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‘A feeling of love’ – channies share machaneh moments
Teens who went to machaneh this past December haven’t stopped raving about it, saying they had the best time with their friends and gleaned a deeper understanding of their Jewish heritage.
“There was never a boring moment,” said Bnei Akiva camper Meir Levy. “You’re with your friends all the time and you get to learn something new about our religion and how to be better people.”
Levy’s favourite part of machaneh was celebrating his birthday. “I was able to spend it having fun with my friends,” he says, “It was made even better by the fact that my birthday was the day we went on tiyul.”
Similarly, Tasha Weisz, a 17-year-old Habonim chanicha, said she never felt bored once on machaneh. “There was always somebody new to speak to, and there was such an openness on the campsite where you could just go and have an entertaining conversation with anyone. I didn’t feel confined by my age group. I could just go around and banter.”
Erin Chait, a 13-year-old Habonim chanicha, said this year’s machaneh was special, particularly because of the connections she made. It made it hard for her to leave at the end.
For Chait, the best parts of the experience were Havdalah; going to the beach; and having fun in the sun with friends. “These were so much fun, and I would 100% go back to camp now if I could,” she said.
Chait particularly enjoyed the freedom that machaneh brought her, and would even sometimes run away from her madrichim when it was time to go to bed so that the fun never ended.
Weisz’s age group had a theme centred on Israel. This meant that at the beginning of camp, there were activities focused on having constructive and respectful arguments, leading up to peulot about the conflict in Israel.
“It was valuable to have maddies from Israel, to hear their personal experiences, and to gain first-hand understanding about the war,” she said.
Shalva Sifris, a 15-year-old Bnei Akiva chanicha from Yeshiva College, said, “We were having the time of our lives, whether waiting in line at the tuckshop, watching the volleyball late at night, having meaningful and fun tochniyot, ruach sessions, or tischs on Friday nights, we were just having so much fun.”
Da’el Basserabie, 17, who went on his last Bnei Akiva machaneh as a channie said that what made machaneh particularly special was the way that everyone on the campsite was interested in the learning that was taking place.
“There was such an atmosphere, especially around the Extra Quality Torah [EQT] in the afternoons and Gesher and Kollel learning in the mornings,” he said. “The Beit Midrash was never empty. Before camp, some people were completely disconnected, completely uninspired, and by the end of camp, were constantly asking the madrichim to learn more with them.”
Basserabie said one of the highlights of camp was when he walked into the Beit Midrash after midnight one night and was invited to learn with another camper until the early hours of the morning.
“There’s always something being planned,” said Weisz, “From the carnival to Shabbat to Havdalah, to band’s night, to Burning Man, to the naming ceremony, to the talent show. But the amazing thing is that these are all organised by us channies with some help from the maddies. So, amid the fun, there are these teaching moments.”
For Grade 9 Habonim camper Ben Rabinowitz, the best part of the experience was when his age group got its unique Habo name on naming night as it was a reflection of the journey that he has gone on with Habonim so far.
For Rabinowitz, it was the sense of love and care emanating from the campsite. “If there was one word to describe machaneh, it would be love. There was always someone available to help with anything, from homesickness to the latest stomach virus. By the end, camp felt like home, and we were all incredibly close, like a second family.”
“Naming night signified the Habo journey,” said Rabinowitz, “Standing together as one group was so special because it showed the growth that we have made. We just came together that night, and now we all share this unbreakable bond.”
Sifris said that the most special moment on Bnei Akiva machaneh was the first Kabbalat Shabbat session on the campsite, at which they danced and sang together for the first time. “I felt unity and happiness,” she said. “We were all dancing because we were proud and happy to serve Hashem.”
A 16-year-old Habonim channie, who didn’t want to be identified, said he felt most connected to his fellow campers when they were working together on special projects, particularly the band’s night; Habo Burn – reminiscent of the Burning Man festival; and taking part in outreach work with the community-led organisation Ivamba.
“All these projects were rewarding in a different way,” he said. “On band’s night, it was rewarding to have that jol after the work we did. Habo Burn was a beautiful and thought-provoking night. Messimah showed us how good it feels to help out, regardless if it’s in the form of outreach, painting the arch, or hanging out with other people.”
An anonymous Bnei Akiva camper who has been going on camp for the past three years said machaneh was the best way for her to spend her holiday. Her favourite part was Shabbat on camp. “It is a time when everyone is unified, and you don’t get that feeling anywhere else,” she said.
