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Session 3, Day 12

Each day at Ranch Camp is an amazing and memorable day – even the days that do not go exactly as planned. Every so often, especially later in the summer, the skies will open up and a rainstorm will put outdoor plans on hold. Today was one of those days, but this did not put a damper on the spirit and energy of the camp, as everyone adapted quickly and were able to engage in entertaining and meaningful activities despite the torrent outside.

Though the morning was run as usual, clouds covered the sky by the afternoon, and by the end of menucha a drizzle had begun. Instead of regular planned chugs, each unit met in a different area of camp to take the extra time to finish up what they had begun during the evening program the night before. This evening program, a new one this summer, was made even more meaningful by the experience the campers had on Israel Day. Feeling more connected and in tune with the country, each unit gathered together to make care packages to send to Israeli children who are staying in bomb shelters. The campers sent materials for games as well as handwritten instructions for creative ways to pass the time, and each package included notes from the campers wishing them luck and safety.

After their packages were complete, the camp spend the time indoors hanging out with each other, making friendship bracelets, reading books, playing games, and getting to know the kids in other cabins and units. Once the rain had let up and it was safe to do so, everyone went back to their cabins to relax until dinner, now only about half an hour away – though the afternoon plan had been quickly switched around, it didn’t stop everyone from having fun, and the time had flown by quickly.

By dinnertime, the storm had passed, and everyone was itching for something active to do after a satisfying but sedentary day. Luckily, the evening program was Candyland, a brand new, never before seen by Ranch Camp, scavenger-hunt-board-game-competition extravaganza! Each cabin worked as a team to roll a die six times, with the goal of getting each number once in order to collect the largest variety of candy. Depending on which number was rolled, the cabins ran around camp to collect their candy. But this candy was not for eating – after a set amount of time, the camp gathered back in the Chad, and used their collected sweets to build the best candy castle they could!

Though the staff work hard to plan out an engaging, exciting session, some of these plans can be overshadowed by unpredictable events – in this case, usually weather. This is why rainy-day plans are always in the camp’s collective back pocket, ensuring that no matter the situation, everyone will continue to experience the incredible opportunities that Ranch Camp provides.

Session 3, Day 11

The sunset tonight marked the ending of the second Shabbat of the session, what would in other sessions be the last Shabbat – but, as one of the many upsides of a longer session, the Session 3 campers get to experience three Shabbat celebrations at camp. No matter how many Shabbats anyone may have the chance to experience, it’s immediately obvious that this time at camp is like no other. With each Shabbat, the camp community grows stronger, and the songs and prayers become more meaningful.

This week’s Shabbat celebrations began Friday evening, as the entire camp gathered in the South Village commons before filtering down to the pavilions for services. The services here are spirited and lively, keeping the kids engaged and making sure they know what is going on. Services this week began with a dance lead by the Chalutzim unit to a popular Israeli song, to wake everyone up and instill energy into the rest of the service. With hand motions, clapping, dances, and the opportunity for campers to help lead prayers onstage, there was never a dull moment.

As the hour began to wind down, the community moved together to the Chad for a traditional Ranch Camp Shabbat dinner – soup, vegetables, chicken, and of course, babka (or chocolate challah) for dessert. Full and satisfied, the camp moved locations once again, the last time for the night, to the basketball court. Israeli dancing, or rikkud, is one of the most anticipated parts of Friday evenings. As the sun set over the camp, the spotlights kept the court bright, and as the rest of the property quieted into night, the camp’s voice rose as one for a last song circle.

Saturday, to continue the night before, is usually a more relaxed day at camp, with a lot of cabin time and an extended Menucha to rest and store energy for the rest of the week. After a late wake-up and walk in breakfast (the food, bagels and lox, another tradition), the camp gathered in Eddie’s Corner for morning services. These, too, are very interactive, with another dance to start the day, campers onstage to present the prayers and act out this week’s Torah portion, and a game at the end to help campers learn more about Israel.

After a restful day and a beautiful Havdalah service to separate Shabbat from the rest of the week, campers and staff alike felt content, joyful, and satisfied, ready to begin the second week of Session 3, ready to spend the next week in a place of family and community.

Session 3, Day 8

One of the most important things at Ranch Camp, something that can send a camper’s summer from good to fantastic, is the dynamic of each specific cabin. While each staff member works hard to ensure that the campers know that their cabin is their family, they’re not the only ones with the power to set the tone. Each cabin family consists of campers, staff and SITs, or Staff in Training.

