a reality! At this time last year, our online summer was wrapping up and we didn’t know what to expect for this coming summer. And yet, when we reached this summer we reached a point of normalcy I never thought we would reach. We asked hard questions and expanded our critical thinking skills, while also swimming in the pool and learning new sports skills! |
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Yesterday we did utensil challenge, where everyone at dinner with a specific utensil: serving spoon, whisks, tongs, etc, and it was such a nice reminder that at camp we can do whatever we want to do as a community.
It is so refreshing and rejuvenating to be able to create the culture together like this. I am so sad to see the summer come to a close but also am so so thankful that was such a success!
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Well, here it is. The final Shabbat of Summer 2021. As what has been one of the most unique and memorable summers that I’ve experienced at Camp comes to a close, I wanted to offer a moment to reflect. Completing this summer is a massive accomplishment, for more reasons than we can count.
The world that we left to come to camp this summer was significantly different from the one that we rejoined at the conclusion of summer 2019, and, in just a few days, we re-enter a world that will feel just as different again.
Camp allowed all of us, from the youngest chanichol (camper) to the oldest Tzevet (staff) member, to just exist in the moment. While the masks stayed on for some time, once we were able to shed them, we too shed our fears that had been present for the last year and a half. Camp, for the majority of its duration, felt normal. That is a gift that I cannot express the gravity of. While this summer represented something different for each of us, be it a homecoming, a victory lap, or a foray into the unknown, we all at Camp Tavor are bonded by this place in a manner that even the background of a global pandemic could not shake.
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Summer 2021 was one that certainly will change Camp Tavor forever. Not because of the measures we had in place to keep COVID out, but because of the community that we found within. We connected. We laughed. And, most importantly, we healed. To be able to have legitimate human contact and interaction is something that nobody took for granted, each hug a gift and each unmasked laugh a sweet treat. We shared this place together, and we let it shape us, creating new memories that gradually push out the unprecedented times we left. |
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Camp is an accomplishment - one that we should all be proud of completing. As I wrote earlier in the summer, our time at Camp is finite, and eventually, it runs out. Being here is a treasure, and it is up to all of our families to carry the legacy of Camp Tavor into what I believe will be a bright and loving future.
As we conclude another summer, keep your experiences (or those of your friend or child’s) in your heart, and set another foot forward knowing that as you leave Camp in the rearview mirror, you’ll be driving back down AL Jones Rd before you know it.
Shabbat Shalom,
Nathan
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MBTiyul
by Felix Starosta
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This past week my kvutsah (age group) and I had a chance to go on a weeklong camping trip to Pictured Rocks! Our tiyul (camping) experience was very enjoyable! The first day we drove to the frontcountry camping site, made a delicious mac-and-cheese dinner, and enjoyed the sunset on the beach of Lake Huron.
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We drove to the backcountry the next day and backpacked 3.2 miles into Pictured Rocks! We set up the campsite, ate dinner, and then went to sleep. The next day was so beautiful and one of the most relaxing days of my summer.
We went to Lake Superior and the water was so still and soothing:
it was just an amazing way to start the day!
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Then we split up on an optional hike to another beach, but I stayed back at the campsite to soak up some more sun.
We just chilled around camp some more once the hikers returned, and definitely did NOT try to fit 10 people into a four-person tent…
On the last day, we woke up early and ate breakfast before taking our campsite down and hiking back to the vans for a drive home. I’m very thankful for my rejuvenating tiyul experience!
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Just a reminder this will be the last of the weekly newsletters -- but not the end! We will be back on the second Friday of the month starting in September! Keep an eye out for more blog posts at www.camptavor.org. |
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Summer 2021
I will be sending a final transportation reminder Saturday night for all of the camp leaving Sunday, August 1st, and the Madatz on Monday, August 2nd.
When you get home and settled - please take a moment to fill out the 2021 Camper Satisfaction Survey.
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Your participation will help us make future summers at Camp Tavor even better! |
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Randy's Reflections
What an incredible summer at Camp Tavor. 2021 was one for the books, no doubt! As a parent, I felt all the same hope and apprehension of sending a child to camp following a year of sadness, isolation, and fear. But together, with you as our partner, we did it! There are smiles, and stories, and hopefully connections that will get us through the winter ahead with the dreams of returning to camp.
Thank you for your patience and understanding, for helping us to navigate through safety protocols and new procedures. I truly believe because of you we were able to have the summer we did… COVID FREE! You are amazing parent partners, and I am so grateful for you!!
