July 21, 2022
As we enter the last week of July, I make reference to the baseball term “the dog days of summer,” a term used to describe the month of August as teams fight it out for a playoff spot before the MLB regular season moves to an end in September. After 7 years “away,” I am once again back in Florida during July, and it is everything I remember my previous 13 summers here to be. It is a particularly odd time to be moving from one part of campus to another, but that is exactly what we are doing. This week, our Marketing Department moved into their new offices in the new Adolph & Rose Levis JCC on the North Campus. Our other departments will follow over the next 2 weeks with our transition being complete after the first week of August. All the while, we continue to have a stellar summer camp season with only 2 weeks to go and 6 weeks already in the rear view mirror.
Our Levis JCC Marleen Forkas Camps are making summer magical for hundreds of campers. Camp Kavod, which did not miss a summer even at the height of the pandemic, is once again providing exciting on-campus activities, including music, yoga, karate, dance, basketball, swimming, magic, fitness, and arts and crafts for 102 children and teen campers with special needs. Younger campers are experiencing a new Gymnastics Plus field trip and swim instruction. Older campers enjoy trips to the movies, bowling, a science museum, Butterfly World, and Plaster Carousel.
Upper Camp is back in full swing with field trips, late nights, overnights, a carnival and our "Manhigim" Teen Travel program. Campers also experience archery, go-karts, swimming, sports, art, science, dance, a real flying trapeze, and various electives. Early Childhood campers enjoy the Marleen Forkas Splash Pad, three playgrounds, age-appropriate entertainment, separate swim instruction, and Shabbat celebrations. Theater campers are singing, dancing, and learning about stage makeup, choreography, and costumes, in addition to swimming, enjoying a carnival, tie die and water games, plus, a three-day optional Disney World trip!
This week’s Torah portion is Pinchas (It’s a Name) in the book of Numbers, the 4th book in the 5 books of Moses. In it, Moses is instructed on how to divide the land by lottery among the tribes and families of Israel. Similarly, we at the new Levis JCC are making difficult decisions on how to best use our beautiful 22,000 square feet of space (not counting 9,000 square feet of outdoor pavilion) on the North Campus while we continue to run a wonderful summer camp program for our South Palm Beach community.
Light Shabbat Candles on Friday night at 7:55 pm
Shabbat ends Saturday night at 8:50 pm
Marty