There’s Life After Givah
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There’s life after Givah. It’s hard to envision
the world going on without Gaga’s precision,
or overnights, undernights, catchable flags,
or lanyards or rock art or bugs in your bags.
In time, the displacement won’t feel quite as strange.
But some distant day, when you’re thirty-and- change,
you’ll think of a place with a name meaning hill.
You’ll remember a song, use a leadership skill
(or the nagging a newsletter taught you to do)
and you’ll realize that Givah still lives within you.
And meantime, the pictures are recent and clear
from all the best moments of this very year.
Community service, and waterslide trips,
and dancing and spinning and swinging your hips.
Maccabiah cheering, and getting your bets in,
and rooting for fun, every Flintstone or Jetson.
Vermonsters, and guests, and a fundraising swim,
topped off with a joyful and resonant Zim.
Your feet know the dances. You hear every tune
you’ve learned since the camp came together in June.
It’s August, so go! Live the months in between.
Here’s hoping we’ll see you in 2018!

​Gan and 1-2 stayed at camp a bit late to their delight,
As they enjoyed what the “big kids” do, at our 2nd ever “Undernight.”
Capture the Flagging and swimming and barbecuing galore,
Gave them a taste for when they’re older, what’s in store.
Next day, the older campers went to the Maccabi competition
Jews ‘round the world’ gathered in Albany for a mission.
Athletes swam and played basketball, while all the while
We cheered them on, rockin’ our Givah shirts in style.
As I sit in the office and write this article,
I look forward to the Na’arim-run carnival,
And the Oneg to be hosted by the marvelous staff,
With all the singing and dancing, I’m sure there was no gaffe.

​This week, no matter where around camp you roam,
You could see campers in kachol and katome.
Wednesday morning Bonim launched Color Wars,
Teams competed fiercely to up their scores.
The ruach could be felt throughout our bones,
As the Jetsons combatted the Flintstones.
We haven’t yet determined which team is winning,
At the time of the Givahton printing.
But that’s ok; it doesn’t matter if we win or lose.
We relish that ruach from our pores did ooze.
At Givah, the 2nd place team is not the “rotten egg,”
Because we all gather together, to enjoy Oneg.
We forget about our recent contest
Realizing that being one big mishpacha is best.