He is Faithful to All Generations 

(Psalm 145:13)

“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made.”

The Gilgal Gazette is published by Camp Gilgal campers for Camp Gilgal campers and their families and friends!

Interviews and Family

Lydia C., Age 12 and Lauren C., Age 12
Tribe of Issachar

Heinz is a first year tribe leader who loves working with campers. Her name is Heinz because she loves ketchup so much. This is her ninth year at Camp Gilgal total. While at camp, she loves FOB the most overall. Her favorite activity is mill games like Captain, Sailor, Gunner. Heinz also enjoys campfire and her favorite parts are the cool songs that we sing. Heinz loves being a tribe leader and she’s really fun to be around.

Lydia C., Age 12
Tribe of Issachar 

Tauros has been at Camp Gilgal for six years. He got his name based on his favorite Pokemon. Tauros was most looking forward to the field trip this year. His favorite thing about camp is being around the campers. The reason the tribe leaders keep their names a secret is an excellent question. Tauros thinks he likes his new job more than the one he had last year. Tauros likes both directing and also playing mill games. His favorite all-camp activity is Counselor Hunt. Tauros’ favorite candy is milk chocolate. Also, his favorite color is pink (the best color in the world).

Aaron C., Age 10
Tribe of Simeon

Blewish’s favorite part of camp is spending time with the campers. His favorite color is red. If he had $1,000,000, he would donate $100,000 and start a sports company. His dream vacation would be going back home. His favorite animal is a monkey. If he had an endless supply of anything it would be Vitamin Water. The reason he laughs all the time is because he likes being happy.

Taliah S., Age 10, and Rebekah C., Age 10
Tribe of Zebulun

From asking these questions, we have found out more interesting things about our favorite person at camp: Twister! One of the more important questions is, how does it feel to be the leader of camp? And she said: I feel that being the director is a fun job, a lot of work but a big reward. We think that is very thoughtful and true. Some of the questions that we asked were more of the silly type such as why are you called “Twister” and what is your favorite dance move? The answers for those are, “I am called Twister because of the twistiness of my hair and because of the chaos I can create.” Her favorite dance move is the “Funky Chicken.” Our favorite question, well, especially Taliah’s, is: do you like Canada or America better? And the answer was both Canada and New York City! From these questions we learned many new things about wonderful Twister and I hope you did, too.

Ana H., Age 12
Tribe of Issachar

Lately, I’ve interviewed Eureka. Some of the answers to the questions I asked her were very surprising. For example, she described her personality as insane! If Eureka could be an animal, she chose a koala because they sleep most of the
day. Eureka’s favorite food is macaroni and cheese, which is a camp favorite! The brand of shoe she buys the most from is Converse, and I like them, too! She likes the “Baby Whale” campfire song the most. In 2004, Eureka came to camp for the first time as a junior camper. Eureka’s top Bible book is Hosea, and her catch phrase is “awesomeness!” which best described that book! Eureka’s not a big soda fan, but if she had to choose between Coke and Pepsi, Coke would be her choice. Eureka’s favorite Camp Gilgal t-shirt is a tie between the 2006 and 2010 shirt. I’m glad I got to interview Eureka because now I know more about her!

Nathanael D., Age 10
Tribe of Levi

Before camp began, Reptar worked at a grocery store named Food King. She also worked at Starbucks. Her favorite thing to do at Camp Gilgal is going to the swimming pool and the game room. Her favorite foods are Mexican dishes.  Her favorite football team is the New York Giants. Reptar’s favorite song is “Beautiful Bride.” It’s a Christian song by a Christian band named Flyleaf and it’s about believers coming together and helping each other. She likes to sing and play guitar as a hobby. Reptar has graduated from high school. Everybody loves Reptar!!!

