The Newspaper of the URJ Greene Family Camp’s Journalism Activity

July 2012 – Av 5772 A Volume II - Number 2 A Bruceville-Eddy, Texas A Session II

Camp is over ... but memories remainBy AVERY KLATSKY

Fun in the mud

The Isaac Mayer Wise Eco-Village is the newest – and greenest – addition to Greene Family Camp.

The Eco-village opened this summer on newly purchased land. It’s home to camp’s Kibbutz unit.

One of the greenest features of the Eco-village are the dome-shaped cabins.

The “domitories" are environ-mentally friendly, according to GFC

For many kids, camp is one of the best experiences of their

Hebrew Man sorted out a language-barrier problem during Erev Yisrael.

Hebrew Man in the Ohel!

lives. Even though camp is coming to an end this summer, our favorite GFC moments will live on in memory.

This was Kohanim camper Anna Rajagopal’s first summer at Greene. She said she loved the experience. Especially having the opportunity to make new friends and having the chance to try out many of camp’s

different activities.Kohanimer Ben Goldberg’s favorite

part about camp this summer was hanging out with his bunkmates and chowing down on one of camp’s most popular meals: grilled cheese and tomato-basil soup.

Rachel Gunnels is a Niviim counselor. Her favorite memory from Session II was going to the Hawaiian Falls waterpark.

“The trip gave me the opportunity to get closer with people in my unit

See Memories on the Page 6

By ABBY LOWEY ETHAN JOHNSON

See Eco-village on Page 3

Greene Family Camp’s Hebrew Man is dedicated to the

mission of overcoming the language barrier between English- and Hebrew-speakers on camp.

The masked man played a star role during GFC’s Erev Yisrael celebration on Thursday night, July 26, performing a short skit for all the campers and staff.

While his identity is a secret, Hebrew Man agreed to an interview with the Greene Cricket-Press to talk about how it feels to be an entertaining linguistical bridge-builder.

By JAKE FINE

GFC talent takescenter stage

Max Kersh and Jacqueline Touchet put on a command performance during Session II's All Camp Variety Show on Sunday evening,July 29.

Lake Jake is one of many spots on camp where fond memories are made.

Eco-villagers mix mud for building materials for a sustainability project.See Hebrew Man on Page 9

Keeping track of one’s clothes can be a challenge at camp.

Labelingis key to lossprevention

By BELLA ZEITZ

Dozens of loads of laundry are done by GFC’s dedicated housekeeping staff every day. While they have a solid system to keep track of laundry by bunk, the occasional item can turn up missing.

Some 10 to 20 pieces of clothing are reported lost each session, according to a Greene Cricket-Press inquiry. Who knows where these lost items turn up. Perhaps they get mixed in with another cabin’s laundry by mistake. Maybe they are left stranded in a washing machine or dryer, or fall out of a laundry bag during transport. Or, maybe they simply don’t make it into the laundry pile in the first place and, instead, are left and lost somewhere else.

See Loss Prevention on Page 9

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session ii, 2012

It's more revelry than rivalry among camper siblings

By BROOKE BENJAMIN

More than 200 campers attended Greene Family Camp with siblings during Session II. The Greene Cricket-Press gathered them together for a group photo during dinner, July 26.

W hen some campers arrive at Greene, they often

are excited to leave certain things at home: chores, parents and even their own siblings.

However, this isn’t possible for some kids, who must share their camp experiences each summer with a brother, a sister, or with brothers and sisters.

According to GFC senior assistant director, Stefani Rozen, some 250 people out of the 600 on camp this session are joined by at least one sibling. That’s about 42 percent of the entire camp population.

The Greene Cricket-Press looked into why so many campers can’t seem to escape their family. Is it for the worse or for the better?

Identical twins Maddy and Abby Johnson are Melachim campers. They’ve been coming to GFC

together for the past five summers. Their older brother, Tobin, didn’t come to camp this year, but he has for the four previous years.

Maddy and Abby said they sometimes get along at home, depending on the situation, and that they often embarrass each other. But, being at camp together, at times, brings them closer together.

Dallas natives Avery and Juliet Klatsky are relatively new campers to GFC. The older Avery is in Kohanim and the younger Juliet is

in Bonim.They both said they really like

being at camp together.Avery said that having his sister

around can sometimes help when he’s missing home. It also helps when his parents come up to camp mid-session to drop off Juliet.

Avery said he treats Juliet pretty much the same at camp as he does at home. Being in different units, the siblings don’t see a whole lot of each other. But, when they do, it’s all good, they agreed. R

Some people meet at camp, become friends, then fall in love and eventually get married.

Mascot matchmaking

Greene Family Camp is home to great talent over the summer.

The brothers By HALEY DERDIGER

Perhaps none as great as a pair of brothers: Dan and Ben Lee.

Dan, 27, and Ben, 24, are as close as any brothers can be, but they have many different interests. The guitar-playing Dan is a song leader at GFC, while the camera-wielding Ben is camp’s media-video guru. Both brothers said they started their arts careers here at Greene.

Dan’s first year at GFC was on Kibbutz and it was there that he learned to play guitar. Ben’s first year was Kohanim 2 and it was there that he found his passion for video.

The Lee brothers think it’s amazing to have a sibling here at Ben and Dan Lee cultivated their different talents at GFC and now work together.

camp. Especially since they now live in different states: Dan’s in Oklahoma City; Ben’s in Austin.

During Session II, Dan worked with GFC director, Loui Dobin, and Jonathan Dobin, on a new song called, “Father’s Day,” for the 2012 GFC CD.

Megan Topelsohn, a Kohanim camper, thinks song session is fun and educational for kids. She has no favorite songs, but she loves Dan Lee as a song leader, she said.

Niviim camper, Lindsey Berkowitz, thinks media-video is a fun class. She loves Ben Lee as a media-video teacher, she said.

She’s learned a lot from Ben, like how to shoot an interview and analyze a film sequence.

Who knows, maybe Dan and Ben Lee are cultivating the next generation of camp song leaders and film media pros this session? R

By SAMANTHA SIMON

The same thing can happen to cabin mascots.Ashdod’s mascots are a pair of rubber medical

gloves that are inflated, knotted off and have faces drawn on them. Their names are Stanley and Christina Glovehead. Their union was the result of an arranged marriage here on camp – in Hebrew, it’s called a shidduch.

Stanley came into being while Ashdod camper, Arielle Klein, was in the infirmary attending to a bum knee. To make her feel better, a Camper Care team member blew up a rubber glove and drew a face on it.

Arielle kept the glove and one of her bunkmates suggested that they call him Stanley Glovehead and make him Ashdod’s mascot.

