Camp Blog

The least I can say right now is…WOW! The amount of activities packed into today is enough to fill an entire week!

Peace, Dude! Today was a rather colorful one (when is it not?!) – colorful T-shirts, bandanas, tie-dyed outfits, etc. to match the theme of the day. Following the morning activities and a pumping lunch, the camp was treated to the first special surprise today: a fleet of fancy luxury sports cars, including a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley, Mercedes, two Audis, and an Infinity, some of which are convertibles. The campers had the privilege to get a chance to go for a spin in them around camp. Those mighty engines made the cars sound like race cars…or perhaps they are…

Following the cars the camp was led into the Social Hall for yet another surprise: half of the Twins from France (as Dembi put it). Being that his twin is away, the remaining twin put on an equally as exciting show. The twin captivated the audience as he rolled around the room on unicycles (including a 7 ft. one!), dodging the front rows by mere inches! He jumped over some campers laying on the floor while he was riding to make it even more scary. He even had some brave campers on his shoulders while he was riding around. Too bad riding atop the table didn’t work, as it buckled beneath him in the beginning of the act, but that only added more excitement to the show. He also rode a bike upside down, and juggled fire and razor-sharp knives. He then proceeded to swallow a knife and blow fire out of his mouth. Camp Simcha Special proved to him that we can indeed blow out the flaming torches, which he challenged us to blowing out.

If you think that was enough for one day, it was actually far from over. For night activity we were led back into the Social Hall for ‘Simcha Stock,’ which turned out to be a live Yehuda Green concert, for good ol’ times’ sake, and to ‘throw-it-down’ on the dance floor. While the camp enjoyed the music and dancing some campers and staff members organized a protest in response to Dembi’s “No Color War” announcement. Signs went up after the concert declaring that camp cannot happen without a Color War. Well, we’ll see about that…

Outside the Social Hall there was a tie-dye station in connection with the theme of the day–Hippie 60’s. Whoever participated was able to take a bandana and tie it several times while twisting it around, and then spray some colorful paint on it at the end of the table in order to transform a simple bandana (or shirt) into a bright, colorful one.

The day is STILL not over!! A short while later, following marriv, the older divisions along with the staff joined in the annual simcha of a siyum hashas in honor of the seudas hodaah (celebration of thanks) for the miracle that occurred 12 years ago in camp when a fire burned down the main building and miraculously everyone (and everything else) was safe throughout camp. The camp has rebuilt even stronger since and the siyum was made by R’ Yitzy Muller in honor of the miracle.

Whoa! That was a ton for one day of camp! Well, stay tuned for even more on the way, along with plenty of surprises…

Camp Simcha Special has just begun with a bang! Pumped-up staff members welcomed in the smiling campers as they arrived in the happiest place on earth. Each and every camper received  a personal welcome by the entire camp, accompanied by pumping music by Camp Simcha’s band.

Following the exciting welcoming ceremony we were treated to a cool night activity – a group of trampoline acrobats–but not just any. Their acts included jaw-dropping feats, such as double and triple flips in mid-air after nearly (or actually) hitting the ceiling! Some of the flips and jumps were even done while wearing snowboards, wakeboards, skis, and who-knows-what-else. What a way to start off the session!

We are all looking forward to the best summer here in Camp Simcha Special! Stay tuned for more as the fun never ends here…

Can YOU describe Camp Simcha in just one word?

Who’s excited for Camp Simcha Special?
Watch Blima and Malka Bracha talk about their experiences at CSSG 2013!

This has got to be the best finale I have ever seen!

With the theme of ‘Back To The Future,’ we had four DeLoreans giving campers rides around camp. We also got rides in motorbikes and jet skis. And just to go ‘full-throttle’ crazy, we also all got a helicopter ride! With the amazing views of the mountains around, it was cool to see our ‘home’ (AKA Camp Simcha) from the sky! And that was all just the morning!