The SIT program at Ranch Camp is one of the most unique programs offered here. Not quite old enough to be staff, but old enough and responsible enough to take on more challenges than the average camper, many camps struggle to figure out what exactly to do with kids entering their junior year of high school. In the past few years, the SIT program has evolved to fit their specific needs, prepare them for the demands of being staff, and give them an environment in which they can become the best versions of themselves.

One such change, implemented only last year, is that the SIT sessions don’t line up exactly with the 3 regular camp sessions. Session A begins halfway through Session 1 and ends at the end of Session 2, and Session B begins halfway through Session 2 and ends at the end of Session 3. This has multiple benefits, such as preparing the prospective staff members for being away from home for a longer period of time – the most beneficial of these being that, for the first half week of their stay, SITs don’t live in cabins with campers. The time is used instead as a sort of training week, showing them the ropes of camp and giving them valuable tools they can implement when working with children. When they do move into cabins, SITs are more prepared to be an active part of the group.

SITs are an important part of camp for the campers as well. Though staff members are the first line of support, it can be exciting and refreshing for campers to be around an authority figure who is closer to their own age, and who can relate to them in a different way. They can also bridge the age gap between staff and campers, bringing the entire cabin closer as a unit.

However, it’s important to remember that SITs are still campers, and though they have responsibilities, they have their fair share in the fun of camp as well. With onegs (or evening activities), group bonding activities, and other programs, SITs get the best of being staff and the best of being campers. They also get the opportunity to shadow a specialist during the morning activities, so that they can bring their passions to camp as well.

Though SITs live in cabins and go to activities, their unique status at camp can leave them feeling separated from the rest of the community. To remedy this, another exciting change has been added to the SIT program this year – a SIT Mentor, or “Sentor,” program. Each SIT is paired with a staff member that is neither in their specialty or their cabin, a mentor who can help with situations with an objective perspective, provide advice or solutions, or even just lend a listening ear. These last few nights, SITs and staff mentors have had the chance to introduce themselves and get to know each other for the first time.

There are many things at camp that keep people coming back year after year, new programs and activities to look forward to, trips to go on, and the advancement through the three units. The SIT program is one of those things, a valuable experience for those enrolled in the program and an exciting goal for those who are continuing their Ranch Camp experience.

 

Session 1, Day 7

It has now been a week since the first day of Session 3. Seven days in which Ranch Camp has already become a home to many, and cemented its place in the hearts of those who are returning. In only those seven days, the bonds between campers have been created quickly and strongly, and kids have grown in ways they may never have expected.

In any other session, the kids’ time at camp would be halfway over. This is what makes Session 3 so special, the thing that sets it apart from the others – instead of two weeks, the kids stay at camp for 19 days. Though an extra five days may not seem like much, it allows for a much wider array of programming and activities that the other sessions, though special in their own right, don’t have time for. This was especially apparent today, as this was the first special program day of the session – Israel Day!

During Sessions 1 and 2, the Israel Day festivities took place only in the afternoon. This session, Israel Day was, as the name should suggest, a full-day affair. After a breakfast of shakshuka and pita, the campers willingly put their usual daily activities on hold to travel around to different stations, designed to help the kids learn about and connect to the country that seems to some so distant. Throughout the morning, campers participated in activities that taught them about the language, geography, and culture of Israel. They played games, won competitions, flexed their artistic muscles, and even got a chance to make their own pita.

Lunch was just as exciting as breakfast – tahini chicken, another new food that was surprisingly popular. Feeling full and refreshed, the camp was excited to jump into the afternoon’s activity – not the regularly scheduled chugs, but a camp-wide game. A combination of Mission Impossible and Ranch Camp Idol, it was reminiscent of some popular evening programs, but with an Israeli twist. Cabins worked together to find the Israeli counselors hiding around the campus. Once located, they dressed them up in funny costumes, and then took some time to choreograph a dance to a song. However, these were not just any songs, but songs that are popular in Israeli, another way to help kids connect to the foreign culture. The dances were incredible, each group’s unique, a display of their own personalities.

But Israel Day was not yet over. With spirits high from the performances, the campers retreated to their cabins to prepare for the shuk. Each cabin created their own product to sell at the traditional Israeli market, ranging from friendship bracelets to hot chocolate, hair braiding to paper pet adoption.

This is one of the more popular evening programs, and once there, it’s easy to see why. With their monopoly-money shekels, each camper was able to choose what they wanted to buy. Not only did they get a taste of financial responsibility and the opportunity to choose what they spent their money on, they also got to see the effects of their hard work as campers from other cabins came to their table in excitement.