Isaiah H., Age 9
Tribe of Simeon

Twitch first went to Camp Gilgal when he was ten in 2003. His best year at camp was when he had Spike as a tribe leader. Since 2003, Twitch has known 45 staff members. If Twitch had one million dollars, he would donate to Camp Gilgal and buy a Ferrari F50 GT. Twitch’s favorite field trip was the baseball game. Twitch is going into the Navy to protect the country and children. Twitch’s favorite Pokemon is Raquaza. Twitch likes to sing at the beautiful campfire. His favorite activity is archery and his favorite field trip this year was to the zoo.

Kayla C., Age 8 and Sarah A., Age 9
Tribe of Reuben

Baby Carrots likes playing soccer and a bunch of other sports. Her favorite things to wear are shirts with baby carrots on them that glow in the dark and American Eagle shorts. Her favorite animals are fainting goats and cats. She lives in Virginia, and her favorite food is baby carrots. Her two super powers would be to be able to fly and save people with the touch of her hand. Her favorite color is purple and her least favorite colors are shades of brown and green. She likes baby carrots because baby carrots make her happy and they taste awesome.

David K., Age 10
Tribe of Levi

Cyclops is the tribe leader for the Tribe of Dan. His tribe has five people. His favorite color is blue. Cyclops has two sisters that are Stickshift and Weeboc. His favorite genre of music is rock. He was born and raised in the center of New Jersey. Cyclops’ favorite activity is rock wall. His birthday is December 11. In all of his years as a camper, he was with Twitch three times. His favorite food is campers (I know he is lying). His favorite all camp activity is MI. His favorite candy is any type of chocolate.

Keane R., Age 11
Tribe of Dan

Jazz has been coming to Camp Gilgal since adventure camp in 2010. His favorite color is maroon. If he had a superpower it would be the ability to fly. His favorite part of camp is hanging out with the tribe of Dan. He chose Jazz as his camp name because he likes to change up the rules a little and Jazz likes jazz music. His favorite types of music are Indie, Blues, Rock, and old school Hip-Hop. His favorite musical instrument is the guitar.

Jazz’s favorite part of the day is FOB. His favorite Pokemon are Charizard and Mew. His favorite place to visit is Colorado. His favorite tribe leader is Cyclops. His favorite cartoon character is Hobbes. That’s who Jazz is!

Tribes of Gilgal

The tribe of Simeon has a tribe leader and an assistant tribe leader (ATL) and four campers. The tribe leader’s name is Twitch and the ATL’s name is Scooter. If you are in Twitch’s tribe, BEWARE! He is crazy! Well, we are, too, of course. Well, some of us. The campers’ names are Aaron, Isaiah, Gavyn, and Elijah. First up is Aaron. His favorite color is navy blue. His favorite activity is artsy fun. Gavyn is crazy for all kinds of ice cream. Gavyn’s favorite activity is artsy fun. Isaiah is crazy for gummy bears and his favorite color is green. His favorite activity is artsy fun. Elijah is crazy for his Nintendo DS. His favorite color is blue. His favorite activity is rockwall.

We are the sebaba tribe of Zebulun, the middle cabin. Our members are Sierra, an 11 year old who likes to hang out with the cabin, Simona, a nine year old who loves FOB, Mariya, a 10 year old who likes craft and rockwall, Alyssa, a 10 year old who likes all of the camp activities, Taliah, a 10 year old whose favorite part of camp is the theme meals, and Rebekah, a just-turned 10 year old who loves having people to play with, especially in playground games. Our tribe leader and ATL are Eureka, whose favorite part of camp is the campers, and Ruski, who also loves campers. We as a tribe LOVE having FOB! We love being able to play band games together and a new game that Mariya taught us: Momma and the knot. In the mornings, after we’ve gotten dressed, our cabin looks like a tornado went through, but we always manage to clean it up for cabin inspection. This year, our cabin devos are about the fruit of the Spirit, and our tribe times often include showers, Momma and the knot, learning verses, and Mexican candy. We’re the tribe of Zebulun and we’re awesome!

