Camp Blog - Page 59 of 125 - Camp Simcha & Camp Simcha Special

Trip: Part 1

August 16, 2013Leave a Comment

We left camp at ten o’clock, clad in our blue Camp Simcha shirts and pink sweatshirts. The first stop was… a surprise visit to Lipa Schmeltzer’s house in Monsey! We were invited into his backyard for a rocking concert. We looked inside his synagogue, where almost everything was musical, from the musical notes on the walls to the flute mezuzah on the doorpost. After a pizza lunch and an enormous thank you to Lipa, we boarded the bus and continued our adventure.

The next stop was the New York Botanical Gardens. We were walking around, taking in the sight of the beautiful foliage, when the clock hit 4:45 and boom! Freeze flash mob! Three minutes later, we all carried on. We regrouped for dinner, then headed back to the buses for the drive to…Pennsylvania!

-T

The Twin From France

August 15, 2013Leave a Comment

The campers gathered in a huge circle in the social hall to a hysterical performance by The Twins From France (one of them, anyway). After a few unicycle warm-ups, he called up campers to lie down in the center of the circle, more than a foot apart, and he proceeded to jump over one, then two, then four of the campers in one shot. Then, on the unicycle, he bounced over each of them.

Next, he brought out a small high table, a cylinder and a small wooden board. Placing the cylinder atop the table and the board on the cylinder, he pulled a striped woolen hat over his face and stood on the shaky board. Then, he pulled out three gigantic sword-like knives and juggled them while comically maintaining his balance.

For the next act, he brought out an old-fashioned looking bike, with a very high, backed seat and ram-horn handlebars. He performed several bike tricks, such as riding on the back wheel with one hand, jumping on one pedal with only his hands on the handlebars, riding backwards with no hands and other fun stunts. Then, his bike “broke,” and he called up the campers to help him fix it, attaching the seat upside down and the pedals sticking up in the air – and then he rode the new-and-improved edition.

He went backstage, and then emerged from behind the black curtain in a colossal suit, at least six feet in diameter, with at least one hundred balloons stuffed inside. As he performed somersaults and cartwheels, the balloons popped nonstop. He somehow managed to mount his unicycle and he spun on it dizzyingly before jumping off.

Then he brought out a giant unicycle, at least ten feet tall. And after a few comical attempts to mount it, he rode around the room, almost in reach of the ceiling beams. Afterward, we turned off the lights and had a short dance party accompanied by a multihued pulsing strobe light. Then, the campers returned to their seats and the Twin lit and juggled three burning torches in the darkness. After letting campers fan the flames, he blew fire across the room as the heat danced across our faces, eliciting gasps from all sides. Thank you Twins from France for the riveting performance!

-T

The Shooting Range!

August 15, 2013Leave a Comment

As one camper quipped, “Shooting was an incredible experience that definitely hit the target.” Today, the older bunks went to the Tri States Rod & Gun Club where the instructors, along with some members and volunteer shooters who drove up to Camp Simcha, showed them how to shoot. During the preliminary safety overview, the instructor said that once given the green-light, they should “shoot at will.” Then he added, “There actually is a guy named Will here. So when I say ‘fire at will,’ take your hands – ” he shaped his into a pistol – “and go boomboomboom.”

After the initial safety lecture, lunch, and a second safety run-through, the campers split up into 4 groups: rifles, military rifles, shotguns, and a photo station. Every girl received protective glasses, earplugs, and red headphones (except Shayna, who somehow managed to find pink ones…). They each stood in little compartments, where they were individually assisted by the amazing instructors and volunteer shooters.

The campers shot at still targets, targets that spun when hit, and floating balloons. They were able to put words to shoot at on poster-targets, such as “cancer sucks,” and all the things they hate about cancer. At the end, all that was left of the targets were shreds. When asked about the experience, one girl said, “It was really nice to reciprocate what cancer did to me, and give it back to cancer.”

For some of the campers, this was their first time shooting, while others were already pros, (Rachel R hit one of the spinning targets so many times it broke!), but they all had an incredible time, raving about the trip. “I loved shooting things!”; “It was awesome.”; “I loved holding a gun like Angelina Jolie – it was like I was in a movie, shooting things!” A huge shout out to the instructors and volunteers who made this unforgettable experience possible.

-T

The Color Run

August 15, 2013Leave a Comment

Camp Simcha Girls 2013 would simply by incomplete without Camp Simcha’s famous Color Run! And sure enough, the unforgettable activity completely lived up to it’s reputation. As both staff and campers – all wearing white T shirts – raced through a the Color Run, they were sprayed with colorful powder, resulting in a wonderful, rainbow of a mess – and tons of fun!

Other special activities today included Olympics in honor of Greco-Roman day. The older bunks also went to a shooting range off campus.

And scheduled for tomorrow: Major Trip y’all!!

