Shalom from GUCI,

We are your Avodah Unit Heads this summer! Our names are Michael Mintz, Rachel Lyon and Casey Wright. Michael and Rachel are in their fifth year on staff at GUCI and Casey is in her fourth. Michael and Casey are from Cincinnati, Ohio while Rachel is from Columbus, Ohio. Michael has graduated from The Ohio State University, Rachel is finishing up degrees at Indiana University and Casey is a rising senior at the University of Michigan. All of us have held many different positions on camp in the past and are excited to work together to create a memorable Avodah experience this summer.

Avodah is a work/study program at GUCI where incoming seniors in high school get to spend 9 weeks learning, growing and bonding with their unit. This year, Avodah has 37 members and works around camp in different groups, called crews, doing many jobs to help camp run smoothly. Some of the tasks Avodah helps with include sorting mail in the office, cleaning each building on camp daily, working on the Migdal(climbing tower) with cabins, being counselors for Camp K’ton(GUCI’s day camp), helping at the pool, cleaning dishes after every meal and many other odd jobs that need to be done. Every day before dinner we have a unit program planned by the unit heads or the Avodanikim. Our hour-long unit program is fun and relaxed, and used as a time for the whole unit to be together after a long day of hard work on separate crews. Avodah also spends the summer in intensive educational programs led by the faculty that comes to camp. This is normally a discussion-based program, which allows Avodanikim to expand their Jewish knowledge and beliefs.

Being in the Avodah program means lots of hard work, but a bonus is the privilege of giving back to camp and also getting to spend additional time off camp. Each member will be able to give input into ideas in planning these times off camp. In the past some of the nights and days off have been spent going bowling, seeing movies, attending baseball games, taking trips to nearby water parks, and seeing concerts, as well as many other activities. We can’t wait to make memories both on and off camp and we are thrilled to be a part of creating a wonderful Avodah 2014 experience!