TuBeshvat Camping Trip
The Camping Trip No One Will Forget
By: Josh Bitran
Nobody could have foreseen
what lied in the depths of Elliot Key. When the jolly little
kinderlach of Hebrew Academy reached the island, all was going
well. A refreshing dip in the sea, some soccer with the
acclaimed Amichai, and some of Mr. Cassel’s famous packed
lunches made all the kids extra happy. But then we had to take
out bags to the OTHER SIDE. Little did we know that mutant
mosquitoes had been multiplying there for hundreds of years.
We made our tents and
played some football until we got a visit from the local ranger
to warn us of raccoons (he was clearly new and unaware of the
mosquitoes). This speech, followed by screams from Alec,
sparked a curiosity in some unintelligent individuals to go
looking for these raccoons.
Back at the tents where
nobody was looking, some events occurred that would change the
entire course of the night. First, a cunning student dissembled
the freshman tent this created entertainment for the sophomores
who watched the inferior freshmen build their tent in the dead
of the night. Another event was the enormous build up of
mutated mosquitoes. Those mosquitoes feasted on our kosher
flesh all night long. We awoke with the mosquito’s leftovers;
ignoramus mosquito bites.
Although we had a near encounter with death, the trip was highly entertaining.
Fun in the Sun
By: Sydney
Altfield
The ninth and tenth graders arrived at the Hebrew academy at 6:45am on Thursday February 1st. After davening we packed the bus and we were on our way to the two islands. (Boys and girls were split up) We took a bus to a marina where we loaded a boat that took us to our destinations. The boys went to Elliot Key and the girls went to Boca Chita. We got to the island by boat and had an amazing ride. Our baggage was soon brought over by another boat. We explored the island and had a park ranger open the lighthouse for us. During our time in the lighthouse, we sat for a few minutes to watch the ocean and we saw a spotted sting ray. After our lighthouse visit, the park ranger briefed us on some basic safety procedures and what to look out for. This was to ensure our well being while on the island. Soon after our talk with the ranger, we set up our tents and campsite. We went snorkeling, tanning and swimming. This worked up quite an appetite. The Bnei Akiva shlichim brought us all together and we made laffas and grape juice in honor of Tu’bishvat. We made our own dough for the laffas and we made the grape juice by putting bags on our feet and stepping on the grapes. We had hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner whilst singing, dancing and taking pictures. Then it got really dark and we made a bon fire to roast marshmallows and make smores. After that, a few of the ninth graders stayed up late and went to play taboo by the lighthouse. Around 7:30 in the morning we woke up, packed our things and were ready to go. Before we knew it we were already back at school. Everyone asked us about our trip and we told them about our awesome experience. If you want to know how the boys survived however that is a completely different experience. Us girls had the time of our lives and are looking forward to doing it again. Thanks to Mr. Cassel and everyone that made our trip possible.