Unfortunately, Stanley suffered an untimely deflating shortly after he was created, but two new Gloveheads were made in his place. Stanley returned, accompanied by Christina. She wasn’t made from his rib, or anything super biblical like that, but they did come from the same glove box!

Anyway, Stanley and Christina were an obvious match and they soon were married in a proper ceremony with wedding attire and everything.

But, yet again, Stanley deflated, so maybe it wasn’t meant to be. Christiana is a poor widow for the time being … .

Other bunks this session also have mascots.Timna has a long-necked squash that came

from the camp garden. It’s name is Gilbert, according to Zoe Grant and Sarah Shlamai.

Arad’s bunk mascot is a Wiggles giraffe, according to Jade Gordon.

They both have long necks, Gilbert and the giraffe. Hello? Somebody make them a shidduch! R

lee

Christina Glovehead still fits into her wedding gown.

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session ii, 2012

maccabiah madness

GFC Session II saw another exciting installment of Maccabiah.

The theme this time around was “villains.” While each of the four teams earned points throughout the fun competition, the Yellow team emerged as the overall champion.

Helen Mazela is an Avodahnik who

helped judge the contest. She said it was a lot of fun seeing all the colorful campers compete, but it was also a lot of pressure, too, to award a single top prize.

Jacqueline Null, also an Avodahnik, was a judge during Session I. She said her favorite part of the annual Maccabiah experience is watching everyone get excited and join together to create team cheers.

Every year there is speculation

among campers that Maccabiah is a rigged competition in which the winning team is predetermined in order to evenly distribute wins from year to year among the Blue, Red, Green and Yellow teams.

Every Avodahnik and judge interviewed by the Greene Cricket-Press flatly rejected the rumor that Maccabiah is rigged.

An independent investigation by the Cricket-Press confirmed

that Maccabiah is a fair and open competition. The fact that there has been a fairly even distribution of wins among the four teams over the past 20 or so years appears to be pure coincidence.

Winning Maccabiah is a moot point for most campers, anyhow. An overwhelming majority of campers said they care much more about having fun during Maccabiah than winning the color-war games. R

By BELLA ZEITZ

camp director, Loui Dobin, because they consume a lot less thermal energy mass. Meaning that they stay cooler longer and use less energy.

Electricity for the domes – which have air conditioning – comes from 31 photovoltaic solar panels that are on the roof of the eco-village’s dining hall. Hot water comes from solar water heaters that also are on the roof.

The Eco-village can house up to 72 people, Loui said. Zoe Van Nostrand is one of the Session II Kibbutz campers. She and fellow Kibbutznik, Naomi Grant, were helping to build a mud oven at the Eco-village on July 26. The oven will be used to bake things like cookies and challah, they said.

Zoe said she enjoys showing all the younger campers all the environmental projects that the Kibbutznikim do every day at the Eco-village.

Zoe played a character called Eco Freako in a July 26 skit that the Kibbutznikim performed in front of the entire camp, stressing the importance of environmentalism.

Naomi, too, said she really likes the Eco-village’s focus on sustainability.

“I also really like all the free time that we have on Kibbutz. It’s cool just to hang out and chill," Naomi said.

The Eco-village sits on about three acres of land, out of the 121

new acres that camp bought this past December, Loui said. The land purchase pretty much doubled the size of GFC.

Loui said he decided to build the Eco-village because he wanted something new and he wanted to teach teens how to live more sustainably.

“We want the teens to understand how their lifestyle impacts the environment,” he said.

GFC’s Eco-village is unique. Loui said there are other summer camps that also teach sustainability, but no other camp has a facility that demonstrates sustainability concepts like GFC’s Eco-village.

Besides the domes, another green feature of the Eco-village is its water-treatment system. It takes sewage water from the Kibbutz bathrooms, purifies it, and recycles it for irrigation.

Loui said the Eco-village’s energy-saving efforts are successful. Each domitory has its own electricity meter and Kibbutznikim will learn to monitor how much energy is being consumed and how to better conserve energy.

When the Eco-village was in its pre-design phase, Loui said it looked like “Cowboys & Aliens.”

“The dining hall has a wild west look, with its cedar posts and wood siding,” Loui said. “On the other hand, the domes look like they’re from another planet.” R

Camp's new Eco-village teaches sustainability,looks like a scene from ‘Cowboys & Aliens’

Zoe Van Nostrand played Eco Freako in a skit promoting sustainability.

Eco-Village From Page 1

Yellow

Blue

Green Red

behind the scenesPage 4greene CriCket-Press

session ii, 2012

When the sun goes down and the summer breeze sweeps across GFC, most folks tuck in for the night.

By GAVIN McDANIEL

But not everyone.The Greene Cricket-Press prowled around a

moonlit camp on July 26 to see who staffs the night shift and what sort of work and activities that entails.

Lights in the front office were on, so we went inside. Camper Care director, Reut Ratzon, was busy at her desk making sure all the campers are okay and following up with parent emails and phone calls. She said she typically works until midnight, but the evening we interviewed, she was up till 3 a.m.

Some strange things happen at night, Reut said. Like one night, someone dressed in a gorilla suit walked by the Camper Care office, waved and then vanished without saying a word.

Lights were on in the nearby camp film studio, but video guru, Ben Lee, had the door closed as he worked on sound editing. We didn’t disturb the guy who puts in some of the latest hours on camp.

GFC senior assistant director, Stefani Rozen, also was in the office, catching up on some nagging paperwork. Kadeema Woodbyrne was on the phone at the front desk, patching a parent call over to the infirmary. The camp’s front desk is staffed till 1 a.m.

Chocolate Pop Tarts help the front office staff get through the night shift, they said.

There’s a lot of activity down on the Eco-village after dark. Kibbutz has a later cabin curfew than the younger camper units. It was well after 10 p.m. when we arrived and the Kibbutznikim were gathered in their dinning hall watching a movie. The washing machines were humming outside.

On our way back to main camp, we ran into a night security detail. The Israeli security team cruises all over camp to make sure everything, and everyone, is safe and where they’re supposed to be. When we happened upon them, they were rescuing a stranded golf cart that had run out of gas.

The infirmary is also lights on pretty much all night. Camp’s medical staff spend their evenings sorting out the next day’s medications, and attending to late night stomach and headaches,

fevers and anything else that comes aknockin’ at 2, 3 and 4 a.m. Late night is also a good time to fold some laundry and replenish the nurse water supply.

The staff lounge, however, is the place to be after hours. The room is teeming with counselors and staff, who sit behind laptops, tablets and smartphones, or who enjoy a show on the huge flat-screen TV. The Food Network’s popular cooking competition, “Chopped,” was playing the night we visited.

