A new program has been established at camp this summer called, Omanoot. The program is designed for Garin specifically because of their wild imaginations according to Michael Natarus.

Michael, Garin Unit Head, says the program is to encourage the youngest unit on camp to use their imaginations. The unit needed a program that would help them interact with each other in a tangible and Jewish way!

Omanoot today was all about making “goop”. On the outside it looked messy, but it was really a way to show the kids how God separated land and water when creating the earth. The separate materials represented the land and water. When they were mixed together it became whole, just like the earth. The goop encouraged the campers to work together to help stretch it out as far as it could go. The unit will also be working on a big art project, along with their other smaller projects, that will last the entire two weeks.

The program is mainly art projects with a dash of Judaism mixed in. Deborah Katon, a Hebrew Day School teacher and professional artist from St. Louis, Missouri, is our Arts and Crafts Specialist this summer. Deborah is in charge of Omanoot, as well as the art Chugs in each unit. She created Omanoot to enable the campers to be able to make something they can take home while learning about Judaism. In art Chug she has been incorporating Creation into the art projects, as well as other Jewish symbols like clay Chamsas. Her main goal this summer is to make sure everyone leaves her art programs with a smile.

At the end of the day Garin has learned Jewish teachings while making an art project, and they were able to use their imaginations to play and work together. Omanoot is a special time each day that Garin gets to be themselves while learning Jewish values! We can’t wait to see what other great things Deborah has planned for Garin and how their big project turns out!