The tribe of Dan lives in a cabin that could also be called a pig sty. It is a very confusing and colorful place (especially during cabin cleanup). We have clothes hanging off of the beds, and in between cabinets and walls. Keane’s side of the
room is usually filled with toy Pokemon and colorful towels. Greg’s side is usually neater than the other (probably because he sleeps half the time so he can’t make a mess). David doesn’t really have a side, but you can find his clothes in between beds, his pillows on the floor, and himself on other people’s beds. He has a toy alligator whose name is Yoshi, which is also all over the place. Misha’s side is neat and organized, but has been taken over by toy spiders and snakes. He has three bunks just for his stuff; if not then he would have his clothes and stuff everywhere. Jazz and Cyclops’ sides are usually dirty but they clean it up fast. They’re not bossy and they’re fun.

Tribe of Dan Bio #2 

Gregory V., Age 12
Tribe of Dan

My tribe is the tribe of Dan. The campers in my tribe are Misha, Keane, David, and Malkiel, and they’re all nice campers. We made our flag a snake for the tribe of Dan because that’s what its symbol is. And our staff are Cyclops and Jazz. We try our best to get more points than the other tribes do.

We are the tribe of Reuben! Our tribe leaders are Baby Carrots and Heinz.The campers that are in the tribe of Reuben are Kayla, Rachel, Nena, Shoshi, Sarah, and Naomi. One of our favorite things to do is go to the playground. We are the youngest and best tribe! We have six campers and five of them are new, and we love camp!

All of the campers in the tribe of Levi are the same age. We all have nicknames for each other. All of the members of our tribe are good at memorizing verses from the Bible. We are also all good at finding sniper positions. The members of our tribe are Noah L., Beau N., Nathanael D., Daniel V., and David K. Our ATL is Star Fox, and our tribe leader is Blewish.  Noah’ nickname is Uni, Beau is called Flash, Nathanael is Grenade, Daniel is Chinchilla, and David is AK. We love tribe time and spending time together.

For starters, we’re the tribe of Issachar. We’re made up of Lydia, Elizabeth, Lauren, Kaylie, Eliana, Devora, Nicole, Ana, Bullseye and Chickpea. Though most think our friendship is held together by Lauren’s duct tape, it’s really our love, confidence, and passion for God. We win, we lose, but we have fun all the same. As a tribe, as a whole camp, and individually, we are each unique, and known for shouting “challah!” Chickpea is our tribe leader, Lauren is an A+ dancer, Kaylie is athletic, Devora is caring, Eliana is great with advice, Lydia is extremely funny, Ana is down-to-earth, Elizabeth is awesome, Bullseye can shoot bullseyes one after another, and Nicole is funny and loves her sleep and mini-wheats.

Issachar’s Tribe Time

Lydia C., Age 12
Tribe of Issachar 

There are many things to do in tribe time with the tribe of Issachar, like playing games outside like soccer, football and frisbee. Another thing you can do is make bracelets. The tribe of Issachar makes duct tape bracelets. You can also make string bracelets. A girl in my tribe has 13 different colors of duct tape. She has zebra striped tape, and just plain colors. We also paint our nails sometimes during tribe time. It is really fun. You should totally try these activities in tribe time someday.

Fun Days

Elijah S., Age 9
Tribe of Simeon

Newcomb is fun but I usually get out. When I am captain, my team is Misha, Lydia, Aaron, Twitch, Sara, and Elizabeth. My team wins about 60% of the time. My favorite position is back or middle and my favorite part of the game is getting my opponents out. I’m the best at serving and I’m sort of good at catching. Also, I’m sort of good at front because it is easy for me to throw the ball over the net. I have tons of fun playing Newcomb.

Gavyn R., Age 8
Tribe of Simeon

We went to the zoo on the field trip.
There were bunnies. They are fast and cute.
Bunnies are really fuzzy. Their ears were long and they look very cute.
In the bunny pen, there were seven babies and one mom.
There was hay on the bottom of the pen. 

