Issue 4 - July 20, 2012 - Gesher Summer Camp

The Gesher Gazette
A Message
From the
Directors:
Happy Birthday
Rafi Steinberg 7/16
Maya Schulman 7/17
Beth Goldberg 7/19
Madeline Popolow 7/19
Joey Askin 7/21
Ava Bachman 7/21
Yocheved Perry 7/21
Peri Levin 7/22
July 23th
July 24th
How could we have reached the halfway mark of our summer together here at Gesher already? Is it possible that today is actually the
last day for 24 of our campers? In just four short weeks our campers have created many new friendships and had incredible experiences
together.
The weather this past week started off incredibly hot then became quite rainy, yet programming went on unencumbered. We feel
fortunate to have the beautiful Kushner facility at our disposal – as we were able to use the air conditioned facilities on Tuesday and
Wednesday afternoon when it became too hot to remain outside and on Friday to stay protected from the rain. Using our Yom Cham (Hot
Day) and Yom Geshem (Rainy Day) schedules, we were able to seamlessly move indoors and continue with our Specialty and Sports
programs. On our Yom Cham days we were able to bring the campers back out to the pool so they could still have a chance to get in the
water!
This past Monday, our campers enjoyed a fabulous show by the Jabali Acrobats from Kenya, and were dazzled by their strength and
dexterity! We enjoyed three fun dress up days this week and even sent our Galil and Madrichim campers on an awesome trip to Sno Cove
Water Park. The highlight of our week, however, was on Wednesday, when campers took part in our annual Swim-a-Thon for Camp Simcha.
After 28,674 cumulative laps, we are on our way to once again raising $20,000, but can only reach our goal with everyone’s help. The
money raised goes directly to providing children with cancer and terminal illnesses the opportunity to experience for a brief moment what it’s
like to be a “regular” kid and do regular kid activities. Camp Simcha is an oasis for these children and has proven to be very therapeutic. With
all of the financial strain placed on these families to care for their children day to day, Camp Simcha does not charge to attend this wonderful
program. All funding is donated through a variety of charity fundraisers, such as our Swim-a-Thon. We support this mitzvah, and will be
collecting money for another two weeks. You can make your donation on-line by logging onto www.chaiathon.org. Please encourage your
children to call relatives and friends and ask for sponsorships, even though the swimming part has already been completed.
There’s a lot to look forward to coming up next week! We have our 2 nd picture day (wear your camp shirt) and our visit from Swift
Farms on Wednesday and the Galil trip to NYC on Thursday! It has been an awesome summer so far, and we eagerly look forward to the
start of the second half. Thank you to all those campers and families who have extended. Gesher would not be the same without you for a few
more weeks!
Shabbat Shalom!
~ Scott, Marla & Amy
Picture Day!
Bring your Gesher
T-shirt
Swift Farm
July 25th
Bus 1 Poem, by Jacob Bier
Today is the Bus Cup day
Whoever wins will say hip-hip-hooray
Bus 1 is bus #1
I’ve had so much fun
And I’ll never run
Away but I have to because it’s my last day
Hopefully I will come back someday
And if again you ever do see me
It will be at Camp Gesher—the place to be!
sdrawkcaB
Galil & Madrichim
Trip
July 26th
Tisha B’av
Program
July 27th
Congratulations
First Session
Bus Cup Winners:
BUS 8!!!
Volume 11, Issue 4
July 20, 2012
Av 1, 5772
Scott Lantzman, Director
(973) - 597 - 3699
All Star Staff
Director’s Choice
Ben Gerstein
Jill Green
Jess Lieberman
Kinneret
Sam Cohen
Arianna Gorkowitz
Annabelle Hanflig
Natalie Simon
Rachel Simon
Arielle Solomon
Rebecca Sorkin
Negev
Corey Kaunfer
Allison Knapp
Aliza Silverman
Dimitry Suvovov
Corey Turk
Galil
Craig Binder
Shai Kartus
Jake Kozlenko
Gideon Tamir
Specialists
Max Brown
Mara Godfrey
Amy Goldberg
Sean Talman
Aquatics
Nat Druce
Sam Feldman
Eli Hafner
Margit Landa
Maxx Reiz