Ellison “Tookie” Rhodes manages Tavern on the Greene, a short-order café that opens in the staff lounge at 9:30 p.m. and serves as late as 1 a.m. on busy nights. Tookie said the most popular items on the menu this summer are the milkshakes. He’ll churn out as many as 30 in a single night.

Our last stop for the evening was at the high ropes course, which hosted a night climb for staffers. Challenge Course specialist Sarah Beth Gordon was one of half a dozen climbers who took advantage of the opportunity.

She said her favorite thing about being up late at night on camp is seeing all the beautiful and bright stars up in the sky. R

Mail is easily one of the most exciting things around camp.

By ROMY PEIN

You've got mail!

How many times have you anticipated receiving a letter or a package – then finally received it, and eagerly tore open the paper or box and poured over its contents.

GFC’s mail maven, Sherry Freeman, said that some 500-600 letters and packages are delivered to camp every week!

“People tend to mail more letters than Bunk1 notes,” Sherry told the Greene Cricket-Press.

Packages average between 60 and 130 per day. Most arrive within a few days of being mailed. Those coming from overseas, however, like from Israel, can take up to 14 days.

Delivery time of mail can be a source of frustration for some campers, who are eager for a connection to home or who are waiting for a replacement item for something that got lost at camp.

Bunk1 notes have the quickest delivery time of only one day, Sherry

said. The average domestic snail mail takes two to five days for delivery.

Some campers are very fond of the idea of being able to give Bunk1 notes to parents. This way, communication is much quicker and effective.

A Melachim camper interviewed by the Greene Cricket-Press agreed that it would be nice to be able to send notes and letters to their parents faster.

“If campers could contact their parents faster, it would give them encouragement to not only tell them more, but also, it would prevent a lot of phones from being brought to camp,” he said.

Some campers propose the idea of allotting each bunk some set time to email their parents, say, every other day. This would help those campers who are missing home, and it would also help families who are missing their kids.

Sherry said that mail for campers often continues to arrive at GFC even after everybody has gone home. She forwards those letters and packages on to the recipients at home or, if need be, returns them to the sender. Mail maven, Sherry Freeman, handles hundreds of packages and post each week. R

GFC campers: crickets are invading camp this session!

Crickets drive campers crazy

By HALEY DERDIGER

Niviim camper, Maddie Cohen, said she can’t walk anywhere on camp without crunching on the little black buggers. She’s found them

underneath her bunk bed, and they are especially concentrated around the Newlam and the gymnastics area, she said.

Fellow Niviimer, Maya Epstein, said she finds crickets all over her cabin porch – even tangled in towels and clothes that are slung over the rail. The ickiest place that crickets congregate: the cabin bathroom sink

… EWWW!If you come into contact with a

cricket – or any bug, for that matter –

be sure to wash your hands with soap and water or use hand-sanitizer, camp medical staff advised. R

the night shift

fun in the sun Page 5greene CriCket-Press

session ii, 2012

GFC’s Lake Jake got a lot better this year through the addition of new inflatables.

Trip Night is a highly anticipated evening activity that

Fun is inflated on camp's Lake Jake By AIDEN BLEILER

The additions included a four-way teeter-totter called a “Rock-it” and a rope swing. These are coupled with new inflatables from last year, the giant blob and jet-ski tube, and with additions from a couple years before, a slide and trampoline, to make Lake Jake one of the most fun places to be on camp.

GFC also built a new beachfront for the lake this year.

Camp director, Loui Dobin, keeps improving Lake Jake because he wants campers to have new and fun activities on the water.

The new inflatables were purchased after camp senior staff saw them advertised at a convention, they said. Inflatables aren’t cheap, costing $1,700 to $5,000.

Loui said he will continue to introduce new items and activities to the lake. That’s a good, according to campers interviewed by the Greene Cricket-Press, who said their favorite thing to do at camp is play on the lake.

According to those surveyed, the jet-ski tube and the blob are campers’ favorite lake inflatables this summer. R

By BROOKE BENJAMIN

The great waterpark debate

many campers love.In years past, Niviim, Kohanim,

Melachim and S’ganim campers attend the Summer Fun USA waterpark during their one-night excursion off camp. This year, however, the campers visited the brand-new Hawaiian Falls waterpark in Waco.

Which waterpark do campers prefer?

Summer Fun featured two body slides, one tube slide, a lazy river, two turbo slides, kiddie slides and a swimming pool with a ring jump. The park has not undergone renovations since 2004, so the slides are rusty and there are bugs everywhere.

“Summer Fun was always gross, and a little boring,” said Melachim camper, Lucy Alpert.

Hawaiian Falls, on the other hand, is in much better condition, as it’s a new park. It’s home to two tube slides, four body slides, a racing slide, a wave pool, a lazy river, a pool with basketball hoops and a lily-pad climb,

Rollercoaster rumor

There’s a persistent rumor on camp that there’s a secret

By BEN GOLDBERG

underground rollercoaster called the Green Monster.

According to GFC staff interviewed by the Greene Cricket-Press, the ride is real.

In the staff lounge, there’s a door opposite the entrance to the dinning hall. Inside that door, there’s another door, and that one leads to a tunnel

that takes you to the Green Monster, according to Kohanim unit head, Paul Kleiman.

Paul said that if you walk straight in the tunnel, it’ll lead you to a bowling ally. But, if you take the turn, the tunnel gives way to the ’coaster.

“The ’coaster is super fun,” Paul said. “There are drops, twists and a cork screw. It is like the Batman at Six Flags – only much better!”

Paul said that the ride has hang-down seats that feature a Maccabiah color scheme: RGBY – red, green, blue, yellow. R

and another pool with a small lazy river, a whirlpool and kiddie slides.

“I liked Summer Fun, but Hawaiian Falls was better,” said Natalie Weissman, a Melachim camper. “There were more things to do and the park was really clean and in better shape.”

GFC senior assistant director, Stefani Rozen, said that it was the same price to rent out each park. Overall, most campers seemed to prefer Hawaiian Falls over Summer Fun, but there was one thing about both parks that proved to be bad.

“At Summer Fun, we got a hot dog, a bag of chips, a candy bar and a drink,” said Kohanimer, Hannah Simon, “while at Hawaiian Falls, we got pizza, chips a gross cookie and a soda.”

She added, “Both were pretty terrible … .”

Hawaiian Falls had a small shop where ice cream and candy is sold but, overall, the food wasn’t up to par, campers said.

“I prefer camp food,” said Molly Barth, from Melachim.

GFC made a good decision choosing Hawaiian Falls, campers said. For the same price as Summer Fun, campers were able to attend a park that had more rides and is

If chairs have mysteriously gone missing from your

Chair raids are a pain

By ABBY LOWEY in therear

cabin, chances are you’ve been hit by a chair raid.