Shoshi S., Age 7
Tribe of Reuben 

To do rockwall, you have to wear closed-toed shoes. If you don’t then you can’t climb. One time I forgot closed-toed shoes, but thankfully a nice girl named Rebekah gave me her shoes and they were very good shoes and I got to the very top. But I was very excited because I finally reached the top of the wall! The walk to the rockwall was not far from the cabins and I loved it. On the last day I was sad because I would have to wait a whole year to climb the rockwall all over again. Next year when I come back, I’ll climb to the top even faster!

Shoshi S., Age 7
Tribe of Reuben 

One day we went horseback riding at camp. The horses were across the street from camp and in their ring. I was riding Dydy. He was a great horse, but sometimes he was disobedient. He kept tricking me by making me think that he wanted water when he didn’t. The lady that owned the horse said that I should pull on the bit, which is in the horse’s mouth, when he was being disobedient. When I pulled it, he wouldn’t budge. So the owner had to come and help me. For most of the time I had to stay in the ring, but I didn’t mind because I got to ride Dydy and I love horses.

Naomi W., Age 8
Tribe of Reuben 

Skit in a Bag is when you and your tribe get a bag with random objects in it. You have to make a skit out of it. My objects were one big water gun, one little water gun, a Febreeze bottle, a lantern, a hula hoop, a cowboy hat, a cone, and a bucket. We thought about a lot of skits, but ours ended up being a dance skit because our tribe leaders thought we danced really well. They wanted me to dance but I said no because I would have to dance in front of everyone and I don’t like dancing in front of people. I decided I would be a judge so my character had a water gun and when someone would pretend to be bad at dancing I would spray them. We called the skit “Reuben’s Got Talent.”

Nena K., Age 9
Tribe of Reuben 

Thursday, June 30^th, 2011, Camp Gilgal East went to the zoo. The bus ride there was really fun. When we got off the bus we looked at all the animals. When we went to the bunnies, I picked one up and its feet were very dirty. Bullseye (an ATL) held a bunny who had very clean feet. Bullseye has a bunny named Max at home. Then, we went to see the goats and camels. The camels were on the ground a lot. Later we saw the gorillas and reptiles. They had a crocodile, a snake, a baby crocodile, and a spider! After looking at all the animals, we had turkey sandwiches and juice boxes. My friends and I went to the gift shop and bought lotion. After a fun day at the zoo, we got on the bus and went back to Camp Gilgal.

Kayla C., Age 8
Tribe of Reuben 

You have water balloons and get put on teams. Then
everybody grabs a balloon and throws it at the other team! It is fun because you get soaked. If I was allowed to do it every day, I would, because it is so much fun. But it takes too long to fill them up, so I probably couldn’t.

Sarah A., Age 9
Tribe of Reuben 

Swimming! Swimming is so much fun! Anybody can swim in
the pool if you get a bracelet. The bracelet colors are red, yellow, or green. Green means you get to go in all three sections, but if you get a yellow bracelet, then you get to swim in two sections. If you get a red bracelet, then you can only go in the shallow end which is three feet tall.

Noah L., Age 10
Tribe of Levi

Rachel age 9 in tribe of Reuben, made an unexpected entrance to the top of the hard rock wall. Rachel got up the easy and medium wall in a flash, but then came all the pressure of going up the hard wall. The hard wall in the gymnasium is as small as the medium wall through the hard wall has like no rocks to stand on. Uh Oh! That can’t stop Rachel, she just blasts up that wall like a lightning bolt zapping someone! Great job, Rachel!

Daniel V., Age 10
Tribe of Levi

Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen! Camp Gilgal is epic, but even more epic is archery! The tribe leaders for 2011 were Blewish and Bullseye! They will explain what the rules are. You try your best to get a bullseye! In 2009 at Camp Gilgal, my friend Beau got a bullseye! You also get extra points! Archery seems easy but it’s extremely hard! Especially getting the bullseye! Also, the tribe leaders put balloons on the targets and you need to try popping the balloons or you can just shoot. Also, you can shoot gloves (rubber gloves). That would be fun! The point of archery is to have fun and enjoy!