Page 2
Gesher Gazette
Kinneret
It's hard to believe it's the end of Week 4
We've been so busy, there's so much more in store!
The Jabali Acrobats entertained us with flips.
We all watched in awe as they performed their tricks!
On Fairy Tale Dress Up Day, as princesses, fairies,
and Mickey mouse campers were dressed,
So many fabulous costumes, we were so impressed.
On Wednesday, for the Swim-a-Thon, Kinneret campers
swam like fish,
To help the children of Camp Simcha get their wish
On Thursday our campers wore their hair in crazy do's
They showed their unique style and made the camp news!
And Friday brought Sci Fi Dress Up Day
Aliens, martians, Star Wars and Trek -- everyone came to
play
Kabbalat Shabbat was a great show
Kinneret campers danced and sang songs we all know
We are all excited for Week #5,
Looking forward to more dance, jump and jive!
~ Audra, Debbie & Michelle
Galil Artist in Residence Spotlight:
Zumbatomic
Things have been exciting and amazing so far this summer at Zumbatomic®!!!
We have learned so many dance fitness routines and have been dancing our feet
off to music from around the world! We absolutely love learning our new songs
every day from Pitbull to Shikira! The campers especially enjoy rocking out and
dancing to the Zumbatomic® games! I have enjoyed doing Zunbatomic® with
all the Gesher campers!!! Parents, if you have any questions, feel free to e-mail
me; I also do Zumbatomic® birthday parties if you are interested! My email
is shirasearle@yahoo.com! I’m looking forward to continued fun and excitement
over the next 4 weeks at Gesher!
~ Shira Searle
Division News!
Negev
July 20, 2012
Av 1, 5772
We cannot believe that 4 weeks have
already gone by at Gesher! This week was
exciting for everyone in Negev. From the
acrobatic show to fairy tale dress up day it
has been a fun filled week! Everyone came
in with crazy and unique air on crazy hair
day. The swim-a-thon was a huge success.
Children swam laps with their friends for a
great cause. It was a great opportunity to
cool off from the hot sun. For those of you
who are leaving we will miss you, and for
the campers continuing we are looking
forward to another week at Gesher!
~ Lyndsey, Gail, & Sharon
Galil
With week four ending our first session is now done
We wish we could have 5 sessions! Because Gesher is so fun
With swim-a-thon on Wednesday we swam laps for a good cause
So thank you for all your sponsors, give yourselves a round of applause
The first half of summer has truly been terrific
Fun happening all over its hard to be specific
To all our campers who are leaving after session one
We will miss you dearly but we know at Gesher we never stop having fun!
~ Karen, Shai, & the Galil Staff