It was a full day, filled with activity and fun, and everyone fell asleep quickly, worn out but with smiles on their faces. Israel Day is always fun, but the fun is only a part of what makes it so important. It is a day to help kids and staff alike connect with a country that is such an important thing in the lives of many Jews, but something that can be difficult to relate to in such a political climate. At camp, kids can ask questions and learn about Israel without judgement, and focus on the culture, geography, and history of the country in an environment of acceptance and support.

Session 3, Day 5

For many campers, as it has been in other sessions as well, the evening programs are the most memorable of Ranch Camp activities. Though most of the programs are the same from one session to the next, the people involved (especially the campers) make each individual program as different as night and day. Even the campers who have been here for years can count on every night being a new experience.

These past two nights have been no exception – in fact, they may have been the most unique and exciting evening programs of the summer.

Tonight’s evening program was Ranch Camp Idol. It’s a rainy day program, not used every session, but always in programming’s back pocket in case of inclement weather. This, however, does not mean that it’s not as exciting as the other evening programs. After dinner, the camp split up into cabin groups to choreograph dances to songs of their choice before meeting in the Mo to perform them.

Ranch Camp Idol is such a special activity in part because the majority of the night is created by the campers. The dances they create exemplify the ways they have learned and grown in just these few days, working together to support their fellow campers and using their creativity to think outside the box. This show was particularly special. Each cabin’s performance was evidence of their connections to each other, and the support that the kids had for each other without prompting from staff was inspiring.

On the day before, Saturday, Ranch Camp was honored to welcome the band Nefesh Mountain into the community, a Jewish bluegrass group from New York. They first lent their musical talent to Havadalah, the closing ceremony of Shabbat, making the ceremony stand out from weeks past. The camp then migrated to the Pavilions, where the band put on a concert to be remembered.

This particular kind of music was new to some, and the younger kids particularly were unsure of what to expect. It did not take long for the uncertainty to vanish, as the group was welcoming and inviting, engaging campers of all ages and ensuring that everyone was enjoying themselves. As the music rose to a crescendo, the entire Ranch Camp family danced together, close to the stage and on it, not just a concert but a celebration of Judaism, community, and especially family. It was a perfect moment, a feeling that transcends words, full of the knowledge that this group of people is not only connected by a common location, but by the values and human connection that makes our family whole.

 

Session 3, Day 2

The days at Ranch Camp start early, the mornings bright and full of energy. By 7:45, everyone is awake and ready to start the day, and gathered together in the commons for degel. The morning circle may be named for the raising of the flags, but is full of so much more. Besides both the American and Israeli national anthems, we sing the prayer “Modeh Ani” to welcome our souls back into our bodies, and “Shiga’on” to learn new Hebrew words every day.

After some rousing songs and a filling breakfast, the camp was bursting with the energy needed to start the day. The two older units – Metapsim and Toshavim – gathered in the commons to split up into their activity groups. Instead of spending all day with their cabins, the activity groups give campers the opportunity to branch out and make friends with kids in other cabins and units.

As the groups dispersed, shouts of joy and excited chatter could be heard all around camp. From the pool to teva, arts and crafts to mountain biking, ropes course to Israeli dancing, everyone was glad to finally get into the activities they’ve been looking forward to all year.

With everyone having so much fun, the time passed quickly, and lunch and Menucha came and went in the blink of an eye. Feeling refreshed, the camp gathered once again in the commons – not to break into activity groups, but to split up for chugs!

For many campers, chugs, or free activities, are the best parts of the day. Instead of following a schedule, they get to do the things that they are passionate and excited about. Usually, one of the chugs changes every day, while the other chug is a week-long activity. Today was slightly different, as the upcoming Shabbat would interrupt a week-long chug. Instead, we had two daily chugs, encouraging campers to explore the things that make camp exciting to them.

The day slowly began to wind down, the sun inching lower in the sky – but there was one last thing to do before bedtime: opening campfire.

The entire camp found seats on the logs around the campfire, the flame keeping the area bright as the sky grew dark. The bonds between campers, both new and old, were strengthened by the songs, stories, and s’mores that were shared. When the time came for everyone to go to bed, the campers walked away a little taller than they had come, fortified by the community they found themselves a part of. They fell asleep quickly, knowing they are in a place of belonging, and looking forward to seeing where their second family will take them.

Session 3, Day 1

It has been many weeks since the metal gate that marks the entrance to JCC Ranch Camp swung open for the first time, welcoming in the Session 1 campers to officially begin the summer. Today, that gate opened once more, bringing in the campers for Session 3 – the last group of campers for the year.