Nicole G., Age 12
Tribe of Issachar

The snack shop is a refreshing revival area located in the game room. It’s great after getting tired from swimming in the pool. You can take your money out of the Gilgal Bank and get some sugary sweets to quench your hunger, top off lunch, or boost your energy. They also sell a great line of brand name soft drinks including water, Pepsi, Coke, Mug root beer, Dr. Pepper, Sprite, and many more! The candy selection ranges from Skittles and M&M’s to Rolo’s and Sour Punch Straws. They also sell Hershey bars, Reese’s and a whole bunch more. So stop by, save your money, and stock up on your candy!

David H., Age 12
Tribe of Dan

Hiking is fun. While we walk we sing songs and look at the beautiful scenery of Albany. At the same time, we get exercise. Once, we went hiking by the place where our camp used to be and went into the woods there. Another time, we went near the lake where we used to go boating. We saw a paintball shooting range, and the cabinet where they hold the paintball guns. We sing marching songs, “repeat-after-me” songs, and worship songs while we walk. At the end of the hike, we head back to Camp Gilgal.

Nicole G., Age 12
Tribe of Issachar

This year, new campers got the news! Just because you’re at camp doesn’t mean you can skip brushing your teeth! Every morning after you wake up, you have to get dressed, get your yawns out and get ready for line up. But that’s not all! You have to brush your teeth well or else you’ll fail dental inspection. So what is dental inspection? After each tribe lines up, Twister and the other out-of-cabin-staff come around and check your teeth for plaque! Even your molars, so open wide and say “ahhhhh!” But it’s not every morning. But don’t skip out! It’ll creep up on you, just when you think we won’t have it. Besides, oral hygiene is very important either way. You should always brush your teeth if you don’t want them to fall out. Seriously, if you don’t, your teeth will get yellow.

Even though dental inspection is only at breakfast and not at lunch and dinner, TLs and ATLs still make sure you brush at night. Make sure you bring your toothpaste and make your teeth sparkle or else no breakfast for you!

Elizabeth D., Age 12
Tribe of Issachar

Who wouldn’t want to fly? I know I want to. Rockwall is an activity that can make you feel like you’re flying! But safety comes first so obviously you have to wear a harness and helmet. Even though there are a lot of rules to follow, rockwall is a ton of fun. There are different levels for rockwall: the easy wall, the medium wall and the hard wall. Rockwall is a blast when you slip by accident, and you feel as if you’re flying. It’s disappointing when you have to come down, but it’s really fun. I’m sure you would love rockwall.

Gregory V., Age 12
Tribe of Dan

Tribe time is a time when you can go and do activities with your tribe. You can go play soccer, volleyball or ultimate frisbee. Sometimes, you go into the woods and compete in different events. You can go to the zipline and do activities
that you need teamwork to complete. For example, there is a wall you have to go over, but your tribe members have to pick you up and help you over as a team. Next there is an activity where you go on a little log and then if you fall, your tribe members catch you. We also play kickball sometimes. My favorite activity at tribe time is hiking though. It’s my favorite because I get to see lots of new things and sometimes we get to see little animals like frogs, chipmunks, and turtles. And it’s also a good experience for us to learn new things about life. It’s also good exercise for us.