Kohanim camper, Jade Gordon, said her cabin started losing chairs during the second activity week of Session II. She said all of the chairs in her cabin went missing except for one chair that belonged to a counselor. Jade noticed that many boys from Cabin M had been hanging around her cabin; also, other cabins suddenly were missing chairs, too.

Hmmm …Jade set out to find the chairs and

discovered that Cabin M not only had her cabin’s missing chairs but likely some additional chairs from other cabins, as well.

She promptly took two chairs and brought them back to her cabin,

she said.The Greene Cricket-Press also

learned that Cabin B has had missing chairs this session. A Cricket-Press investigation led to the discovery that Cabin M was the culprit.

Counselor Noah Donnenfield admitted that the Cabin M’ers were awarded a free pass to conduct a chair raid after scoring a 35 on a nikayon.

Cabin M may soon earn some payback, according to a few annoyed chairless campers … . R

Up ClosePage 6greene CriCket-Press

session ii, 2012

who I really didn’t know before,” Rachel said.

Another favorite moment from last session came during a “How Well Do You Know Your Counselor” activity, in which Rachel got to dump chocolate, lemonade and ice-cold water all over her co’s.

Aaron Platt is a Kibbutznik and a first-year GFC camper. He said he really enjoyed being part the inaugural group of eco-village campers. His favorite aspect of the experience: “Having the freedom of being on Kibbutz, and meeting a lot of new people,” he said.

“The whole experience was pretty awesome,” Aaron added.

Fellow Kibbutnik, Shoshana Ben-David, agreed. Her most memorable moment was during Kibbutz’s trip to schlitterbahn and tubing on the Guadalupe River.

“We really got to bond on the trip. It was so much fun and those who started the summer with a negative attitude quickly got over it,” Shoshana said.

Cooking together also provided fond memories on Kibbutz, she added.

Visiting faculty member, Marna Meyer, enjoyed a cooking experience on the Kibbutz eco-village. The education director from Congregation Emanu El in Houston made lasagna three ways with the unit.

“The teens and the Kibbutz staff were just wonderful. It was a really nice experience,” Marna said.

GFC’s Hebrew Man, whose real identity the Greene Cricket-Press agreed to protect, said his favorite

memory from Session II was when he made Darth Vader feel better under the Joshua Tree.

Leslie Leiberman is one of the inaugural S'ganim counselors. Her favorite moment from Session II was the “Nanny Dichols” concert on July 24. In particular, when Dan Nichols played the “Big Rig Song” and sang the Roman Numerals verse.

“I had a great time singing along with all my campers,” Leslie said.

Warren Weiss is one of the S'ganim campers – GFC’s new unit for rising ninth graders. This was also his first summer at Greene.

“It was nice to make new friends. And, I also really liked going to the zoo,” Warren said.

Ashley Thomas is a Niviim camper. Her favorite moment came at the end of camp when her unit put together a mock wedding for their Avodahnik, Celia. The ceremony took place at the Bandstand on July 28. The ceremony included a wedding dress, kippot, flowers, decorations, prayer books, rings and a wedding party, Ashley said.

Emily Garcia, also from Niviim, said her favorite moment was sitting in the Beit Knesset on the final erev Shabbat of the session, July 27.

“It was bittersweet knowing that this would be the last time we’d have Shabbat together this summer, but I also know that I’ll see most my friends back at camp next summer,” Emily said.

Ava Villalpando is a Bomin camper. She said she enjoyed going to the camp zoo. Getting to pet the ponies, Dixie

and Bucky, was her favorite activity.Ilanna Feldman, also from Bonim,

said she really liked the Erev Yisrael program.

“I liked when we got to take paper money and went shopping at the Tel Aviv shuk,” she said.

Isaac Narrett, Jared Imber and Ryan Yablonsky all are in Melachim together. Their standout moment from the summer was beating Kibbutz in basketball. Good defense, with few turnovers, was the key for the underdog’s historic win, they said.

Marissa Haber, an Avodahnik, has fond memories from the Avo’ trip to Lake Buchannan. They went zip-lining, did some star gazing and had a really good bonding experience with the group, she said.

Josh Daum, another Avodahnik, said his favorite moment from camp this session came during Maccabiah.

As he was playing guitar for a

spirit song, a throng of campers swelled up around him in cheer. “It was loud and empowering – really cool,” Josh said.

Aya Margalit, who heads the Israeli delegation on camp, had an emotional experience from this session that she’ll never forget.

“One of the most memorable moments for me was when we led services as an Israeli delegation,” Aya said. “We all got to share our personal feelings and our favorite camp experiences. I felt very connected to everyone in that moment.”

Aya spent her first summer at GFC in 2001. This was her first summer back at camp with her two young children. The Israeli leader was struck by the fact that she was meeting campers this summer who weren’t even born yet when she started coming to GFC. R

Memories From Page 1

Dozens of campers got to check out the Kohanim Variety Show earlier this session, but only the

Greene Cricket-Press caught the inside scoop.Truman Matheny performed a comedy routine

that earned him a spot in the All Camp Variety Show on Sunday night, July 29.

“I had been listening to a lot of comedy on the radio last year and I decided to do a stand-up comedy at school in class. It wasn’t bad, so I went for the All Camp,” Truman told the Greene Cricket-Press.

Rachel Berkowitz, Brooke Frank, Devin Lemack and Gracie Arlan gave a popular dance performance. They picked a song that they all liked and started practicing two days before the show, Rachel said.

Zola Watsky did an aggressive alpine skiing act.“My friend came up with it last year and we liked

the song, so we camp up with a dance,” Zola said.Kohanim assistant unit head, Goldie Speyer,

teamed up with Kohanim unit head, Paul Kleiman, for a robot fighting act.

“We wanted kids to know they’re never too old to be a camper at heart,” Goldie said. “Our act was very last minute though and, unfortunately, we didn’t make it to the All Camp Show.” R

By SAUL ZIMMERMAN

Truman Matheny, having cracked up his peers at the Kohanim Variety Show, took to the stage again for a stand-up routine with the equally hillarious counselor, Kendra Hollingsworth, at the July 29 All Camp Variety Show.

Kohanim campers showcase talent

band campAfter the Melachim

Variety Show earlier this session, a group

By JAKE FINE

of aspiring artists joined together to form a new band, called “The Variety.”

Melachim camper, Ted Herman, is The Variety’s original idea man and lead bassist. He is also the lead singer.

Melachim camper, Ethan Weiss, plays electric guitar. This reporter,

Jake Fine, serves as manager and artistic director.

The musicians chose the name, The Variety, because the idea to start a band came from the variety show.

