Young Judaea
Morning Electives
After waking up and raising flags, with our tummies full and prayers completed, it’s finally time to finally start our CYJ morning!
The first half of our schedule is tailored to the campers’ personal interests where they enjoy three electives of their choice. (They also straighten up their cabin, but we’re afraid there’s no real choice in that part….)
Chuggim (Electives)
On the first day of camp, campers get to decide how they want to spend their mornings from a list of electives we provide. Campers begin the session with three of their picks and have the opportunity to switch to new electives each week. Chuggim are often divided into groups based on skill or age, but some include campers indiscriminately, fostering friendships across grades.
The electives empower kids to steer their own summer and to focus on what they love most about camp. Given the facilities and the time they need, campers can really dive into their passions and sharpen their skills, all the while connecting to kids who share their same interests.
On the complete flip side, instead of choosing activities they’re already familiar with, a camper could use the chuggim period to try things they know nothing about. The chuggim period is a camper’s best chance to explore a pastime in depth, so the adventurous kid could really get acquainted with something new.
We love both these approaches! It’s a beautiful thing when campers use chuggim to fall deeper in love with their passions. Likewise, it’s amazing to watch kids take a chance, sometimes even discovering a talent and enthusiasm they never knew. At the end of the day, it’s their summer, and making these picks is what chuggim are all about.
Below is a sample list of some chuggim we typically offer. The actual offerings vary from year to year, but campers can assume the following will be available:
Chuggim Sample List
| Elective | Description |
|---|---|
| Archery | Head to our archery range to learn the tricks and techniques of shooting a bow and arrow |
| Arts and Crafts | Create all kinds of beautiful art projects! Classes divided by age, skill level, and interest |
| Baking | Arts and crafts for you tummy! Learn some recipes and eat the results |
| Basketball | Advance your skills on the court with drills, scrimmages, and games |
| Ceramics | For clay lovers! Shape, glaze, and fire your projects to make unique art to take home |
| Chess | ENGAGE IN BRUTAL COMBAT...between teeny pieces of plastic! All skill levels welcome. |
| Cooking | Cook and learn some traditional Jewish foods, (leave some for us!) |
| Dance, Dance Variety | Create new dances, learn styles from salsa to ballet, and perform in front of Camp! |
| Fitness | Get in shape and get moving with Zumba, kickboxing, yoga and more |
| Fun at the Lake | Enjoy our lake! Boating, fishing, water-sliding, and swimming in the great outdoors! |
| Gardening | Show the Earth a little love — grow and care for veges, flowers, and herbs in our garden |
| Golf | Putt, drive, and improve your skills; participants visit Wimberley course at session's end |
| Improv Comedy | Practice improv! I'd join, but I have to carry these pizzas past all those hungry walruses |
| Jam Band | Sing and play in the CYJ band, performing every week for all of camp |
| Jr. Lifeguard Training | Improve your swimming and learn basic lifeguarding skills, (for advanced swimmers) |
| Model Making | Design, build, and race your own wooden car for a thrilling race at the end of the session! |
| Mountain Biking | Expand your cycling skills and ride through the terrain on the other side of the lake |
| NewsTube | Record events, conduct interviews, & make a show for our weekly showing of NewsTube |
| Premier Sports League | A session-long sports competition where sports loving campers can improve their skills, learn new ones, and participate in some friendly competition. |
| Ropes Course | Challenge yourself and have fun on our awesome ropes course! (Divided by skill level) |
| Soccer | Or 'feetball' as they call it overseas. ...What? That's not right? Okay, well it's still really fun |
| Tennis | Advance your skills on the court with drills and instruction |
| Water Sports | Have fun and get active at the pool with water polo, slide races, and volleyball |
| Yoga | Relax, breathe, and engage your muscles with Yoga poses and meditation |
Nikayon (Cleaning Time)
A major departure from the theme of “personal choice”, nikayon is something everyone is expected to participate in. This last piece of the morning is our daily period for kids to clean up their cabins. The whole bunk pitches in, alternating responsibilities and maintaining a light atmosphere. Perhaps not as thrilling as the ropes course or Jam Band, nikayon is still an important part of keeping camp healthy and building a strong cabin community.