Staff Spotlight
Page 3
Gesher Gazette
Hebrew Word
Of The Day
Interviews by
The Newspaper
Chug
Interviews By:
Eden Bendory
Liora Katz
Maya Katz
Sarah Littman
Shirah
My name is Noy and I am from Israel and I
teach Shirah at Gesher. I’m happy I had the
opportunity to take part and teach Israeli
music at Gesher. In my lessons I’m trying
to bring Israel to the campers through their
music. Also, I am teaching Hebrew words,
history, and geography of Israel through
Israeli songs. The campers get the chance
to play and experience music with all
kinds of instruments. I am so happy to
share this with the campers and I am sure
they are have just as much fun at Shirah!
~ Noy
Noach = Comfortable
“Noah is a
comfortable man”
July 20, 2012
Av 1, 5772
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Georigia,
Sports
Specialist
Emily,
G4 Senior
Counselor
Jeff,
Aquatics
Director
Shai
G3B Sr.
Counselor
Do you
enjoy
your
job?
Sefer = book
“My mother always
said, Its safer to read a
book”
What could
you do to
improve your
job?
Yes Go swimming
everyday
What do you
think is the
best thing at
Gesher?
See = Record
“Look! See how
easily she broke the
record”
What’s
your
favorite
color?
The lunch Purple,
blue, &
orange
What activity would
you like to specialize
in if you didn’t do
your activity?
Osher = Happiness
“You are full of
happiness, oh share it
What’s your
favorite food
and drink?
Cooking Buffalo wings
and Diet
Coke
Yes Have more fun All the ruach Green Sports Baked Ziti
and Cream
soda
Yes All swim
reports in the
computer
Love it See more
campers
Every kid
leaves with a
smile on their
face
Activities and
Staff
Blue Transportation Pizza and
Raspberry
iced tea
Purple Photography Anything
that’s
chocolate
Archery
How many
years have
you been at
Gesher?
Where do you
work/go to
school during
the year?
Karen = Ray
“Karen saw a ray of
sunshine!”
What is your
favorite movie and
book?
Two Soccer Coach Lady and the Tramp
and Bewitched
Two St Andies Across the Universe
and Kite Runner
Nine RKYHS where I
teach history
The American
President and The
Firm
Three School The Lion King and
The Help
The Archery tent at Gesher is an exciting place to
be! The Negev campers are so enthusiastic and their skills are
improving each week. The Galil campers are eager to come to
archery each week with their bunk and also have the
opportunity to choose archery for their Chug. Everyone loves
shooting at the targets, popping balloons filled with mitzvah
tickets and getting on the “Bull’s Eye List”. Congratulations to
those campers who have already achieved bull’s eyes this
summer. Keep up the great shooting!!!
Camper Bull’s eyes
(as of July 17 th )
David Altman 3
Jordan Godfrey 3
Matthew Rosenberg 3
Rebecca Dranikoff 2
Aryeh Gruber 2
Jesse Langer 2
Asher Lefkowitz 2
Lee Meyers 2
Matthew Rothschild 2
Matthew Berger 1
Ari Bieber 1
Brian Carmeli 1
~ Mara
Rachael Cole 1
Emma Godfrey 1
Jeremy Green 1
Michael Lurie 1
Sam Lurie 1
Isaac Mendelson 1
Ellie Minsky 1
Hannah Neusner 1
Ava Rapkin 1
Jesse Richter 1
Jake Scharago 1
Elisa Stone 1

Page 4
Gesher Gazette
Jokes of the Day Tarbut
From Deep, Deep Down in
the Archives of Jokedom!
Monday:
Why couldn’t the teddy bear finish
his dinner?
Because he was
already stuffed!
Tuesday:
What fairy tale character never said
please?
Little Rude Riding
Hood
Wednesday:
What did the duck say to the cashier
when she brought the lipstick to the
register?
Put it on my bill
Thursday:
What kind of hair do oceans love?
Wavy
Friday:
What is an alien’s favorite part of the
computer? The Space Bar!
Rabbi Rich
Week 4 Mitzvah Award Winners: PK1, KG2, B2A
Candle Lighting: 8:06 pm
Torah Portion: Matot/Massay (Shabbat Chazak: we
finish the 4th of the 5 books of Moses
July 20, 2012
Av 1, 5772
My name is Sapir and I’m the Tarbut (Israeli
Culture) Specialist this year.
I want to sure with you some of the things that we
learned this year.
We learned how to sing HATIKVA which is the
Israeli Anthem.
We listened to the Israeli book, A Tale of 5 Balloons
We saw how crayons float above water just like
people in the Dead Sea
And we learn the effect of bad words on other
people.
I know that we will have a great time in Tarbut in
the future
And I’m wishing us for the best :)
~ Sapir
Today is the beginning of the Nine Days
Today is also the holiday of Rosh Chodesh (the new month of Av)
Shabbat Ends: 9:10 pm
Gesher Mitzvah of the Week: Tilkkum Olam:
Making the world a better place to live
"Is Tomorrow just another Haftorah?
"What is a Haftorah?
Many Bar and Bat Mitzvah students recite them on their special days- but what is it all about? Why the big fuss?
The Haftorah is the lesson from the Prophets recited immediately after the reading of the Torah(the 5 Books of Moses).
Historically speaking, a little more than 2000 years ago, Antiochus, the king of Syria, forbade the reading of the Torah under penalty of death. The
Rabbis, therefore, substituted a chapter of the Prophets similar in theme to the Torah portion. Typically, there is always some similarity between the
Sedrah and Prophetic selection.
Tomorrow, our Haftorah comes from the Book of Jeremiah. This is the first of three "Haftorahs of Rebuke", that precede the Ninth of Ab- the
anniversary of the destruction of Jerusalem.
"Turn to G-d in perfect trust.... and His love will regenerate you". To Jeremiah, religion is a personal relation between the individual and his Maker.
Here in Gesher, the personal relations we make with each other, whether on the ball field or in the pool, (even while benching and davening!)
demonstrates the amazing connections we have towards our Maker as well as to our friends.
Shabbat Shalom to all!
Rabbi Rich

