Whew! By far the busiest day in camp! It’s 2 am as I write this, and the night is still young!
We started the day with an improv musical. An historic event, the is the first time in world history (or at least my limited knowledge thereof) where an entire musical production was improvised. With a basic idea on storyline, some amazing videos shot on green screen and a couple of dance routines practised bunch of times, the awesomely skilled cast pulled off a hilarious performance!
With lunch came another historic event, with Nosson celebrating his Bar Mitzva!
After lunch we were visited by 8th Day. They kept the crowd jumping with their lively songs, and of course we taught them our own, which they got really involved in!
The remaining time of the afternoon was spent finishing up all our projects and picking them up from all the workshops. With glass fusion, pottery, studio, arts & crafts etc. etc. there were a lot of things to pick up. Next question: How do we fit all these amazing creations into our suitcases?
The evening brought with it a scrumptious banquet. Great food, music and a whole bunch of cover songs featuring our talented campers.
Next stop was the social hall, where we cheered on the campers who graduated this year. 15 campers are moving on, with this being their last time in Camp Simcha Special. Each was presented with a digital photo frame with over 500 pictures each, with all the pictures taken of them in camp over their many years here, some pictures dating back to 2007 and even earlier. We also had a video interview with them, as each spoke of what he gained in camp, a message for current campers and inspiring words to the others graduating.
Next came the video called “Memories 2014.” The media guys have been pulling all-nighters the last few days, putting the final touches on their masterpieces, and the video definitely brought many tough guys to tears!
Next we headed to the hill for a slideshow and fireworks show. Finally the campers’ schedule ended with Dembi’s famous announcement of “campers: to bed.” Of course no-one was ready to waste the few remaining hours here on sleep! With a strong mix of emotions, we spent the time chilling together, strengthening the bonds between us and exchanging contact information.
Staff met at 11:45 pm. Dembi spoke for a while, and then there was an open mike opportunity, with whoever wanted to pitching in with their two cents. After the official meeting ended, informal discussion continued all around camp and in all likelihood will continue through the night until the buses pull away!
It’s been a great summer, (I would add some other superlatives, but none would do it justice, and I think I’ve used them all already. Go ahead, prove me wrong and find one I didn’t use!) and I look forward to seeing you again next year; same time, same place.
Be well
Yaakov
