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8/2/2019 1 Comment The Weekly Schmooze Issue #4
 K’ton Ton Week 4 took us to Africa! We began our safari by making jungle masks! Some of us were lions, elephants and others were monkeys. On Wednesday, we made lion pancakes! They were delicious! All week we practiced our dances (thank you Kristi) and couldn’t wait for Parent Visiting Day. Finally, the day arrived. It was so nice to see the smiles on parents faces as they had the chance to visit so many of our camp specialists. They went to yoga, drama, cooking, Jiu Jitsu, science and got to see Brian and his awesome animals. We hope everyone enjoyed camp and finally understand why your kids come home tired and dirty! We’re looking forward to this week’s adventure as we head out to explore Asia. Shalom Shalom had so much fun this week traveling around Africa. We watched the Extreme Magic of Eric, he was so talented and everyone was so impressed. We made African collar necklaces and spent lots of time practicing for our show. Shalom had a blast at the Crayola Factory. We made our own crayons, colored scribble scrubbie pets, did spin art, melted crayons into rings and made pictures with wax from melted crayons. We really enjoyed having our family and friends here to visit us at camp. All of our campers did great in our camp show. It's hard to believe that we are already half way through the summer! We are very excited to travel around Asia next week! Chalutz As we wrap up on our fourth week of camp, Jeff and I would like to reflect on some of the standout moments! During week four Chalutz traveled through “Africa”, learning fun facts as well as historical information about African countries and cultures. Chalutz campers also participated in collaborative art projects such as “Wacky Animals” and “Tribal Masks”! The campers and counselors enjoyed their trips to the movies and to FunPlex! Chalutz practiced the value of “Caring of Nature” throughout the week by creating bird feeders with the Nature Specialist, learning about mammals in Maccabiah This week was another fun week in Maccabiah. As our cooking project next week, we made Marshmallows on the Braai, an African treat. This treat was made by dipping marshmallows into a melted chocolate and decorated them with sprinkles. We also attended a Mets game, resulting in a 4-0 win against the San Diego Padres. We would like to think we were the Mets good luck charm. On Friday, we were happy to have parents join us for family visiting day so they could see the fun activities we participate in. We thank you for your continued support! We are looking forward to Dorney Park and Painting with a Twist for week 5! Teen Travel This week, we went on our first overnight trip. We began our day by heading to Hershey Park. The weather held up as many campers took on some of the biggest and fastest roller coasters in the world. Campers then went to Chocolate World, to satisfy all of their chocolate needs and more. The night ended in our hotel, where the campers had fun hanging out with their friends. On Tuesday, the campers had breakfast, went for a morning swim, and camp back home to some delicious pizza! On Wednesday, we attended Dave and Buster’s, in the Staten Island Mall, where campers were treated to a great buffet, and then given game cards to take in to the arcade and accumulate tickets. Campers were then allowed to walk around the mall and shop. On Thursday, we attended a New York Mets game at Citi Field. It was awesome when our camp was shown on the Jumbotron, and the atmosphere was electric! The Mets won the game 4-0, and it was a lot of fun! Friday we attended Shabbat, played Minute to Win It, and had a blast. We ended this really fun week with bowling and some Marino Ices. We cannot wait to see what Week 5 has in store! Marvin’s Jr. It was an amazing week at camp for our Marvin’s Juniors Campers. New and returning campers enjoyed many fun, exciting activities such as drama, science, arts/crafts and Jiu Jitsu. Campers enjoyed two trips this week to the Crayola Factory and Splashplex Water Park. At the Crayola Factory, campers were able to create their own crayons and work on many hands-on activities! It was a great time! At Splashplex Water Park we enjoyed water slides, swimming pools and much more! We ended our week with our amazing Shabbat celebration which truly shows our camp spirit and values! Marvin’s Week 4 started off with a great magic show! We had so much fun watching! Our rainy day on Tuesday didn’t stop us from having so much fun at the movie theater watching The Lion King! On Wednesday we had a blast at Clementon Splash World and Park! So many fun rides and games. We made and decorated pancakes on Thursday, and Friday we loved having our parents visit camp! Melissa Soto was one of our Mensch’s for week 4 because she came into camp on her second or third day with lovely notes for her counselors and her directors! She is so sweet and caring and we love having her at camp! Marvin’s More Week 4 for MORE was so much fun! On Monday we teed off at Monster Mini Golf, and enjoyed the arcade afterwards. Tuesday we avoided the rain indoors and drove Go Karts and played Laser Tag at iPlay America. Wednesday we hit some roller coasters and slid down water slides at Dorney Park. The fourth trip of the week took us to Brooklyn where we toured the Prospect Park Zoo and enjoyed the beautiful weather. We wrapped up our week on Friday at Launch Trampoline Park where we bounced around, and climbed through obstacle courses! 
