Kesher’s multifaceted, two-week Summer Program includes leadership opportunities for teens and tweens.
2013 Sessions
Week 1: 6/24-6/28
Week 2: 7/1-7/5 (no program on July 4th)
Cost: $350/week
Daily Hours:
- Drop-off 8:30-8:45
- Program 8:45-5:15
- Pickup 5:15-5:30
Check out a past vacation care blog at http://www.kesherweb.org/new/?m=201002
TO ENROLL EMAIL: RAFI@KESHERWEB.ORG
Machaneh Kesher is Kesher’s summer program for children entering grades 1-5. We offer a joyful and creative experience in an environment enriched with Jewish culture and community. Playing together, creating art, music, and drama, cooking, swimming, and taking exciting field trips together, we focus on building a rich supportive community. ‘Kesher’ is the Hebrew word for ‘connection’!
The Machaneh Kesher experience:
‘Noseh’ – ‘Theme’. Every week has a distinctive theme which carries through activities, field trips, art-projects, and even sometimes food!
‘Tiyul’-, ‘Field trips’ . Getting ‘out-and-about’ is a big part of Machaneh Kesher – by train, by bus, or by foot. At least twice a week we take a ‘destination’ field trip. Recent trips have included: the Harbor Islands, the Harvard museums, Swan Boats, a Jewish treasure hunt in Brookline, the Arnold Arboretum, the Freedom Trail, Singing Beach and many more!
Z’man BaChutz—
‘Outside time’. We spend a lot of time outside. Kesher’s amazing new facility is directly next to a fantastic playground, and we take smaller trips to explore other parks around the city for sports, games, and water-play. Which leads us to…
Brei’cha.- ‘Pool time’. We swim every other day at either the Rindge Avenue pool in Cambridge, or the Kennedy School in Somerville.
Pe’ulot—‘Activities’.When we return from our field trips we create projects that build on what we have just learned, to take advantage of the immediacy of the experience, including journal writing, creating games, writing stories and putting on plays, and more. Machaneh Kesher participants also enjoy arts, crafts and cooking — including baking challah. Most of all, we foster an empowering atmosphere in which the children’s ideas for creating activities are supported.
The activities through the day are planned according to the theme and field trips. A typical day starts with ‘Zman Chofshi’ (free time) – for play and socializing. We have manipulables, books and some exciting new activity to open the morning, before breakfast at 9:30. After breakfast, we have circle time to launch the project of the day and our field trips. The kids take their packed lunch to the trip/pool for a noontime lunch. They return back to Kesher for half an hour of quiet time before Z’man B’chutz (time outside in the park). When we return to Kesher, we finish projects that we started earlier and wrap up the day with a circle and Shira (some singing).