“We decided that ‘The Variety’ sounded much cooler than ‘The Variety Show,’ and that’s how we got the name,” Ethan told the Greene Cricket-Press.

The Variety plays mostly rock.Although the band members have preferred instruments, the roles are interchangeable. Other campers have been invited to play with the band for one-time performances.

The Variety is currently seeking a full-time drummer – someone who lives in the Dallas-Plano area. The band is looking to play live shows. The writing of original material also is being planned, along with promotions.

Ted said it’s been a challenge to find quiet places at camp to rehearse. Problematic for the band’s post-camp future is the fact that members live in different cities.

Nevertheless, the campers are excited about their new band. Being able to express themselves artistically and making friends with others who share similar interests is

what Greene Family Camp is all about, they said. R

spotlight

The last erev Shabbat of the session was a bittersweet moment, campers said.

Page 7greene CriCket-Press

session ii, 2012

Vegetable Medley

Jewish rock star, Dan Nichols, played a concert at Greene

Family Camp on July 24 that was inspired by the vegetable medley he had for dinner that night at camp.

Accompanying Nichols on stage were GFC song leaders Dan Lee (bass), Jonathan Dobin (percussion), Jon Swann (saxophone) and counselor Sarah Beth Gordon (backup vocals).

The set included some of Nichols’ hit songs, like “L’Takein” (The Na Na Song) and “Sweet As Honey,” as well as some improvised tunes, including one about – you guessed it – GFC’s vegetable medley!

The Greene Cricket-Press caught up with “the god of awkwardness” backstage between sets.

Nichols said he learned to play guitar at the Goldman Union Camp Institute when he was 15. He attended a magnet high school where he was able to take voice lessons every day his freshman year.

Having great music teachers in

school inspired Nichols to pursue music, he said.

He started writing original music when he was in college at the University of North Carolina. The first song he wrote was called, “Always There.”

Though the singer-songwriter is well-known for his Jewish music, Nichols wasn’t born an M.O.T. – Member of the Tribe.

“My family converted to Judaism when I was 7,” Nichols said. “We were the first Jews on both sides of our family tree.”

Nichols’ visit to GFC this session was his seventh time to play at camp, he said. He’s had the opportunity to play overseas, as well, including a 2008 concert at Masada, in Israel.

Besides guitar – his favorite instrument – Nichols plays bass, drums, harmonica, ukulele and a keyboard instrument called the harmonium. He’s recorded eight CDs. The new album, “The Sound of What Cannot Be Seen,” is about to be released.

What’s earned Nichols’ the nickname, “the god of awkwardness?”

“I learned to embrace awkwardness and not reject it,” he said. “Just bring it in close. I learned that instead of trying to hide from the awkwardness, I find that my life is more enjoyable and more comfortable. Just name it. Own it. And embrace it. Living that way is just more fun.”

Nichols said his favorite thing

By LILA KATZ

jtunes

about playing at GFC is the camp’s great sense of humor.

Explaining his choice of theme for his latest concert at camp, Nichols said: “What better way to express joy than a song called, ‘Vegetable Medley.’ ”

At the end of the second set, Nichols said on stage, “Next time you think of vegetable medley, think of me!” R

Dan Nichols with bassist Dan Lee and back-up singer Sarah Beth Gordon

Dan Nichols with percussionist Jonathan Dobin and saxophonist Jon Swann

Faculty rabbi enjoys teaching, learning and colleaguesat camp

Rabbi Neal Katz is one of several visiting faculty members at

By ANNA RAJAGOPAL

camp this summer. Rabbi Katz is the spiritual leader of

Congregation Beth El in Tyler, Texas. He's taught many summers at GFC and said coming to camp is one of the highlights of his year.

“It's a good place to have fun with friends,” he told the Greene Cricket-Press.

Besides helping campers learn more about themselves and their Jewish identities, the guitar-playing rabbi has used his own camp experience this summer to explore Judaism for himself.

“I get to sing and learn new Jewish prayers and songs, and I get to learn

more about Israel,” he said.He’s also enjoyed working at GFC this

summer, because it’s given him time to hang out with kids from his temple.

Just like campers who make new

friends at GFC, Rabbi Katz said he’s met a lot of faculty members that he’s become friends with and plans to stay in touch with them even after camp ends. R

Rabbi Neal Katz, with guitar in hand, helps lead an education program for campers.

NIVIIMHaley Derdiger

Aviva IsgurEthan Johnson

Lila KatzGavin McDanielSamantha Simon

KOHANIMCameron Cohen

Elizabeth DworkinBenjamin Goldberg

Jayden GoldbergJade Gordon

Avery KlatskyAbby Lowey

Anna RajagopalRachel Smith

Bella ZeitzSaul Zimmerman

MELACHIMBrooke Benjamin

Aiden BleilerJake Fine

Maddie NewmanRomy Pein

Cameron Schlager

Greene CriCket-Press stAFF

stellar staffPage 8greene CriCket-Press

session ii, 2012

Nurse H2O

Clean camp is a healthy camp

The infirmary indisputably has the coldest and best-tasting water on Greene Family Camp.

What’s so special about “nurse water” that a majority of campers rate it an 11 out of 10? Leah Smith, the infirmary’s administrator, revealed the secret formula to the Greene Cricket-Press: clean water, crisp ice and a little bit of magic.

Nurse Doris Linton is happy to dispense as much nurse water as campers want. She couldn’t emphasize enough that staying hydrated is one of the most important things campers can do to stay healthy at GFC.

If you’re not able to get over to the infirmary for a nurse-water refill, the Greene Cricket-Press recommends the water fountain near the Zip Line. It sits in the shade, so the water is fairly cold – unlike the fountain that bakes out in the sun by the Newlam, which always is warm.

The water on camp has a distinct taste, some campers have observed. GFC director, Loui Dobin, broke down the camp water’s compound: Two atoms of hydrogen, one atom of oxygen, a bit of chlorine and chemicals to keep it clean and safe to drink.

It tastes no different than tap water in the city, Loui said.If you want to improve the taste, Kohanim camper, Jayden Goldberg,

recommended adding ice and a citrus slice, like an orange. R

Greene Family Camp's infirmary is a busy place.

The Greene Cricket-Press went for a behind-the-scenes look at how it operates.

More campers have stayed in the infirmary this session compared to the last, according to infirmary administrator, Leah Smith.

The top reasons for campers to visit the infirmary: Coughs and headaches.

Some of the more severe cases have involved cuts and sprained ankles. Some of those have required a trip off camp to the hospital. Otherwise, the camp doctors and nurses can patch up pretty much anything. They’re amazing, campers say.

