YK Tzeirei HaShluchim 5774: Tractronim, Hiking, and Swimming with a BBQ!!!

Group photo overlooking the scenic Galil.

So Tuesday comes around and we finally have that day of rest that we were waiting for, a time to get back into schedule and prepare ourselves for a normal week of ישיבת קיץ. Think again. As we were in the middle of a high intensity basketball game, The מנהל פועל (Head Counselor) Leible Hecht comes outside announcing that we must fill up our waterpaks for another trip (obviously to some concealed destination). We immediately ran to the rooms to get the waterpaks, but we still needed to know where we were going (Why cant they tell us? I pashut need to know what shoes to pack!).

Wednesday morning we got treated to the birthday party (cake) of my chaver motty segal (the cake was pretty good, not my style but nonetheless). After the cake (and some learning as well) we departed towards the Tractronim place in dishon. So for those of you who don't know, a tractor is an Israeli (Hebrew) word for anything with wheels and a motor (similar to how everything that floats is a "kayak"). So basically none of us actually knew that interesting piece of trivia so obviously we thought we were going to a farm or something (not exactly that funnest trip in the books). Guys were understandably surprised to see that we were going off-road jeeping in Israel, not too shaby. To say that the terrain was rough would be an understatement, I literally learnt the meaning of "Eat my dust" it was a lot of fun. I can honestly tell people that my מנהל פועל (Head Counselor) took me for a ride (I knew he wasn't such a mean guy).

After the off-road jeeping we switched with the other half of camp (the third floor of the dorm) and went on a hike. Until this summer hikes were always something that I looked at as a cruel form of punishment. It was only here in ישיבת קיץ that I learnt to view them in a completely different way. With learned tour guides, armed medics and the beautiful terrain of ארץ ישראל you start to see things differently. From there we ventured off to the Olympic sized swimming pool for a relaxing dip followed by a poolside BBQ. Definitely the best trip (for now) its gonna be hard to top that one.

Well its time to go I really don't want to miss the "Crossfire". Apparently tonight we will have an opportunity to ask the panel of staff members anything we ever wanted to know (I hope they know what they're getting themselves into). Have a goodnight...