The day began bright and early, not yet at Ranch Camp but at the Denver Jewish Day School. The green field filled with campers, staff, and families as everyone began to arrive, checking their children in, meeting some of their counselors and cabin mates, and gathering in a circle to open the session. For the first time, many of the Session 3 kids were together in one place. The new community sang a few songs and heard a few words before bidding their parents a “see you later” and boarding the buses to Ranch Camp.

Excitement rose as the buses drew closer to the property, chatters of anticipation floating up and down the aisles as the houses and stores seen through the windows were replaced with barns and fields of horses and cows. Before they knew it, the kids were off the bus once again, descending the stairs and through a human-made tunnel as greetings and choruses of the JCC Welcome Song met their ears.

Once off the buses, each cabin met the few campers who were driven directly to camp, everyone finally together. Everyone took some time to move their belongings into their cabins, unpack, and get to know each other before gathering in the Chad for lunch.

The rest of the day was just as action-packed as the morning. As they traveled around the camp, cabins took the swim test, learned about the Mir’pa’a, tried on boots at the corral, and got their cabin photos taken. While these are all necessary for success at camp, the most important times were those between the scheduled stations. All over camp, campers could be found playing group games and getting to know each other, already forming the bonds that will stay with them for the rest of the session and beyond.

After such a full day, everyone was ready for dinner, the first-night meal a new tradition: spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic bread. Satisfied and happy, the camp gathered together in the commons once more for the day. This time, there were no introductions or explanations – instead, it was the beginning of the first of many evening programs!

Like the first nights of sessions 1 and 2, the program was Bombardier. As campers raced across campus to answer the trivia questions, they had many opportunities to strengthen the bonds they had made earlier in the day, working together to answer the questions and to solve the team-building exercises assigned to them by the “medics” after being tagged by a Bombardier.

As campers retired to their bunks for the first of many nights, a silence once again fell over the camp. Though it is impossible to predict the future, everyone went to bed with a feeling in their gut, a premonition about the session to come. It was a feeling of optimism and hope, of joy and community, of anticipation and excitement. It was the knowledge that this session is going to be one of the best yet.

Session 2, Day 11

In the last few days, campers have been having the times of their lives, first at Maccabiah, then Israel Day, and then the Fourth of July. In the coming days, campers will get to experience the second Ranch Camp Shabbat of the session. All of these things are full of fun, new experiences, and opportunities to learn and grow. However, this left today as the only “normal” day left in Session 2.

After the last action-filled days, everyone was happy to settle back into routine. Campers split up into their tracks for one of the last times, with Outdoor Adventure ready to go mountain biking, field sports ready for some soccer scrimmages, and Arts and Culture ready to put the finishing touches on the musical.

Lunch and menucha came and went quickly, and soon kids were back with their cabin for their daily cabin activity. This is the time of day when the campers get a taste of what sessions 1 and 3 would be like, traveling with their cabin instead of their tracks and experiencing activities that are not encompassed by their specific interests. Cabins spread across camp to play some sports, do some Israeli dancing, try archery, sing songs in music, explore teva, and go on hikes.

As the camp gathered once again in the Chad for dinner, storm clouds began to roll over the property, something that’s fairly common here in the latter half of the summer. Luckily, everyone’s used to this, and the cancellation of the planned evening program was barely a ripple in the pond. It took no time at all for the camp to pull out a rainy day program – Ranch Camp Idol!

After dinner, each cabin had half an hour to prepare a dance to a song of their choice. Once the time was up, everyone flocked to the Mo to watch each group perform. Programs like these are always the most memorable, as the majority of the night is not designed by the staff, but by the campers themselves. It’s always a treat to get to see what the kids come up with, each cabin unique and entertaining.

As campers went to bed, the atmosphere of camp seemed to have changed. Camp is coming to an end, and there is a certain sadness associated with that – but there is also satisfaction of all they have been able to accomplish, at everything they have done to learn and grow, and happiness at knowing that they have gained a second home that will stay with them the rest of their lives.

Session 2, Day 10

There are many programs, loved by all, that are run almost every session – Maccabiah, Gold Rush, campfire. But there’s one special day that only happens once a summer: the Fourth of July. It may be too dry at camp to have fireworks, but they’re not missed among the myriad of other things that we do to celebrate.

The day started off normally enough, with campers splitting into their tracks after breakfast for a morning full of their favorite activities. But as soon as lunch rolled around, the festivities began, starting with a picnic lunch outside of the pool. With hamburgers, potato chips, pasta salad, watermelon, and red-white-and-blue jello, everyone ended the meal full and satisfied, full of energy and ready for a fun-filled afternoon. Luckily, they didn’t have to wait long, as the carnival began immediately after lunch!