I would also like to take a moment to thank those who made this summer possible.
To Amit Wietzer, mazel tov on bringing new life into this world, and for bringing new life to Tavor. Collecting and guiding your team, you worked endless hours to make sure this summer was safe for all… thank you!
To Jonah Isenstein, thank you for your vision and direction, and support. You were a steady, guiding hand throughout, and on the basketball court! You leave camp knowing It just won’t be a complete summer without seeing you and Sonny on the kikar!
To Shana Olson, thank you for your support and calming care helping our staff as much as our kids. Guiding us with affection and understanding.
To Matthew Mosher for keeping camp running and to Mazkirut for their leadership throughout.
To the entire MARP staff that held our hands, fixed our injuries, and occasionally yelled at us for all the right reasons to keep our protocols in place.
To the tzevet and mashatz thank you for helping our children navigate through the COVID haze into a beautiful and carefree summer.
To the Mitbach (kitchen) thank you for some amazing meals and for nourishing our hearts as much as our bellies.
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And I must give a big personal thank you to Nathan Wojcik! If you enjoyed the photos of this summer, the blogs, and of course Nathan’s notebook it is all due to him. Coming to camp with a broken ankle was not my intention, but Nathan was more than my partner, he was a driving force behind the work we do. I could not have done it without him.
For some staff, this year will be their last at Tavor. It’s just how it works, while sad, it’s also comforting knowing the lessons they learned here will be used to help make the world a better place. While they leave behind a legacy of laughter and friendships, I hope they take with them the knowledge that they helped create summers of joy and memories for them and others that will last a lifetime.
As for me, well you know you’ll be hearing from me soon, after all, there’s always another summer!
Wishing you peace and health,
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Hi there,
My name is Sunny Isenstein, and this summer, my dad Jonah is working at a really cool summer camp! My dad likes to take me on walks and our new home is so beautiful and exciting that they're letting me take some time to tell you all about it!
Dad took me to play in these really colorful swinging things that he called hammocks earlier. I loved the way that they went woosh woosh woosh and I got to swing back and forth in them! Dad told me that this place was new to camp, and gosh was it pretty and fun! The kids call it Hammock Town, but I didn't see any houses or stores or anything nearby. It was right next to the pool but I didn't even care that I wasn't swimming because of how fun the hammocks are! And when Dad asked, "Who's a good boy?" I could tell that he was not ham-mocking me!
Bye for now,
Sunny Isenstein
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12TH ANNUAL TOUR L'TAVOR
August 6th- 8th, 2021
The annual FUND-raising three-day adventure ride from Chicago to Three Rivers is always a fun way to spend the weekend, catch up with old friends, and make some new ones.
Starting at Foster Beach on the north side of Chicago, we will ride as a group 171 miles through Chicago, Northern Indiana, and Southwest Michigan, arriving at Camp Tavor.
Meals, snacks, and lodging will be provided along the way. All levels of cyclists are encouraged to join.
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Right now, every $2 you donate will be increased 50%! |
Support a safe and healthy return to Camp Tavor by making a gift here!
Your gift will be matched - $1 for every $2 donated - by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation!"
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Building on the success of our 2020 Rental Program, we’re excited to again offer this creative way for Camp Tavor friends and families to be together - creating community - in a safe and distanced way for summer 2021.
These rental opportunities provide a unique and meaningful way to connect and share the beauty of Camp Tavor while ensuring the health and safety of our incredible community.
For Summer 2021, there are two options for spending your weekend at Camp Tavor:
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OPTION 2:
Camping/Camper Rental
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There is one rental group per cabin or campsite that may have 6 people in a group, with no more than 4 adults (18 years of age or older) per group.
Each rental group (cabin or campsite) has access to a private bathroom as well as their own private picnic table (seats 8) and a fire pit, in addition to the covered dining area available in our large pavilion (mitriya) or dining space available in our dining hall (chadar ochel) depending on inclement weather.
The rental period is set from
Thursday, 1 pm EST through Sunday, 1 pm EST with multiple weekends starting in August through the first weekend of October.
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Last week's camper question: Would you rather jump off a diving board or go down a slide?
- 26% diving board
- 74% down a slide
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Habonim Dror Camp Tavor | (269) 215-1399 |
59884 Arthur L. Jones Road,
Three Rivers, MI 49093 | http://camptavor.org/
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