By Ari Kalfus
Communications Specialist

Shalom, GUCI family! This week is known around camp as Trip Week. Soon, Shoresh and Geza will be surprised with their Shoresh Day Off and Yom Tiyul trips, respectively. More news on those trips are on their way! Today, however, Anaf left on Kesher, their 3-day (2-night) camping trip.

“Kesher” means “connection,” and is part of a larger phrase, kesher l’teva v’nefesh, “connection to nature and spirit.” This best defines the experience Anaf campers encounter on the trip. These three days are a time to bond and become really close as a unit. (It is also a great time to finish memorizing your Project lines!) Campers cook their own meals, go on hikes, and immerse themselves in the beauty of nature.

This year, Anaf is staying at Lincoln State Park. There will be three three-hour time blocks over the course of the trip in which campers can choose to participate in canoeing, hiking, fishing, outdoors skills such as learning knots, and arts and crafts. They will be spending an afternoon on the beach, and, of course, there is the famous Iron Chef competition in which each Kesher group prepares a meal to be judged by Top Deck members!

Anaf has spent the last two weeks preparing for Kesher. They learned how to pitch tents, light lanterns, and use propane stoves. They have been placed in groups and have come up with special names and cheers. They are on their buses and on their way to one of the top experiences in Anaf. We’ll see you back on camp soon, Anaf!