-J

Greco-Roman Day

August 14, 2013Leave a Comment

In honor of Greco Roman Day, the Dining Hall today was decked out with stone busts, and all kinds of Greek and Roman ruins. There were even white living statues serving food in place of our familiar waitresses. There were awesome costumes worn by all, including wreathes made of golden leaves, flowing white togas, and Jessica and her counselor creatively dressed as Percy Jackson.

While this morning was packed with fun workshops, everyone is revving up for the Camp Simcha Olympic games scheduled for later today. There will be medals, there will be fun, so get ready Camp Simcha…

-J

Deal Day Gifts!

August 13, 2013Leave a Comment

The room held at least ten tables covered with all types of gifts. There were rows of makeup kits, colorful pyramids of assorted towels, piles of cute bags, and tables of nail polish, One Direction pajamas, pillows, stuffed animals, crocheted hats and more. Campers traveled excitedly around the room, receiving one of every single gift and having an amazing time. Thank you Deal volunteers so much for making this experience so memorable for all of us!

-T

Free Cycle Action Sports Show

August 13, 2013Leave a Comment

Gathered in the gym, the whole camp along with our awesome friends from Deal watched the 3 vehicular-acrobats from the Free Cycle Action Sports Team with bated breath as they performed incredible bike tricks.

One man rode with one foot on the bike seat and the other on the handlebars, steering with his foot. Then, he stood on one wheel, performing a series of wheelies. They showed off their dance moves, spinning and bouncing the bikes and flipping them around while standing on one wheel.

They then began a sequence of stunts on the ramp, rotating and flipping the bikes in the air. They bounced and spun around on one wheel at the top of the ramp before jumping and zooming back down.

Next, they called up a counselor to hold a bike steady on the gym floor. One man shot down the ramp, sped toward the bike and vaulted over it, accompanied by loud cheering from the audience.

One man stood on his back wheel, his front wheel in the air, and rode the bike by spinning the wheel with his feet. He then proceeded to spin the front of the bike around 11 consecutive times!

Laying out a blue mat, the bikers called down four counselors to lie down. Then they called down another four, for good measure. Seeing the eight counselors side by side, one camper gasped, “Oh no! They’re all gonna get crushed!” One man dragged a mini ramp up to the mat. A biker sped up toward the ramp and then hurtled over all eight girls. Then, one biker lay down on the mat as well. To spice things up, his partner placed a helmet on his tuchus, with a water bottle on top. The other biker rode back and soared over all nine people! Then, as one biker sat on his bike, another leapt over him.

For the final act the bikers rocketed up the ramp and executed full 360° flips off the top, riding back down and pulling up on one wheel. When the Free Cyclers bowed, the entire gymnasium exploded with thunderous applause.

-T

WHY, It’s 50’s Day!

August 13, 2013Leave a Comment

It’s Automatic. It’s Systematic. It’s Hyyyydromatic. Why – It’s Camp Simcha’s 50’s day!

A lit neon sign let the campers know the ‘Simcha Diner’ was open and running when they arrived at the Dining Hall for breakfast. Everyone’s dressed up in pink poodle skirts and leather jackets, and attempting their best 50’s dance moves. Elvis Presley is roaming the campus, guitar and all. Today’s Deal Day, which means lots of fun (and awesome gifts) scheduled for later today. So we’ll be back to tell you more, tell you more…

-J

Simon Sez

August 12, 2013Leave a Comment

“I’m old on the outside, but young on the inside.” Simon looked around. “That means that even though on the outside I’m a grown-up man, inside I’m just like you,” he pointed to a young camper in the front. “A little girl.” Steve Max, aka Simon Sez, engaged the camp in the Social Hall both with both his complex routines and his comedy.

First, he called Chaya and Keren up, and Simon Sed they had to “give a mean serious face” (which turned out to be a little harder than they expected).

Then, Simon called up a group of campers to sing the words “Camp Simchaaaaaaaaaaa,” dragging out the line as long as possible, until they ran out of breath, as he demonstrated. As it turned out, he was able to not only keep the whole camp laughing with his comic entertainment, but amuse us with his operatic singing voice as well. Some of the campers’ lung capacities were very impressive as well!

Next, all the campers lined up to receive an individual short challenge from Simon. Bombarded with a rapid-fire stream of commands, hands flew everywhere, following what Simon Sed: “SimonSezup-SimonSezdown-SimonSeznose-SimonSezears-SimonSeznose-SimonSezears-SimonSeznose-SimonSezears-SimonSezchin-SimonSezbelly-SimonSezup-SimonSezdown…Beeeeeeautifulll Tov Meooohd,” he crooned.

Finally, the whole hall stood up (as Simon Sed), and had a floor-shaking dance party! The show ended off with the camp singing along to “Weeeee Are The Chaaaaampions.” A huge shout-out to Steve Max (and his Bubby) and rock on Simcha Champions!!

-T

The Stars of Camp Simcha: Elisheva

August 12, 2013Leave a Comment

Elisheva just arrived to camp yesterday.
“What has been your favorite part of camp so far?”
“I don’t know. Everything.”
“I guess it’s hard to choose since you just came.”
“No, it’s not that. It’s just that every thing is special.”

-J