What does Sensei Lou see in Ju Jutsu that has made him dedicate his life to it? One aspect of the art form that he appreciates is the benefit to one’s physical, mental, and emotional health. Practicing Ju Jutsu is a great outlet for exercise. The sport relies on a good physique and endurance, which one gets from being active. In Lou’s teachings, he not only explains how to perform the moves of Ju Jutsu, but he also explains why they work and the theory behind the art. In this way, Lou blends the science behind the art form with the art itself. Emotionally, Ju Jutsu offers a great outlet to relieve all feelings of stress in a safe and enriching way. One can learn how to defend themselves and experience all of their emotions, all while having a great time. Ju Jutsu relies heavily on the Samurai’s Code of Bushido. In this code lie the values that are center to the art form. These values include Gi (making the right decision based on truth), Gu (bravery and courage), Jin (compassion), Melgo (glory without ego), Mokoto (Sincerity from the heart), and Chugo (Loyalty and devotion). Students of Ju jutsu learn these values which aid their training, as well as their regular lives. While one assumes that a samurai is brave and compassionate, Lou wants students to integrate these values into their own lives. He wants his students to be respectful of others, dedicated to their family, and true to themselves. When a student does all of these things, they are on the way to becoming a great Ju Jutsu artist, as well as a great person. Many campers had positive things to say about their experiences learning Ju Jutsu. Matthew Rosen (Marvin’s) exclaimed “I LOVE IT!” Specifically he loved the opportunity to learn the skills that Sensei Lou teaches such as sparring and kicking. Camp veterans Matthew Benet, Mikey Kloke, and Michael Torres (Maccabiah) all affirmed what an effective teacher Lou is. They also made remarks about how exciting this new addition to camp is. Finally, Chalutz campers Jacob Razefsky enjoys learning how to perform special and unique moves each week, while Frankie Occhiogrosso enjoys learning how to defend himself if he ever needed to. The overall outlook seems clear, campers are excited about this new camp activity.  NatureWhen God created the first person, God showed Adam the trees in the Garden of Eden, and said to Adam: “See My works, how fine they are; Now all that I have created, I created for your benefit. Think upon this and do not corrupt and destroy My world, For if you destroy it, there is no one to restore it after you.” From the Jewish tradition We are so fortunate to be located on the magnificent Henry Kaufmann Campgrounds with its majestic trees, beautiful pond and inviting hiking trails. Friends from the animal kingdom –deer, chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, frogs, turtles - greet our campers every day in their natural habitat. Undoubtedly, the beautiful setting cultivates a sense of awe for, and an appreciation of, nature in our children. Under the direction of our nature specialist, the children have made bird feeders, explored our aquatic habitat, and learned about the metamorphosis of butterflies. In the process, the children are learning to protect the environment and internalize the message to not litter and pollute so that future generations will have the opportunity to enjoy the same trees, ponds, and hiking trails that they do. A Story from the Jewish tradition about Nature A long time ago, there lived in Israel a man named Honi the Circle Maker. He was a very wise man. One spring day, Honi went for a walk. “What a lovely sunny day it is today,” he thought to himself. He noticed that there were people in the fields planting vegetables and fruit trees. As he passed by a little house, he saw an old man planting a tree. “Why would such an old man be planting a tree?” he wondered. “It takes a very long time for fruit trees to grow, and planting is hard work. He might not even be around when the tree is big enough to give fruit.” Then Honi said aloud, “Excuse me sir, but what kind of tree are you planting?” “This sapling is a carob tree,” said the man. “I love to eat carob. In about seventy years, this tree will produce carobs good enough for eating.” “Do you think that you will live seventy more years and be able to eat the carob fruit,” asked Honi. The man looked surprised. “Oh no! But I remember seeing carob trees growing when I was a little boy. I ate some of those carobs and they were so delicious! Those carob trees were planted by those who wanted to leave a gift for younger people. I am planting this tree as a gift for the people who will be living seventy years from now. Then they can enjoy eating carob, too. Just as my parents and grandparents planted trees for me, so I plant trees for my children and grandchildren.”
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