WOW! What a wonderful week of camp it’s been. This week we welcomed kids to Makom Community South Philly for the very first time!
What a joy it was to consider community and pioneering with our very own community of Makom pioneers. Kiddos decided what to name the classrooms: The Rainbow Room, and The Alef-Bet Room, and came up with our own agreement about how we wanted to act and treat each other throughout camp. That included collaborative problem solving in a few areas. One was that we discovered the rocks in the yard are very fun to play with and can also be distracting. Together we decided to keep the rocks on the ground so no one gets hurt, to wiggle when we need to wiggle, and to fill holes back with rocks once we are done digging.
Kiddos reflected on symbols that represent leadership and we came up with our own Makom community flags. One camper volunteered the idea that “leaders show others what to do” Another learner suggested that leaders “listen, and show kindness.” Together, campers generated a list of symbols that communicate leadership:
- Bow ties
- Hearts
- The star of David
- A thinking face
- A brain
- An arrow
- A Black Lives Matter flag
- A fist held high in the air
- An ear
- A list
- A crown
- A meditating figure
- A fog horn
- A scepter
We looked at the artwork of Israeli artist Hanoch Piven who works with found objects. We even had an opportunity to meet and create art with him on Zoom across the globe while we created our very own Piven-inspired artwork alongside our friends at Makom Community Center City.
We sang and moved our bodies during Tefilah: Prayer, Music, and Movement. The whole week was full of Ashrei (happy) moments, as I observed campers expressing chesed (kindness) to their new friends. When one kiddo was feeling sad another kiddo came up with an idea for an activity to cheer them up. Another time I observed a learner giving up their carefully collected materials to share with a friend who was seeking that same material. Kiddos worked together to make ambitious creations, sread to each other, and took turns with Makom’s newest mascot, a puppet named Mr. Fireman.
We tinkered with upcycled materials while wearing our engineer hats and trying our hands at Rube Goldberg machines, and we got our hands messy with homemade salt dough.
At the playground we splashed in the water, collected treasures and hid them behind a beautiful huge tree, and engaged in a super-slow race. On Friday we mixed challah dough, and made portraits of our distinctive cultures. In the yard we shared meals together, and we were excited to meet Rabbanit Dasi of the South Philly Shtiebel who we are excited to be sharing a space with here on 13th St.
We had a fun-filled week at Makom. Can’t wait to spend lots more time with you this year!