Final Night
By Ari Kalfus Communications Specialist Shabbat Shalom, GUCI family! By the time you read this, we will be in the midst of another incredible Shabbat experience. This begins, as always, with our Shabbat Walk, which starts near the office and continues around...
Blessings in Our Lives
Goldman Union Camp Institute July 27, 2013 Cabin 15: Blessings in Our Lives Bar Mitzvah ceremony of Kaden Hanks Mah Tovu page 192 Our theme this Saturday morning is “blessings in our life.” This can be physical or mental. A blessing in my life is when I got my...
Recycling is Back at GUCI!
By Josia KleinMachon Counselor Less than a week ago, two Shoresh campers (Cabin 4’s Emma Z. and Ellie K.) decided they wanted to make a change at camp; they noticed a lack of available recycling and green-awareness at GUCI. [Editor’s Note: Camp recycles all of...
What We Can Learn From Chutzpa
Goldman Union Camp Institute July 30, 2013 Cabin 13: What We Can Learn From Chutzpa OPENING SONG [Part redacted by wish of camper] Barchu When God was creating the universe, he must have had a lot of chutzpa. To separate night and day and to create the universe in...
The CG-GUCI Pen Pal Series
By Jane Harris-Koblin and Ari Kalfus Camp George and GUCI Communication Specialists Greg is a Cabin 18 camper from Goldman Union Camp Institute, the oldest boys cabin. He has been coming to camp for 6 years! Shelby is in Cabin B6 at Camp George, and has been coming to...
Broader Visions
By Jake KlingensmithGeza Head CounselorThis is my fourth summer as a counselor at GUCI, and over the years I’ve had a lot of time to figure out what my role as a counselor is and what kind of counselor I want to be. I’ve spent three years at Carnegie Mellon, a school...
How We Can Be Heroes
Goldman Union Camp Institute July 28, 2013 Cabin 12: How We Can Be Heroes OPENING SONG The Barchu is the preparation to pray, just like batter is to crumb cake. Our service theme today is “How to be a hero.” You can be a hero by making a difference in the causes you...
Where We Find Judaism
Goldman Union Camp Institute July 26, 2013 Cabin 6: Where We Find Judaism L’chu N’ranana page 130 L’chu n’ranana l’Adonai Naria l’tzur yisheinu Go forth singing songs of joy to God! We will shout to the rock of salvation! Let us sing out to God, maker of all sure and...
Treasured Memories
By Ari Kalfus Communications Specialist Shalom, GUCI family! One of the highlights of a summer at GUCI is the two times a session when your cabin has Bunk Night. They are always surprises; counselors break Bunk Night to their campers in various ways, but usually in a...
What We Are Searching For
Goldman Union Camp Institute July 25, 2013 Cabin 5: What We Are Searching For OPENING SONG Three years ago was when I first came to camp and I’ve got to admit, I was pretty scared. It was my first time at a sleep away camp. My first time not sleeping in my room. And...
Where the Journey Begins
WHERE THE JOURNEY BEGINS, AND WHERE IT LEADS… (But never ends) Dear Parents, We learn from the story in Genesis of Abraham welcoming strangers into his tent that hospitality is a great mitzvah. We have several holidays (Sukkot, Pesach, and Shabbat among them) that are...
The Coolest Musical of All Time
By Rick Keitel Project Director Shalom! My name is Rich Keitel. Here is an update on how Project Kallah Bet is going… A quick rundown of my background. I am a full tenured professor of theatre at Point Park University in Pittsburgh. I am also a professional director...
Swimming, Swimming, in the Swimming Pool
By Rachel LyonPool Director Shalom! My name is Rachel Lyon, and I am the pool director this summer. I started going to camp in 2001 as a Garin camper, and I have gone every year since. This is my fourth summer on staff at GUCI! Counselors Hannah Banks, Rachel Houser,...
D’varim by Rabbi Melinda Mersack
D’varim By Rabbi Melinda M. Mersack Here we are beginning the fifth and final book of the Torah, D’varim or Deuteronomy. At this point, Moses and the Israelites are standing across the Jordan River looking towards the Land of Israel. Moses knows that he will not be...
Transitions
Goldman Union Camp Institute Havdallah: July 20, 2013 Geza Worship Chug Opening Songs Havdallah is a transition from Shabbat to the rest of the week. My most recent transition was coming here to camp, GUCI. When I first got on the bus I was so nervous that I dropped...