Tel Yehudah Trip Week – 2019 (Part 1)

This past week Tel Yehudah campers participated in trips throughout the Northeast.  Read below about our Alumim and Yachad trips and check back next week for stories about Hadracha’s trip to Washington D.C.

Lily Oxman – Yachad: Social Action

I went on the social action trip for trip week and had a really enjoyable experience. On this trip, I was able to participate in social service projects while learning about problems in the world as well as making connections to my Judaism. In order to do these projects, Camp Tel Yehudah partnered with a Jewish organization called Repair the World. Repair the World helps connect groups to social service projects. This organization taught us about different injustices in the world through interactive workshops and hands on service projects. One workshop that I enjoyed a lot was a food insecurity simulation. For this activity, we were split into groups where each person got to play the role of a different member of a family with food insecurity. The parents in the group had to go to work and the kids had to go to school, then the parents had to meal plan and buy food using food stamps, the grocery store, and the food pantry. The groups had difficulty getting enough food and money for the family, which demonstrated the difficult lives of food insecure people. To go with this, we did a hands on social service project that directly correlated with the theme of food insecurity by working at a soup kitchen. This experience was very cool because I got to work with people and meet them while having fun. Throughout this trip we did many other workshops connecting social justice to Judaism as well as other service projects. I had a lot of fun on this trip and I am very happy I went on it.

Ethan Richter – Yachad: Biking

For my Yachad trip week this year I joined the one hundred plus mile biking trip. This trip consisted of many long and painful up hills that pushed everyone to a new threshold of discomfort. Typically the people who finished these up hills successfully were the ones that realized the pain and soreness was more of a mental barrier than physical barrier. Most people preferred the downhills of course as they offered fruits to the labor of the strenuous up hills. The staff taught us different signs to make on the road that warned us of upcoming hills, downhills, turns, and cars ensuring no one would be injured. These signs, chants, and positive comments helped us improve our teamwork and build a biking family. The most satisfying part was when all of us came back to camp with the other trip week groups cheering us on as we jumped into the pool and celebrated. Overall this trip changed me and the rest of the group teaching us how to conquer pain/stress, improve our biking skills, and have fun as a family.

Sam Fulton- Yachad: Photo

The trip I chose to go on this year was Photography. I chose this because I think New York is a very unique city and being from Texas I don’t experience city life that much. I really enjoyed going to various museums and delving into the world of photography. I along with everyone else liked the Brooklyn Museum the most because we found the pieces to be very inspiring. But it wasn’t just the museums that made the experience special. It was going to other famous places, trying famous foods, and meeting some people with really interesting backgrounds and stories.   For example, my favorite part of the trip was definitely going to Times Square because there are so many awesome photo opportunities and a unique culture. We also went on something called Midnight Run where we give food and clothing to the homeless. So many of them were really sweet to us and I am really grateful that I got the chance to help. I could go on and on naming all the elements of the trip that made it so wonderful, but I think the idea is clear: this trip was amazing!

 Braeden Morse –  Yachad: Kayaking

Kayaking was an amazing trip i felt very good when i finished. I feel like i got close with a lot of new people and had great experiences. My favorite part was going through the rapids.

 Matan Rieger – Yachad: Backpacking

Over this summer, I went on the Yachad backpacking trip, and it was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had. Over the trip, we spent a lot of time on some absolutely amazing hikes and had some great views from the tops of certain hills and mountains. Not only was it an amazing experience when we were hiking, spending time with the group on the trip was really nice. I met so many people from all across the country that I wasn’t sure were people I could get along with. The backpacking trip was an awesome experience, and I’m incredibly happy that I chose to go on this trip.

Baylee Krulewitz: Alumim

I went on the Alumim trip this year and I had the best time. We did two hikes, both with beautiful views. We got to go on a boat ride at Niagara Falls, which was super refreshing and pretty. Also, we got free time to hang out and shop with friends at Ithaca Commons and Larkin Square. Our group had the opportunity to go to the Woodstock Museum and the Corning Museum of Glass, both of which were super informative and fun. My favorite part of the Alumim trip was making new friends and having unique experiences!

Adin Hoenig: Alumim

Trip week was a really cool experience. I had a lot of fun camping in different places and hanging out with my friends outside of camp. Niagara Falls was amazing, and the highlight of the trip. The bus rides weren’t very long and, I enjoyed hanging out with my friends. The hikes were amazing and the other experiences like Ithaca commons were ones I will cherish for a long time. I’m really glad TY has trip week and I can’t wait to try intensives next year.