Crazy Nights

Taliah S., Age 10
Tribe of Zebulun

Have you ever gone to a Camp Gilgal sleepout? Well I have, and it’s really fun! Even though the camping out part is fun, the rest of it is the worst. What I mean by that is you have to make your own food and you have to go to the bathroom in the woods, you’re on rock-hard ground and you’re only allowed to go back to an indoor bathroom ONCE on the whole sleepout! These things are really hard to do, especially this year, because one camper got sick during the camp out and another came late because of another camper’s sickness. The sleepout itself is really fun because it’s basically like having a sleepover with a grown up and your best friends. This year, the weather was so-so because it was really cold, but when we got back to our tents, it got so warm inside. So I would say it was pretty good. It was the first time I’ve been to camp as a camper that it hasn’trained on the sleepout and it was awesome. But you know what I love about the campout? It’s that you get to choose where you go, well, sort of…the tribe leaders do. This year, our cabin slept out at the basketball court, so after we got ready and put our tents up, we got to play on the playground for a little
while. The only thing that I hate, and you probably will too, is that after lights out you can’t talk because then no one will get to sleep and you know what? I’m fine with that.

Rebekah C., Age 10
Tribe of Zebulun

Lights, camera, action! This is the movie we watched for Movie Night: “Finding Nemo.” Where was movie night? In the Mishkan. We also had snacks in the Hebrew room to nosh on. We took our sleeping bags and pillows to the Mishkan to rest on while the movie was on. And we got to wear our PJs! The movie was about Nemo’s dad, Marlin, and Dory trying to find Nemo, who had been taken by divers. That’s the whole story of Movie Night! And now, its bedtime! Goodnight!

 
Aaron C., Age 10
Tribe of Simeon

We had a day where we had a grilled lunch, and for dessert we roasted marshmallows. We grilled at a campfire site, Sunset. My favorite part was finding the perfect marshmallow stick. The perfect stick is straight and thin. When our marshmallows were perfect, we made s’mores.

Simona B., Age 9
Tribe of Zebulun

Talent Night is a night to show off your talents! Many people dance, do magic tricks, sing, and much more. There are two hosts and they dress up and they are really funny. Everyone always looks forward to this night because they love to  see everyone’s talents. Every year, the ATLs do a skit called, “Is it time yet?” They go back and forth just asking, “Is it time yet?” Finally, at the end, the person with the watch says, “Yes, it’s time!” And they do something really silly at the end. It’s a really good skit. I’m always looking forward to Talent Night! This year, I’m looking forward to doing ballet. I’ve been doing it since I was three and a half. I really like it and I hope I’ll do well!

Beau N., Age 10
Tribe of Levi

I think the sleepout is going to be the most fun sleepout this year. The first year I came here was 2009 and it was really fun. I still remember when I was in the tent and it started to rain and Twitch said, “Watch the rain stop as soon as you put the tarp over the tent.” I think this year is going to be just as fun as in 2009. I hope we make s’mores and hang out. Two years ago it did rain so we had to cancel. This sleepout will be the most fun year if it doesn’t rain, because then we get to spend the whole night out. The first time, we woke up at midnight to go back to the cabin because there was  hunder and lightning. This year it was windy but it came out to be the best sleepout ever. We roasted marshmallows and we made hamburgers on an open flame. All the food tasted good and we got to chill out. I was having so much fun that the time flew by.

Devora W., Age 12
Tribe of Issachar

What do you think Mission Impossible is? Well, Mission Impossible is when you’re in your bed about to go to sleep, but then all of a sudden you hear the MI theme song. Then all of the tribe leaders come back into their cabins with their flashlights and scream, “IT’S MI!!!” We only do MI once a year at camp.

This is how you play: you and your tribe are a team. You have to crawl around outside in the dark and look for clues to find out where you have to go next. You want to be the first cabin to be done so that you win, but you have to be very quiet and careful because if you’re not, one of the spotters will spot you and you will have to start all over. If you have to start over, it will take more time for you to try to win. When you’re playing MI you have to wear black or dark colors so that you blend in more at night.

I have a lot of fun during MI and I’m sure you would, too!

Only at Camp Gilgal

Mariya A., Age 10
Tribe of Zebulun

In campfire, we are always singing a few songs and then we also are talking about God. We tell our stories that are happening to each other. In campfire it is so much fun because we always sing happy songs. In campfire, my favorite song is “Hinei Ma Tov” camp fire style. I love that song because it is so much fun. When it is almost time to have campfire, Twister blows the whistle and she tells us how many minutes left and then we have to start putting on the
bug-spray and if it’s cold outside, we have to take our jackets and start going outside. We have to go to the Sunset before we do all of those things. It is so so much fun in campfire.