Page 5
Gesher Gazette
Madrichim
The Madrichim program is going strong! Last week we
gained oodles of valuable hands-on experience working with
the preschoolers during the Negev and Galil visiting day. We
then had one of the most memorable experiences of the
summer, with our exciting trip to Dorney Park. Coming back
to Gesher the Galil counselors surprised us with a delicious
Barbeque. Spending the night here at Gesher was a real treat
and we slowly became Myachi pros! This week we helped out
with the camp-wide "Chai-A-Thon" Swim-A-Thon. We aided
the counselors and guards in ensuring that the total lap count
was correct for each camper. This week we went to the Sno-
Cove water park in Scranton, PA. We are super excited for
our trip to the city next week with our visit to Ripley's "Believe it
or Not" museum and "Lucky Strike" bowling alley. We will
also be assisting Rabbi Rich prepare for our Tisha B'Av
program next Friday. We continue to work with Pre-K bunks
and we are overwhelmed with happiness and joy with how our
video projects with Bayleh are going. We are sure to become
YouTube superstars! Everyday is another adventure, and we
can't wait for the next great week at GESHER!!
~ Mike
Pool News
Cooking Corner
It is so hard to believe that we are halfway
through the summer! Swim reports for our
second session are coming home today, so
please look for those! Our Galil Stroke
clinic swim reports are the debut of our
“next generation” reports! These all-electronic progress reports will retain the specific skill
information from session to session, and summer to summer, as well as the notes from the staff,
making them easy to replace in the event that one does not make it home, or comes home
damaged.
This week was also our Chai Lifeline swim-a-thon, and on the hottest day of the summer, our
campers swam nearly 15,000 laps to raise money for children with cancer to attend camp the
same way that we do at Gesher! Every donation counts toward our camp goal of $16,000, and
donations can be made either in cash or check through our office, or online at http://
www.chailifeline.org/chai-a-thon/. Please help us support this very worthy cause.
Jeff Reiss, Aquatics Director
July 20, 2012
Av 1, 5772
Challah was on the menu in the Cooking Corner this week! The kids all learned how to braid their
own. In Cooking Chug, we had our own version of a Food Network tv show…CHUGGED! Thank you
to our special guest judges Steven Wengrofsky, Jake Kozlenko and Carly Pancer. The kids made Mini
Blinis and Chocolate Chip Mini Blinis; Vanilla and Chocolate Trifles; Blueberry Cake and Chocolate
Chip Cake; as well as Cinnamon Sugar Monkey Bread and Garlic and Herb Monkey Bread.
Ingredients
5 lbs bread flour- less 2 cups
2 Teaspoons salt
1/2 Teaspoon baking powder
3 Tablespoons yeast
Challah- No Bread Machine Necessary
1/2 cup of warm water
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup oil
3 cups of water plus 2 Tablespoons honey
Directions
In a large bowl mix the first 3 ingredients. In a glass measuring cup, add the next 3 ingredients and
let it alone to poof (about 10 minutes). Make a hole in the flour mixture and add sugar, oil, yeast
mixture, and the 3 cups water plus honey. Using a large spoon, mix all ingredients together.
Knead and pull apart into 6 even parts. Let dough rise for 1 hour-make bracha. Punch down-braid
and let rise. Brush top with oil and honey. Bake at 350 degrees until done, about 35 minutes.

GAMES
Page 6
Gesher Gazette
FUN
&
ALIEN
ASTRONAUT
GESHER
MARS
MOON
PLANET
ROCKET
SPACE
SPACESHIP
July 20, 2012
Av 1, 5772

Page 7
Gesher Gazette
Our camp photos are now online!
The website is: http://gesher.smugmug.com Password: ilovegesher
July 20, 2012
Av 1, 5772
110 South Orange Avenue Livingston, NJ 07039 Phone: (973) 597 3344
Email: info@gesherfun.org Website: www.gesherfun.org