Distributing medications to campers is a major task. Some 50 to 60 campers receive daily medications, according to camp nurses. Some more

GAVIN McDANIEL BEN GOLDBERGJADE GORDON

&Stay

hydrated!

Infirmary admin' Leah Smith

LIGHTBRIGHT

By SAMANTHA SIMON SAUL ZIMMERMAN

than once a day.Camp medical staff gives great

advice for staying healthy: Drink lots of water. Eat fruits and vegetables at every meal. Wear sunscreen and protective clothing when out in the sun. And, get lots of sleep.

Campers are urged to wash their hands often to keep from getting sick, but what else goes on at GFC to keep this camp safe and clean?

The Greene Family Camp plant-opperations staff works around the clock, performing tasks like laundry and cleaning the dining hall, kitchens, bathrooms and other heavily trafficked spaces on camp.

Having clean water is also important, so GFC ensures that camp water is safe to drink.

Back to having clean hands: Because some campers forget to wash their hands with soap and water before meals, GFC keeps hand sanitizer well stocked all over camp for everyyone’s use.

Camp staff’s top priority is to keep campers healthy so we can enjoy activities and have a fun summer. R

By MADDIE NEWMANEast Midlands city called Derby.

“It’s in the center of everything,” she said.

Being a camp shutterbug, Kate carries a camera everywhere she goes. Her trusted Nikon SLR has been tested this summer – it's had water spilled all over it. Twice.

Kate said she likes to take photos of the sky at camp – especially at sunset.

“I love all the colors,” she said.She specializes in a really cool

technique called “light photography,”

where, in a dark space, a bright light is used to “paint” a design in front of an open shutter.

Kate's easy to spot in a crowd. She sports bright pink highlights in her blonde hair. It started out red last November, but it has slowly faded to pink, due to chemicals in the water, she said.

Kate is an awesome photographer who spends hours and hours each day taking camp photos and uploading them to Bunk1 for families to enjoy. R

tiny Bruceville, Texas?“I applied to an organization that

helps connect people to Jewish camps in the States,” Kate said.

She interviewed with the organization and, after an interview, she attended a camp employment fair, where she met GFC senior assistant director, Stefani Rozen.

Kate liked what she heard from Stefani about GFC. She was offered a job, and she accepted.

Kate’s hometown in the UK is an

When the Greene Cricket-Press met with Kate Thornton, one of

GFC's photographers, we had no idea what to expect. It immediately became clear, however, that the bubbly Brit would be a great interview!

Kate’s not Jewish. She’s not even American. So, how in the world did she hear about this URJ summer camp in

By

big shots Page 9greene CriCket-Press

session ii, 2012

grandtheft

antennaThere’s an antenna war at camp.Short-antenna radios that are

left on dining hall tables are sure to get snatched up and have their short antenna swapped out for a long floppy one.

Never mind that the longer antennae have better range.

“People want the small antenna because they are short and don’t poke when you’re wearing them,” said a Greene Family Camp staffer engaged in the antenna war.

Some staff go to great lengths to get their hands on short antennae. Campers are known to have been bribed with candy to do the dirty work. Kohanim camper, Truman Matheny, was one such thief-for-hire during lunch on July 26, calling the operation, “Grand theft antenna.”

Other staffers make a game out of it with their campers and organize short-antenna scavenger hunts.

As many as 10 steal-n-swaps can happen in a single day, according to a Greene Cricket-Press inquiry.

The war has gotten so intense that some staffers have resorted to carrying their short antenna with them on their days off.

“The antenna war has been going on for years,” said GFC senior assistant director, Stefani Rozen.“Last year it was much worse, but this year more people have been involved." R

By GCP Staff

Taking the plungeThe GFC soccer field

is becoming a safety concern for campers

Loui – the BIG interview

By RACHEL SMITH

GFC camp director, Loui Dobin, is a man with big ideas who

makes them happen.He’s guided Greene Family Camp

over the past 34 years to become one of the best – if not THE best – summer camps in the country. And maybe even the world.

Loui rarely takes time off from his job, especially during the summer. From June to August, he pretty much works 24/7. Exclamation point.

In recent years, he’s often been seen in a hard hat, heading up some major construction projects around camp – from the building of the Sports Center, to the new Eco-village, to the Lake Jake improvements.

And, he’s not stopping. Tree houses are coming soon to camp. So is a new fine arts center, it’s rumored.

Loui said he built the Eco-village because teens need to see the impact they make on the world. He’s making a pretty big impact on GFC, himself, and on the hundreds of campers from Texas and Oklahoma who come to Bruceville for a few weeks each

summer.Oh, and just to mention, every

building project on camp costs at least $50,000, Loui said. Obviously, fundraising takes up a lot of his time, too. But, it’s pretty clear that he still loves playing the guitar and leading song session at camp.

Loui went to college at NYU, so he’s pretty smart, if you couldn’t tell. He majored in psychology and politics and minored in science. Perfect training to be a camp director, no?

We’ll leave the rest of Loui’s story a mystery for now. See ya.

Exclamation point. R

Hebrew Man usually gets carried onto a scene to help sort out a situation complicated by language confusion.

“I feel nervous about being dropped all the time, but I pick people I trust to help carry me,” he said. “But, I have a very important job to do, so it’s worth the risk.”

Hebrew Man admitted that he accidentally let a foul word in Hebrew slip out one time in front of an audience, but, fortunately, they were all English speakers. He vowed to never let that happen again.

It's a common misconception that Hebrew Man's nemeses are Arabic Man and German Man. The truth is, they all get along pretty well.

It’s great fun to be GFC’s Hebrew Man, he said, because you feel like you really can help people all the time. R

No surprise, socks happen to be the most likely item that campers lose. T-shirts and shorts without names written on the tags are other commonly lost items.

The best way to prevent losing your stuff is to write your name on it and make sure the laundry tag is tied securely to the laundry

Hebrew Man From Page 1

Loss Prevention From Page 1 bag, advised GFC assistant director, Scott Braswell, who oversees camp’s massive laundry operation.

Scott said if you receive someone else’s clothes in your laundry you should bring it to the camp Lost & Found, which is located on a table outside the Chadar Ohel. Or, if a found item has a name on it, bring it to the Doar and a staff member will put it in the owner’s mail. R

Some GFC staffers went skydiving on their day off from camp, Thursday, July 26. It was a thrilling first time for GFC assistant activites director, Lisa Varley.

"It was the biggest adreline rush I've ever felt," Lisa said. "It was terrifying – but awsome!"

Lisa did a tandem jump from 12,325 feet. She freefell for 67 seconds, then paraglided for 2½ minutes back to Earth.

Lisa, who lives in Hamburg, Germany, said she'd "definitely" take the plunge again.

