Subscribe to our Newsletter


click to dowload our latest edition

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

OpEds

Bnei Akiva machaneh – from camping to glamping

Published

on

The minute you drive onto the Bnei Akiva campsite, the energy, hubbub, and presence of more than a thousand excited participants is palpable.

There’s activity everywhere you look. There are kids jumping on trampolines, swinging on swings, playing soccer, volleyball, and pretty much every other sport. There’s music blaring from various sources, announcements over the loudspeaker, an underlying buzz of chatter and excitement, and there just seem to be kids running in every direction you look.

Bnei Akiva machaneh 2024, Machaneh Oz, has come a long way from the Bnei of old. Camp, the campsite, and the campers have evolved through the years. The first major change is the mode of transport. Back in the day, the majority of attendees who hail from Johannesburg, would converge on Park Station in the old Johannesburg central business district to board a passenger train with six kids in each compartment, each equipped with enough sandwiches and food supplies for the full three weeks. Two nights and a full day would be spent wayfaring south through the Karoo and the Cape landscapes. Despite the long journey and non-luxurious sleeping arrangements, this was always a highlight. The modern-day camper now drops off their trommels for mass trucks to lug down a few days before, and simply boards a plane, arriving fresh and lively.

One small trommel has now become two supersize trommels, with enough electrical equipment to boost the Eskom grid, and food and clothing to survive an apocalypse. Real buildings, termed kfar chabibi have been constructed to house the now full staff of doctors, clinicians, councillors, rabbis, and specific support staff. Swimming pools have been built to cater to those who may find the 15-minute walk to the beach too taxing. Mini golf, trampolines, swings, and play equipment are dotted around the campsite to ensure that campers are never bored and maintain their golfing handicaps. Action courts have been installed to cater to the sports enthusiasts and their supporters, including netball, volleyball, and soccer. These sports contribute to the continued energy and excitement that extend into the evenings and sometimes early mornings. Full fitness points would definitely be awarded by Discovery for them all.

The tuck shop is fully stocked, including options for real coffee and the essential “freezo”. It’s housed in a structure with a top deck, allowing for chilling and a bird’s-eye view of the happenings across the campsite. Gone are the mass containers of sugar-inducing Oros, replaced with water fountains, far better suited to the nutritional requirements of millennials. The food has also improved tremendously, forgoing the daily canned sweetcorn for greater variety. Benny, who runs the kitchen and has attended 23 camps attests to this. Sanitiser is provided at the entrance to each chader ochel (eating hall). This could be a remnant of the COVID-19 pandemic, but additional hygiene is always applauded.

The only solution for laundry in the past was a bar of Sunlight soap. This, too, has progressed into campers being offered the opportunity to send their dirty clothes offsite to be laundered for a small fee – a great saving for many parents on their kids’ return.

The requirement to sneak into the maddie showers at 03:00 to benefit from the hot water is also not needed as all showers are equipped with hot water and the ultimate spoil of shower doors.

The latest upgrade on the campsite is the installation of charging boxes. These look like the old classic post boxes, the closest most of these kids will ever come to such a structure. They allow for each camper to store and charge their cellphones safely – a metzia (saving grace).

Everyone onsite dons a Bnei band on their wrist, which allows them to pay at the tuck shop and be counted for the beach and various outings. Security is nothing short of superb, with a massive team providing the highest security around-the-clock.

The most impactful improvement on the campsite, though, would have to be the new, supersize, luxurious tents. These come with a built-in groundsheet, massive windows on each side allowing for the free flow of air and cooling, as well as a gazebo attached at the front. Campers also bring additional gazebos and camping chairs with them, ensuring the ultimate in glamping and ability to “chill” in comfort. There are various campers who like to go a step further, adding collapsable shelving, solar, fairy lights, and picnic tables … the list is endless.

An amphitheatre has been built which is used for mifkad (a gathering) before Shabbat and other collective events such as ruach (spirit) sessions. Watching everyone holding candles and singing in unison truly elevates the entire experience to a spiritual level.

One thing that definitely hasn’t changed is the commitment of the madrichim and staff and the amount of energy and effort, notwithstanding the sleepless nights, in ensuring that all required preparation is done. This past year’s rosh machaneh, Joshua Pimstein, also contributed tremendously, as one madrich commented, “He makes it run like a finely oiled machine.”

There’s no doubt that Bnei Akiva machaneh provides a warm, welcoming environment that caters to the ever-changing needs of teenagers within the context of shared values and ideology. It enables the growth of individuals, forming of lifelong friendships, memories, and the opportunity to connect. For anyone who has attended a Bnei Akiva camp, the nostalgia of being back on the campsite, or watching your own kids attend is heartwarming. In fact, it’s a privilege.

  • Dina Diamond is a mom, marketer, radio contributor, community activist, and banker.
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *