A Morning in Tawonga’s Kitchen

Session Update

Session 3/3a is taking fun in the sun to whole new levels! When it’s particularly hot at Tawonga, like it was this past weekend, we keep it cool with “Mickey, Mickey, Mickey” hydration games throughout the day and plenty of time in the pool and river. With unit swim in the morning introducing fun new water activities to bunks, and free swim in the afternoon giving kids time to lounge in the pool, everyone has plenty of time to splash around and cool down. 

We also make sure to adjust activities during the hottest parts of the day to ensure that campers are hanging out in cooler locations and participating in more mellow activities. For the most recent All-Camp Program, campers rotated through sprinkler Capture the Flag, Gaga slip-n-slide with bubbles galore and volleyball, followed by dips in the pool. 

Even cooler than the water is our group of campers this session! Through Chugim and Livnot – skill-building themed electives that all campers join like pottery and astrology – our campers are exploring their interests, learning new things and discovering newfound abilities. Flexing their new skills on Shabbat, campers who opted into the song leading Livnot helped to lead the Shabbat stroll – yasher koach (aka more power to you)! Through activities like Livnot and Chugim, the challenge course, backpacking and even Floats where campers independently explore activities, it’s amazing to see these Session 3/3a kids’ independence and self confidence grow. Our mission in action! 

There is still plenty of fun planned for the rest of the session, including Earth Day tonight for all of Camp to celebrate our beautiful planet! Tomorrow night, our youngest unit, Nitzanim will party at their Carnival extravaganza; as Session 3a campers head home Friday, this is one of Tawonga’s classic end-of-session traditions. Meanwhile, Session 3 campers stay on through next week, lucky kids! 

Kitchen Spotlight

By: Avi Paulson, Kitchen Staff 

Meanwhile, day in and day out, the Tawonga Kitchen churns out delicious, nutritious meals for our entire community. Unlike a lot of camps, many members of the Tawonga Kitchen staff are “homegrown” camper alumni. Working in the kitchen is a ton of fun, and campers often cite the food at Tawonga as one of their favorite things! Below, enjoy some behind the scenes magic from our kitchen staffer, Avi Paulson. 

6:30am

All hands on deck. The day begins with all of kitchen staff ready to receive a new shipment full of organic and sustainably sourced foods for Camp to enjoy throughout the day. We handpick all of our food from a variety of local vendors throughout our surrounding area, as the quality of the food that the Tawonga community eats is of utmost importance to us as kitchen staff, and central to Tawonga’s mission as a whole. 

7:00am

After refrigerating and stowing away the morning’s shipment, we begin work on breakfast. Whether it be cooking eggs for our signature mouthwatering frittata, or baking our camper-favorite banana bread, we take great pride in crafting meals that are both healthy and tasty for the campers and staff members alike. One aspect of our food-making process that we take special care in is recording every ingredient that we put into the food that we serve. This is to ensure that every member of the Camp community is nourished with the foods that make them feel the most healthy and ready to enjoy their day. We also prepare alternative food options for every meal, so that those with dietary restrictions are able to enjoy the same culinary Camp experience as their peers. 

8:00am

After we cook breakfast and restock the cereals, milks, oatmeals and other breakfast accoutrements, it is time for the best part of any member of kitchen staff’s day: serving the meal at the window. The kitchen window is an iconic part of any camper’s Tawonga experience. It is quite literally a window into where they get their food, and it is where they go to refill the dishes of food for their tables, and at the end of the meals, clear away all of their leftovers and dishes. Kitchen staff love the opportunity to interact with campers, and it never fails to brighten up shifts. 

9:00am

After the meal, it is time for dishwashing. What may sound like one of the most tedious parts of the job is actually one of the most enjoyable. We make sure to have fun while washing the dishes, listening to music and pausing for the occasional dance break. Once everything is washed and put away, and the kitchen is cleaned, sanitized and ready for the next meal, we take a short break, and then get started on making lunch.

Seeing the campers and staff members enjoying the food that we cook makes all of the long shifts and early-morning wake-ups well worth it.

 – K Staff ’23 

P.S. Enjoy this recipe for Tawonga’s challah straight from our kitchen! 

Check out today’s Tawonga Tidbit!

Below, enjoy photos from the past few days at Camp!