... there was a magical unit called Carmel. They held a fairy tale convention during which different fairy tale characters argued over who was the scariest, the bravest, the smartest, and the fairest of them all. And so, they decided to consult the magical mirror on the wall, but it was stolen! Only the campers of Carmel could figure out who done it. They consulted different characters who gave them each a clue. Thus, they were able to find the culprit and determine the fairest of them all . . . and the mirror said . . . "the campers of Carmel!!"

Shabbat at Tawonga is the most powerful Jewish experience at camp. During the week, units meet with the Jewish programmer and the song leader to practice the songs and prayers that will be sung that week. There is always a noticeable shift of energy in camp on Fridays. During the week, groups of campers leave for backpacking trips, but come Friday, everyone returns. Everyone comes together at 5:30 to begin the Shabbat service with the "Shabbat stroll", a tradition that developed in the 80's with Rabbi Yitz Greenberg. The Shabbat Stroll begins with the camp directors and song leaders in the dining hall who take out the Torah scroll from the Ark we have at camp. They carry the torah to the furthest cabin and gather the campers to begin singing. Then the group strolls from cabin to cabin picking up each group of kids until the whole camp is following behind the Torah singing songs. The stroll ends in the dining hall where a delicious Shabbat dinner is served which is of course followed by more singing and dancing.

Some of the most well loved activities at camp are at arts and crafts and yesterday Galil girls participated in some of the myriad activities A&C offers. G-3 girls got into the fine art of body painting and G-4 got their hands dirty with pottery as they learned how to throw on the wheel.





Today Galil and Eilat had a BBQ at the pool together for lunch, G-6 took on the Climbing Tower, G-7 had a sleep-in breakfast, G-8 made bunk t-shirts and B-4 played hockey in the dining hall. Carmel girls were on the ropes course all morning and Carmel boys, as well as all of Chalutzim were backpacking. This afternoon everyone had free swim and then some time to prep for Shabbat. Tonight Shabbat starts with a stroll around camp, a delicious Shabbat dinner, tons of freylach, dancing, and singing, and then the day will close with unit Kabbalat Shabbat. What a great day! And Shabbat Shalom!

Yesterday evening all the campers took a few hours to observe Tisha B'av. Tisha B'av commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temple, which led to the diaspora of the Jewish people. Our Jewish Programmer, Gabe, led an evening ceremony in the dining hall which involved discussion, song leading, readings, and candle lighting with the whole camp. Besides commemorating Tisha B'av by memorilizing the lost, an important message of the evening was that, particularly during the current turmoil in the Middle East, it's within our own power as individuals and as a community to prevent travesty and create solidarity with Jewish people everywhere.

Did your child come home with just one shoe? Is their favorite pillow nowhere to be found? Or perhaps you sent them off with 10 t-shirts and somehow only 1 came back. Well then there's a pretty good chance that we have it! Here at the Camp Tawonga office there's been an attack of the lost and found.



Stop by our office located in San Francisco at 131 Steuart St. on the 4th floor. We're open Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm. Please call ahead so we know to expect you.

There's been a buzz all summer long about a certain dance being done all over camp. If you've already been to camp this summer, you know it and love it, and the campers at session four have been learning it. It starts with a step to the right, a step the left, a swiveling of the feet, a kick of the leg and a clap of the hands... and you're doing Pata Pata!

Pata Pata made it's Camp Tawonga debut at the beginning of the summer, and ever since then, campers have been seen dancing Pata Pata on Shabbat at freylach, during camp dances, on the way to arts and crafts, and everywhere in between. Our song leader, Gal, has been teaching the dance to all of our session 4 campers in the last few days. Yesterday Chalutzim learned it!





Early yesterday morning Chalutzim departed for their 2 night backpacking trips. The day was jam packed with fun for the rest of camp as well. Nearly everyone had a chance to swim during their unit swim or with their bunk at the river. G-6 made pottery in the evening and Galil had "Israel Adventure" day!