~GCP Staff R

Grass is neededto play ball

By CAMERON COHEN

who enjoy "the beautiful game." The reason is there’s hardly any grass on the pitch.

Falling down presents a risk of getting hurt. Even more so when there’s no grass to help soften the impact.

Soccer specialist, Richard Freling, told the Greene Cricket-Press that he can’t remember a time when the field had a decent patch of grass.

Richard said he very much wants there to be grass on the pitch.

“We see a lot of rolled ankles and scrapes. The playing surface is pretty uneven when it’s as bald as it is,” Richard said. “Having grass on the pitch would make play better. The ball travels better across grass and it's less bouncy.”

As wonky as it is, the field isn’t as bad as it used to be, according to GFC camp director, Loui Dobin. Loui said they moved a lot of dirt around to help even out and improve the playing surface.

Nevertheless, Loui acknowledged that the lack of grass in an issue.

There are three options to solve the grass problem. First, camp could plant natural turf and work hard to maintain it. Second, it could install an artificial turf. Third is a hybrid option that combines natural and artificial turf.

All three options are expensive. Loui said. Projects of this nature can run upwards of $50,000.

The Greene Cricket-Press extends an invitation to those who would like to help underwrite such a project. R

Up ClosePage 10greene CriCket-Press

session ii, 2012

Nineteen-year-old Judith Siron began coming to Greene

Recycling has returned to Greene Family Camp.

Top five most popular Mumtak

GFC’s Sherry Freeman is responsible for stocking the Mumtak for camp. She buys up 10 to 15 boxes of each of the dozen or so different candies at a time.

Sherry doles out more than 200 candy bars and cans of soda to campers every day. Add staff to the mix, and it’s more than 300.

The least popular Mumtak item this session has been Snickers. Camp could be stuck with some five boxes of the bars at session’s end, Sherry said.

~AIDEN BLEILER R

A popular camp tale claims that from the top deck of

Pink elephantshorizon

By ELIZABETH DWORKIN

the Alpine Tower, you can see pink elephants off in the distance.

Many people continue to believe the story – but not who you’d expect.

Few campers buy it, it turns out, but almost all the staff do. Although nobody has proof that these animals exist, or don’t, all the Avodahnik that the Greene Cricket-Press interviewed shared their own experiences of allegedly seeing the pink elephants upon summiting the tower.

Those who maintain the legend think the first person to have seen the pink elephants was GFC director, Loui Dobin.

Kohanim camper, Maggie Butterfield, believes in a slightly different version of the popular story. She thinks that the elephants were painted pink for a circus that once stood where camp is now. The circus caught fire, the story goes, and the elephants escaped.

Maggie believes that the paint has since worn off and most of the elephants have gone off to that little circus in the sky except one that still roams around Central Texas.

Niran Hadad, GFC’s zoo specialist, tells his own version of the story. He claims to have heard the elephant while working at the zoo.

Niran admitted that he has never seen the elephant, yet he said Shani Zeldes, a Kibbutz counselor and zoo specialist, has seen a baby African elephant off in the woods around camp.

Nobody may ever know for sure if the elephant is real. But, those who have heard it, or seen it, most certainly believe it. R

There are so many animals at Greene Family Camp – some

big, some small and some unseen.There recently has been talk

of a mysterious baby elephant roaming around camp by the light of the moon. According to Kohanim campers, the elephant has been sighted and still is at large.

“I woke up one night, only to see an elephant staring back at me,” said Jackie, a Kohanim camper. “I thought it was a dream, but I couldn’t be sure.”

Kohanim camper Sophie believes she saw a glimpse of the elephant near the Beit Knesset

Baby elephantat large

By ROMY PEIN

during services.As the pachyderm wanders

around camp, it leaves traces of where it’s been.

Kohanimer Alison claims to have found peanut shells on her bunk porch.

“I wondered where they had come from, since food isn’t allowed in the bunks,” she said.

GFC director of security, Glen Kinder, said he’s found trampled trees, odd trails and beverage containers littering the woods around camp. While he has never actually spotted the perpetrator, he believes a baby elephant is responsible.

Scott Braswell, GFC assistant director, has seen evidence too: piles of waste discarded near the Melachim K'far, in a place where the camp horses don’t go.

Where has this elephant come from? Could it be the offspring of the legendary pink elephants of the Alpine Tower?

“It’s definitely a possibility,” Glen said. “However, until we have more evidence, we can’t be sure.”

So campers, if you happen to hear odd sounds at night, be on the lookout, because it might by a baby elephant. R

For camper-turned-counselor, friends

are best part of GFC

By AVIVA ISGUR

Family Camp as a Bonimer. Now, she’s a counselor.

She stopped coming to camp for a short while after her Kohanim year. What brought her back?

“Friends,” she told the Greene Cricket-Press.

This is Judith’s eighth summer at GFC. She holds onto many camp memories. During her Avodah year, she and counselor Hayley Williky dressed up as cats. She also fondly remembers being at the pool with counselor Jen Luskey.

As a counselor now herself, Judith said her favorite activities with her bunk are dressing up while sweeping the floor and throwing the bussing bucket down the table after meals.

Judith said she loves working with her fellow counselors – in particular, Rachel and Alexa.

Even though Judith is originally from France and now lives in San Antonio, GFC will always be her second home, she said. R

Judith Siron

Camp launched a recycling program in 2010 but has encountered difficulties sustaining the effort due to camp’s remote location, a lack of recycling companies in the area and challenges of getting full participation from camp staff, according to GFC assistant director, Scott Braswell.

With a new company on board, however, and renewed enthusiasm

from staff – thanks in large part to the opening of camp’s new Eco-village – recycling is back in full force at GFC.

Items that currently are being recycled from camp include paper, cardboard, plastic bottles and aluminum cans, Scott said.

Recycling has huge benefits, according to an environmental study conducted by Waste Management. Recycling a single aluminum can

By JAYDEN GOLDBERG

Recyclingreturns

saves enough energy to keep a TV running for three hours.

Scott said it’s important to have a recycling program at camp.

“The Earth is precious and we need to protect it as best we can,” he said.

GFC employs sustainability coordinators to help keep camp green and to teach campers how to live more sustainably. R

on the

food 4 thought

Page 11greene CriCket-Press

session ii, 2012

Greene Family Camp’s high-tech pool cleaner was designed and built on the kibbutz of one of camp’s Israeli staff members.

GFC head photographer, Tzafnat Mor, is from Kibbutz Yizre’el, a global producer of robotic swimming pool cleaners. The company is called Maytronics.

“My kibbutz makes the best robotic pool cleaners in the world,” Tzafnat told the Greene Cricket-Press. “It’s our main industry.”