Sierra K., Age 11
Tribe of Zebulun

This year at camp in Tabernacle, Twister has been giving us lessons about things that are in the book of Genesis. We are learning about different covenants or promises from God. And we are also learning about the patriarchs, Abram (or
Abraham), Isaac, and Jacob. Just today, we learned about the miracle birth of Isaac. For a quick summary, the story is Isaac’s mom, Sarah, was about ninety when she gave birth to Isaac and before he was born, three men came up to them
to tell them that Sarah was going to have a baby. She didn’t believe them, but God told her that she was going to have a baby. But back to the talks. Twister also lets us read verses from the Bible and answer questions. I think that Tabernacle is really fun and it helps me get to know God better!

Eliana S., Age 12
Tribe of Issachar

Campers and staff at Camp Gilgal have very mixed feelings about the time in the schedule known as FOB (Flat On Bunk).

How do our campers feel about FOB: Many campers feel differently about FOB. Kaylie, from the tribe of Issachar, said that she enjoys FOB because it’s a time that she can just chill. On the other hand, Gavyn, from the tribe of
Simeon, said that he hates FOB because he can’t sit still on his bunk and always wants to talk.

What do our cabins think?: You might love or hate FOB, but what do our cabins think? Simona, from the tribe of Zebulun, said that she doesn’t think her cabin likes FOB because they always talk. Keane, from the tribe of Dan, said that his cabin loves FOB because they have parties!

Would you FOB or do another activity?: If you could have a fifth activity instead of FOB, would you? Naomi from the tribe of Reuben would rather have another activity, and so would Noah from the tribe of Levi. On the other hand, Reptar, from the tribe of out-of-cabin-staff said she would have FOB because she loves it!

Happy FOBing!

Lauren C., Age 12
Tribe of Issachar

Friday night was Shabbat. Everyone got dressed up for the evening. The whole camp then walked leisurely to dinner. The meal was very peaceful. Twister said prayers over the candles and grape juice, and then the challah. After dinner, we went to Tabernacle for the evening service. We sang songs, said prayers, and recited the different blessings. In the morning, we slept in, had breakfast, then went to Tabernacle for more prayers. We sang more songs, recited more Hebrew prayers, and then read that morning’s haftarah portion. Shabbat at Camp Gilgal was a lot of fun!

Lauren C., Age 12
Tribe of Issachar

Every night we have devotions. This year, our cabin talked about gossiping, growing up with God, being a mature young woman, and standing up for what you believe in. My favorite topic was gossip. Our ATL, Bullseye, talked to us about gossip. We discussed how gossip is bad, how it hurts others, and how God tells us not to gossip. Most people think that only girls gossip, but boys are just as bad. Bullseye had us read different passages from the Bible where God says gossiping is bad. Our nightly devotions have really helped us grow as girls after God’s own heart.

Simona B., Age 9
Tribe of Zebulun

In Hebrew, we do many things. This year, we are learning the Amidah. The Amidah is a Jewish prayer. At the beginning of the Amidah, we take three steps back and three steps forward. It means we’re leaving the world but then coming back. At the beginning of the Amidah, the words “Baruch Atah Adonai” start and we bow. In Hebrew, we also learn the Aleph Beit, reading and much more. Strings is the teacher. She teaches me a lot and I really like her. I like her because she teaches us the meaning of words so we don’t just say Hebrew words without knowing the meaning of them. I like learning Hebrew to see how different the languages can be. I also like it because it was the language Jewish people spoke. Hebrew is AWESOME.

Malkiel A., Age 12
Tribe of Dan

I also like “Baby Whale.” I like that there are little motions and big motions too. It talks about the story of Jonah. Another song is called “I’m Gonna Sing Sing Sing.” Staff people lead three groups in a round, then sing different parts of the song at the same time. That’s what we do during campfire songs!

