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)

"Chalutzim" Post 3rd Grade

'"Amelim" Post 4th Grade

"Chotrim" Post 5th and 6th Grades

"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.

Lunch - We enjoy a delicious meal, and of course, singing and cheer afterward!

Menucha - An hour of free time for campers in their respective living areas. Many campers use this time to write home or shower.

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.

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.

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

Mifkad Erev - Evening flag lowering

Dinner - Another delicious meal, and more singing!

Chofesh - An hour of free time where campers can spend some time doing whatever they like around the camp site.

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 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.

Rikud – Erev Shabbat ends with Israeli folk dancing, or Rikud 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.

Chuggei Madatz –Similar to Chuggim Ritzinim in the morning,it gives a chance for the Madatzim to lead an activity. This could be anything from racing ants to making cookies, to writing a song about breakfast foods.

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.