The afternoon was packed with activity, as campers had most of the time between lunch and dinner to make the most out of the carnival. The kids jumped in the bouncy castle, played in a mud pit, and splashed around in the pool. Whenever they needed a break from the action, they took part in a mid-day snack of popcorn, cotton candy, and snow-cones.

An hour before dinner began, the carnival ended, and everyone made their way back to their cabins to rest and clean up. The day had been long and eventful, and many were grateful for the time. After a dinner of macaroni and cheese, the camp’s energy was up again, and everyone was ready for an active evening program.

This particular evening program is new to camp, and this was the first time it had been played. Excitement was in the air as everyone went back to their cabins to change into their team’s color (red, white, or blue), curious about the new program and enthusiastic to try it out.

And the program was… the Fourth-of-Dodgeball-Capture-the-July-Flag-Game-Party-Extravaganza! The name may be confusing, but the rules were not. In a three-way capture the flag competition, each color tried to grab the other team’s flags, each attached to a counselor who was running around and trying to evade the campers’ grasps. As players crossed their team’s boundary, they were targeted by dodgeballs from the other teams. Run fast enough, and they were safe – but if they got hit by a dodgeball, they were out, sentenced to time in “jail” until the next jailbreak.

The game was more than a success. As the sun began to set, clouds moved in, and a few stray raindrops fell over the field – but the kids were having too much fun to notice. By the time two games had been played, and it was time to go to bed, campers were exhausted with the effort they had expended, and rightfully proud of themselves at the teamwork that each group had displayed. Everyone fell asleep quickly, tuckered out and satisfied with the day’s events.

The Fourth of July is a day that is often full of tradition – and for many campers, especially those who are at camp for the first time, it can be difficult to adapt from their families’ traditions to ones that are unfamiliar. But the support that each camper receives from the Ranch Camp family makes this transition smooth, so much so that it is nearly unnoticeable. By the end of the day, each camper was glad to be at Ranch Camp, full of joy and excitement, and the knowledge that these traditions, and this community, are things that will be there for them for the rest of their lives.

Session 2, Day 10

Every day at Ranch Camp is a fantastic day, but there are some that stand out the most. These are the days when something special and out of the ordinary happens, like the water days we had earlier, or days like Maccabiah. Today was one of those days.

As they walked down to degel, campers could immediately tell that something was different – the air was permeated by excitement. The decorations adorning the stairs up to the Chad and the new arrangement of the tables further added to the mystery. Many had an inkling of what was happening, but no one knew for sure until Idan, one of the Israeli delegation, made the announcement: it’s Israel Day!

Israel shows up in many ways throughout camp, with the most notable being the Israeli delegation, along with many signs in Hebrew and an “Israel Trail” in the Outer 400. Though Israel is always a part of camp culture, this is never quite as evident as it is on Israel Day. Throughout the day, campers get to experience the culture of Israel without having to leave the comfort of camp, as Ranch Camp transforms to reflect the country so far away.

The day began at breakfast. The Chad was permeated with the delicious smell of eggs cooked in tomato sauce – a dish called shakshuka, a traditional Israeli breakfast food. This strain of exploration continued throughout the day, with a lunch of falafel and dinner of tahini chicken.

The morning activities commenced as usual, with campers splitting into their tracks to pursue their interests through the specially designed programs. But in the afternoon, Israel Day truly kicked off. Instead of the usual schedule (cabin activities and then a free choice activity), campers traveled with their cabins to different stations all around camp. Through fun games and activities, they learned how to make pita, some historical trivia, about different Israeli foods, and about the geography of the country.

After dinner, everyone went back to their cabins to prepare for the evening activity: an Israeli shuk, or market. Each cabin was ecstatic about creating their own product to sell. After half an hour, the camp gathered in the Chad again, everyone excited to set up their own creative booth. With chocolate balls, gel pen tattoos, caricatures, friendship bracelets, and paper-pet adoption, the campers were thrilled to spend the “money” they earned. Not only did everyone have a blast, but kids got the opportunity to manage money for themselves and see the results of their hard work.

There are many reasons that Israel Day stands out in the minds of many. The most significant is that it is a day full of meaning. There are not many places where it is possible for kids to learn about Israel in a truly neutral environment, without politics involved, and this is what we give them here at camp. We give them the opportunity to learn about the culture and the history of an amazing place, and to question and discover in an environment of tolerance, acceptance, and support.