After lunch we had a spectacular play, written and directed by our very own Duvie ‘The Legend’ Becker, showing how the continued existence of the world is dependent on our nice behaviour to others, with Camp Simcha being the prime example of this.

After packing our suitcases (where do I stuff in all the gadgets I got on Deal Day, and the projects I made in the workshops?) we headed to the hill for a rocket launch. All the rockets we made in camp were blasted off into the sky beyond.

After a special goodbye dinner, where we got to chill over a meal for the last time this year, we went to the social hall. We saw a video flashback to the last 11 days, with all the crazy, fun and exciting events, as well as the workshops and generally chilling together. We also saw a pictorial flashback (you may have seen the pictures on the website/on Facebook.) Loud cheers and shout-outs of names as they appeared on the screen!

With some slow, stirring music playing, all the campers got one minute to hug their counselor. After all that we have shared during camp, and the care & dedication the staff have shown, there were tears in many peoples eyes. Being a boys camp, most guys tried to conceal their emotions, with greater or lesser success. But, visible or not, the emotions were definitely there!

When that was over, we all got special black ‘Simcha Style’ t-shirts, and had our final camp-wide dance. The floor was literally bouncing up and down with us, we were dancing so much!

The last bedtime came. As most of the campers fell into bed exhausted, the staff met, to sit and absorb what happened over the last few days. The floor was open (this time not literally;) and many staff stood up to say a few impromptu words on their impressions of camp, and inspiration they received.

As the famous saying goes “This Isn’t The End. It’s Only the Beginning.” I hope to see you all next year in camp. But until then, stay in touch, and join in the programs Chai Lifeline does throughout the year. “United we stand, divided we fall.” Know that there are always people who care, and are happy to lend (or even outright give 😉 a helping hand and a shoulder to lean on.

So good bye, until next time
Yaakov

8th Day (Marcus Brothers) came on Friday morning. They had us dancing like we never danced before. Between Yalili, Shabbos Now and all their other songs, they kept us going, despite the exhaustion from yesterdays trip to NY.

All around camp, guys are finishing off their projects. Sunday will be so busy, we won’t have enough time then, so this is our last chance!

In the afternoon, we had a stupefying MAGIC SHOW. Pigeons appearing out of nowhere, a shoe being filled with liquid and coming out dry and a grand finale of water changing colors with the snap of a finger, had us spellbound for an hour straight!

Shabbos was a day for bonding, with deep conversations going on all around camp. Stories shared and compared, tips offered and inspiration given. We even had a few campers tell their story to the whole camp! As a staff member, the stories and the positive attitude despite it all really inspires us all.

There were also the BINGO with iPods and iPads galore, the prizes for campers with exemplary behavior to others.

If yesterday sounded awesome, it had nothing on what happened today! We went to NYC for the trip of our lives!

We arrived at the NYPD (New York Police Department) Air Operations base. After a pizza lunch, we were treated to an once-in-a-lifetime display by the NYPD special-ops. All sorts of police vehicles you don’t normally see were there, from jet skis all the way to an APC! We were then shown the skill of the police dogs in catching and holding criminals.

The Search-And-Rescue helicopter team did a display for us. They did a few fly-bys and cool stunts, ending of with a team fast-roping off the helicopter to greet us. They then repeated this performance, this time rescuing someone from the sea! When the frogmen landed on the shore, they were greeted by loud cheers and many requests for pictures, to which they happily obliged.

Ever been inside a shark? We were… sort of. The Shark Speedboat gave us a wet & wild ride, as it showed us the various sites of Manhattan, from the aquatic perspective! We passed Statue of Liberty, the Freedom Tower and Brooklyn Bridge.

Time Square, here we come! We filled the bleachers on Time Square, and preformed our special dance. The video should be out in the next few days, but it was awe-inspiring! Everyone, campers, counselors and specialty staff all performing the same moves at exactly the same time. With our green T-shirts and blue caps, we really stood out, and the whole plaza cheered along with us.

Now that we’re finally back in camp, it’s straight to bed! I’m exhausted, it’s been a busy and incredible day.