The kibbutz was founded in 1948 – the year of the State of Israel’s independence – and is located in the Jezreel Valley, in the north. Yizre’el’s pool robot industry was launched in the 1980s. Its main factory employs hundreds of workers. Maytronics also operates factories overseas – in France, Australia and in Atlanta, Ga.

The 24-year-old Tzafnat said she

worked a stint in the kibbutz factory last year, making plastic components for the devices.

GFC has two Israeli pool robots. The new one is called the Dolphin 2X2 Pro Gyro. The double vacuum unit can clean camp’s pools in about three hours and even has the ability to climb walls.

When Tzafnat was little, she used to climb atop the pool robots for a ride, she said. R

One of the most entertaining things at camp this yesr were the short films starring the Star Wars’ character, Darth Vader.

Kyra Hochberg is one of many first-year counselors working at

Dig the vader films ...'despise laughter, ponies and Paul'

By AVERY KLATSKY

The films were created by camp video gurus Ben Lee and Daniel Matyas.

Kohanim camper Adam Dinkins said he really liked the films, with the third installment, which announced the start of Maccabiah, being his favorite.

Kohanim camper Hannah Simon also thought the Darth Vader films were a creative way to introduce the annual color war competition. She liked all the movies, especially the part in the second film where Darth fell in love with a girl. Hannah said she thought the bit was

hilarious.Cami Margolis, a Kohanim camper, found the series to

be highly entertaining. She, too, dug the third film, and was quite surprised to learn that Sam Nelson was the one wearing the Vader costume.

Camper Devin Blythe, of Kohanim, said he liked the second film. In particular, the scenes where Paul kicks the bucket and then comes back.

Luke Gaido, of Kohanim thought the movies were hilarious. He correctly guessed that Sam Nelson played the part of Darth Vader. His favorite part in the series: when Darth said he despised three things – “laughter, ponies and Paul.”

Luke, like the overwhelming majority of campers interviewed by the Greene Cricket-Press, said he loved the films. R

“That is so fetch” is one of the most memorable lines from

'Mean Girls'comeback

By MADDIE NEWMAN

a movie that is making a comeback around camp this summer.

That movie is “Mean Girls.” It’s about three popular girls, the plastics, who terrorize their school and befriend the new girl, Cady.

A popular trend on camp from this movie is wearing pink on Wednesdays. Another trend is quoting the movie whenever possible. There was even a Mean Girls quote round in categories during Maccabiah this session.

Sarah Malakoff, of Melachim, knows her favorite Mean Girls quote by heart: “Here’s four for Glen Coco. You go Glen Coco! And none for Gretchen Weiners!”

Isaac Narret, another Melachim camper, knows his favorite quote: “There's a 20 percent chance it’s already raining!”

There’s said to be even a bunkbed on camp that is graffitied in quotes from the movie.

While Melachim camper, Kevin Solka, thinks Mean Girls is just a chick flick. Aiden Bleiler, also of Melachim, said he thinks the movie can be enjoyed by guys and girls, alike.

When asked why Mean Girls has made such a popular comeback, campers said it’s the movie’s actresses and plot. But, most of all, it’s the story’s relatablility factor and humor that has elevated it into a cult classic at GFC. R

First-time counselor helps campers have fun By ANNA RAJAGOPAL

Greene Family Camp this summer.Though this is Krya’s first time as

a counselor, she’s been coming to GFC for the past 10 years.

She wanted to make the transition from camper to counselor because she said she loves camp and had a great Avodah year.

Kyra said being a GFC counselor has helped her explore Judaism.

“It helps, because at home, I don’t really practice [Judaism] very much. I don’t go to services very often and I’m not really involved in temple very much. But here, I can practice Judaism more and be with kids,” she told the Greene Cricket-Press.

He favorite part of being a counselor is seeing a different side of camp and being a part of the younger

kids’ camp experiences.Kyra said the most challenging

thing about being a counselor is trying to keep 11 girls happy and trying to help them have a good camp time.

After camp, Kyra is going to Israel for a year. She’s super excited. R

Kyra Hochberg

Israeli techkeeps CAMP'spool cleanBy GCP Staff

Tzafnat Mor's kibbutz in Israel designed camp's robotic pool cleaner.

The Olympics kicked off in London during Session II,

drawing huge crowds in the staff lounge to watch the Games on TV.

Counselors Zack Strauss and Alex Joseph are among the Olympic fans on GFC staff.

Zack said he’ll be cheering on Team USA, as well as Japan and China. Alex, on the other hand, is supporting

the home nation, England.Zack's favorite event is Men’s

Artistic Gymnastics. No surprise, given that Zack, himself, is an accomplished gymnast. His favorite gymnast: American Jonathan Horton.

Alex said he was looking forward to the 100-Meter Sprint. He'll also be following UK cyclist Bradley Wiggins.

By CAMERON COHENOde to the Olympics

Alex predicted that the USA and China will top the medal count during the London Olympiad.

Zack said he likes the Olympics because he knows half of the USA Men’s Gymnastics Team. Alex said his favorite aspect of the Games is that it brings people together from all over the globe. R

film fans

GFCA to Z

Page 12greene CriCket-Press

session ii, 2012

Love or hate 'em, HOBO PACKS are a campout staple

AThe ALPINE TOWER is part ofGFC'samazingChallenge Course

BBONIMERS are the youngest, and clearly the cutest, campers at Greene

C There's always a little craziness in

the CHADAR OHELafter meals

DNeed a junkfood fix?Hit up the DO'AR

Be an Israeli for the dayduring EREV YISRAELE

FFENCING is one of the most popular activities this session

GThat's right, camp has a GAGA pit!

H

IISRAELI SCOUTS do it all ... they can even sing

JRead up on your JUDAISM

K Kick back on KIBBUTZ

LRide the waves on LAKE JAKE

MThere are more than 40 MISHLACHAT (Israeli staff) at Greene Family Camp this summer

OOUTDOOR COOKOUTS are

great times to bondwith friends

PPUPPIES! Need we say more?

QQUEST OF DARTH VADER to conquor camp ...

Call Israeli security, loui!

SBest SUNSETS ever

TTRIP NIGHT means pizza at the waterpark

NNothin' but net in the NEWLAM

U

There are 7different camper

UNITS at Greene

DRESS TO IMPRESS INYOUR SHABBAT WHITESW

XGotta get that

xtra mumtak hook-up

Y

YEL LOW pulled off a memorableMaccabiah victory this session

ZIt's zmooth zaling down camp's ZIPLINE

V

THE GFC GARDEN GROWSSCrUMDILLIOCIOUS VEGGIES

By CAMERON SCHLAGER

R RELAX in the pool