Misha K., Age 12
Tribe of Dan

FOB is probably the most fun activity in camp. The word FOB literally means Flat On Bunk, but to us campers it means Fun On Bunk. In the years before, it used to be a time of rest from all the fun activities in camp, but lately it became a
time to play card games and talk quietly while the tribe leaders sleep. Later on, we started taking advantage of the tribe leaders sleeping and started throwing little “parties.” Before the tribe leaders went to sleep during FOB one day, they would say, “you may talk a little bit while we sleep,” but to us, “talk a little” meant start fighting and screaming and singing Lion King songs. The tribe leaders probably didn’t know this until I wrote this very shocking article. That’s it for now – I hope you enjoyed my FOB experience!

Nicole G., Age 12
Tribe of Issachar

For campers and staff, this year there are some “out of town” campers joining us from Michigan. We have Sierra K. and Nena K. and Ana H. They took an 11-hour-long train ride to join us for camp. If there’s any reason to pack your bags  and leave home for two weeks, I can’t think of a better one than camp. At first, I was unsure about this new adventure, but after having spent two weeks with these girls, it proved to be a change for the better. I’m glad they could be with us!

This is Nicole G., checking out. Until next time, Shalom!

Rachel M., Age 9
Tribe of Reuben 

Tabernacle is a great time to praise God. That is because we sing, read the Bible, and learn cool facts. For example BIBLE stands for “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.” Every day we got closer to God. Getting to know God will not only give you eternal life but also give you peace in your heart. At Tabernacle, Twister reads from the book of Genesis. For example, we read about Adam and Eve and the tower of Babel, and she read us the story of Abraham, too. Out of all of them I liked Adam and Eve the best. As you can see, Tabernacle is a great time to praise the Lord.

Alyssa C., Age 10
Tribe of Zebulun

Are you tired of being bored? Well, then try the activity “Just Fun!” Just Fun is located in the field! You can play board games and whatever you want. For example, you ask whoever is directing the activity. For example, if you ask, “Can you get out the paper and pencils?” you’ll get them right away. Do whatever you want! It’s Just Fun! Some of the games are Apples to Apples, card games, Nuke ‘Em football, Frisbee, and do whatever you want! The girls who are in it are Rebekah, Ana, Sierra, Lauren, Shoshi, and Kayla. Rebekah and Sierra both like Just Fun because they think that you can do whatever you want. And it’s not the same thing every day. They both like Just Fun! Ana’s favorite thing to do in Just Fun is play Nuke ‘Em! Lauren likes to hang out, Shoshi says she likes to play games and Kayla likes to play Frisbee and run around a lot! Everyone likes it!

Malkiel A., Age 12
Tribe of Dan

Have you ever been to lunch at Camp Gilgal East? It’s really fun. First we quiet down. Then Twister calls a quiet group to go get food after we say the blessings. The food is really good. After everybody finishes eating, we say the Birkat Hamazon together. Then we get our cabin inspection scores and go to swim time. That’s what we do during lunch.

The Creative Side of Gilgal

Ana H., Age 12
Tribe of Issachar

Camp Gilgal is fun!                                                   Laying on our bunks
“Challah”, Issachar tribe says                                        Just resting and relaxing
“Best part of summer!”                                             FOB is very fun.

The Gilgal Gazette                                                     Top of a mountain
A newspaper by campers                                         Campfires at Camp Gilgal
At Camp Gilgal East!                                                 We see the sunset.

   Strings teaches Hebrew
   We learned about animals
   And also food, too.

                         Everyday at morning,
                         we go to Tabernacle
                         Twister gives us talks
                         and the book of Genesis
                        we’re trying to tackle!

Flip flops and fun!
We laugh and we run,
            and learn about Jesus at Gilgal
we love to play,
            every single day,
and earn cabin points at Camp Gilgal