Camp Tavor

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The Habonim Dror Emblem (known as its Semel / סמל)

Camp Tavor is an overnight Jewish youth camp affiliated with Habonim Dror located in Three Rivers, Michigan, United States It promotes the ideals of the youth movement to roughly 200 participating youth each summer.

While it experienced some financial difficulty during the 1980s and 90s, it came back strong after the turn of the century, and is now one of the most active camps in Habonim Dror North America.

Tavor is open in the summer: the first session is for 3 weeks, and a Visitors Day 2 weeks into the session. The next session is 4 weeks, with a Visitors Day 2 1/2 weeks into the session. After that, the camp closes, but opens up again in mid-September for a fall seminar of around 3 days.

Camp Tavor strives to maintain a communal living environment, based on the principles and ideals of kibbutzim in Israel. It incorporates the values of Habonim Dror which teaches of 5 pillars: Socialism, Cultural Judaism, Progressive Labor Zionism, Actualization (Hagshama), and Social Justice.

1 Age groups
2 Daily Schedule
3 Shabbat
4 External links

[edit] Age groups

Camp Tavor welcomes a wide variety of age groups. Each age group is named after a Zionist ideal (ex. Bonim means Builders)

'"Amelim" Post 3rd and 4th Grades

"Chotrim" Post 5th and 6th Grades-Alan Rosenthal and Koren Fowler are the best

"Bonim" Post 7th Grade

"Garinim" Post 8th Grade

"Bogrim" Post 9th Grade

"Madatz" Post 11th Grade

[edit] Daily Schedule

Wake up

Mifkad Boker – Morning Flag Raising

Breakfast

Avodah (Work) - A one hour work block in the morning. It is designed to teach the dignity of labor and create a strong connection between the camper and the camp. Campers chose their anaf (work branch) and work there every day. These choices vary by year, but range from vegetable gardening, to landscaping, to wood working, to painting, to cleaning the bathrooms and more.

Peulat Shichva - A two hour activity every regular day run exclusively within age groups. The time is either used for educational (but fun!) activities in accordance with the summer's tochint chinuch (curriculum) or fun games and activities for group building.

Shira - A thirty minute block every regular day where we teach camp Songs in Hebrew and English. Campers who already know songs help to teach, and new campers quickly get accustomed to our musical culture. We learn new songs every summer, so it's always an adventure.

Zman Sport - A block of time every day where campers can chose from one of many sports offered. Sports vary by day, but often include Frisbee, basketball, swimming, boating, baseball, running, tennis, and sometimes boccie ball

Ivrit - Every normal day we teach basic conversational Hebrew Skills. Though most Hebrew is learned just by being at Tavor, informal games and activities have been a fun and powerful tool for improving vocabulary. Groups are divided by ability.

Chuggim - "Special interest groups" are chosen at the beginning of the summer. A camper participates meets with his or her interest group daily. They vary from year to year, but range from Frisbee, to arts and crafts, to music appreciation, to yoga. They are always led by counselors with a developed interest and skill in the subject.

Tochnit Erev - The final activity of the day. This is a one to two hour activity before bed done either lefi shichva (by age group) or with the the whole machaneh together. Every day is different, but it could be anything from a camp wide game of capture the flag, a party, the TavorBowl (our very own game show), roller skating in town or a quiet, reflective small group activity.

[edit] Shabbat

Shabbat at Tavor is a very relaxed and reflexive experience (of the soul).

Friday afternoons allow time to dress nice and prepare from Kabbalat Shabbat.

Mishpachot - Before Kabbalat Shabbat we try to create a sense of home by dividing into families of campers from the same local region.

Kabbalat Shabbat includes a unique Flag lowering service followed by a trip to our own Shabbat Hill where we delight in a performance of Israeli folk Dance.

Shabbat Dinner is filled with song and good cheer.

Oneg Shabbat usually includes a performance for the whole camp by one age group.

Israeli Folk Dancing – Erev Shabbat ends with Israeli folk dancing for the entire camp.

Shabbat Morning is a time to sleep in and relax. Campers who want to pray usually congregate during this time.

Breakfast on Shabbat is usually prepared by our oldest campers, or volunteers.

Chuggim Ritzinim – On Shabbat we like to enter the metaphysical world by exploring all sorts of serious social, political and Jewish interests in small, age appropriate discussion groups.

Tavor Bowl – This is our home grown version of the traditional college bowl.

Lunch on Shabbat is usually very relaxed and casual.

Chuggim Alakefak – Are our the inverse of the serious chuggim of the morning. They include taking hikes through our camp site, reading, playing sports, and more.

Musikal – We are so talented at Tavor we needed to separate music from the rest of our performance talents. At Musikal, you might see a 5th grader try out a new song on the guitar with his counselor or a choir of girls singing a new song they learned from Israel.

Dinner – Like most Jewish communities, we eat too much on Shabbat, so what's another meal?

Havadalah – At Tavor, saying goodbye to Shabbat is a spiritual experience. We lay under the blanket of stars above us and listen to music while pondering the previous week and gearing up for more fun. Then we separate Shabbat from the week in the traditional way with candles, wine and spices.

Medurah – Our evening bonfire and kumzitz are a combination performances and sing alongs at an amphitheater facing our beautiful lakefront. Medurah is hosted by members of the oldest age group of campers, Bogrim. The performances during medurah can be inspirational and intelligent, but many are quirky and fun, including many performances that continue the entire session. One example is the recent creation, "The Tavor Legend", which is a skit performed by the councelors every week involving a character, The Tavor Legend, witnessing, and of course making fun of, the events of the previous week at camp.