Continuing on with our ’11 Favorite GFC Memories, tonight’s entry comes from Melachim Assistant Unit Head Asaf Lubin. Asaf, a 3rd year staff member hailing from Rishon Lezion, Israel, brings an interesting perspective and some great stories to the blog. Enjoy!
1. Toby the Eco-Bear- It was my second summer as a staff member at GFC and a camper named Ethan handed me a fluffy stuffed bear. Ethan asked me to take Toby with me to Israel as Ethan was still too young to travel all the way down there on his own. This is to date one of the more emotional and memorable moments I’ve ever had at camp.
2. The Bussing CD- Every year the Avo-team makes sure that our lunches and dinners at camp are just a tiny bit more fun. They do that with an album filled with top hits and classics that get your body grooving all across the aisles. On that note I want to apologize to the Avodah for dancing wildly and disrupting their work every single meal.
3. The Israeli Mishlachat- As a born and raised Israeli I got to give mad props to the Israeli Mishlachat that I am proud to be a part of. This group of talented, hard-working, creative, passionate Israelites brings a different and unique feel to camp every single year. Not to mention hummus and heavy accents.
4. A midnight game of Cranium with your fellow staff members in the Zula- After a long day of counseling campers, staff too likes to take a breather and act like 10 year olds. Nothing says immaturity more than Cranium, for which I am by-far the undefeated Israeli champ.
5. Flu-Cabbiah 09- The ferocious Red Tyrannosaurus Rex, the quick-witted Green Dragonzord, the ever-decisive Yellow Saber-Toothed Tiger and the astonishing Blue Triceratops, joined forces to fight the evil Rita Repulsa who tried to take over Greene Family Camp. Along the way this cheerful bunch of Alufim had to tackle a second and even more frightful villain, swine flu. Using a lot of courage and some purell this brave group of warriors conquered all that stood in their way and proved once more that the mighty morphing power rangers cannot be stopped.
6. The Aha! Moments- Camp is first and foremost a place of personal growth. In between personal meditation, shiurim (=educational hours), Limudim (=educational courses), services, faculty-led programs and staff-led activities, one can truely expand his horizons. There is not a single summer at Greene that I don’t have an Aha! moment or two of my own. The last one happened just a week ago at the garden during a program led by this year’s sustainability duo Brian & Jessi.
7. Eating some pineapple after an enjoyable hour of free swim or blobbing- For me, that’s the epitome of camp. Nothing says summer fun to me more than a bowl of freshly chopped fruit, courtesy of our kitchen staff (a shout out to Chad, Jonell and Judy) after an hour of fun in the pool or lake.
8. The Fishbowl- the majority of absurd and funny things that have happened to me on camp occurred in the overly-crowded space that is the fishbowl. It is truly a shrine for programming, nonsense and candy. Within camp, this is my real home-away-from-home.
9. Goofing around- the most vivid memories I have of camp, are of me doing bizarre and wild things. From eating six rolls of fruit-roll ups in one bite to dramatically reading Rebecca Black’s Friday in front of the entire staff. In the oh-so inclusive and welcoming environment that is camp once can really be as crazy and geeky as he has ever wanted.
10. Loui on the guitar- Whenever Loui plays you know you’re in for a treat. It can be competitive song session during Maccabiah or just a random jam to wrap up song session. This man has the skills and charisma of a young Bob Dylan. Also no one can do a better interpretation to the Beatles classic, Ob-La-Di – Ob-La-Da, as Loui. And that’s a fact!
11. Shabbat Fried Chicken- If there is one food that brings me back to camp each summer it has to be the southern juicy taste of a Friday night’s fried chicken. Cooked to perfection this camp meal, which is accompanied by mash potatoes and green salad, is almost sheer poetry. You’ve had KFC, you’ve eaten Popeye’s – but only GFC will provide you with a culinary masterpiece of crispy poultry.
If you’re a former staff member who’s enjoyed some of our favorite moments, pretty soon you’re going to have the opportunity to relive some of your own. On July 15 we are inviting all Staff Alumni back to camp for a special shabbat. Signing up is easy (just click here), but don’t wait, space is limited.
Not really that funny…
While I was going over the article, a moor hen just fought with my pet ferret!…