Shavua Sababa: Bringing the Awesome to Week 6 at Camp George
By Week 6 of camp, you’d think we’ve seen it all—until Shavua Sababa rolls in and turns everything up a notch. At URJ Camp George, this special themed week lives up to its name: sababa (Hebrew for “awesome”), delivering fresh energy, surprise twists, and some creative to the second half of our summer.
What makes Shavua Sababa so exciting is its unit-based structure—each age group gets a custom lineup of unique, hands-on experiences designed just for them. The goal? To spark curiosity and give campers something totally new to dive into.
This year’s Shavua Sababa lineup did just that. We brought in incredible guest educators and facilitators to help us transform camp into a place of experimentation, creativity, and pure fun. Some of the standout programs included:
- STEM with Wonderbox: From circuits to design challenges, campers tapped into their inner engineers with hands-on builds and problem-solving tasks.
- Outdoor Cooking with Chef Jordan Wagman: Campers learned to cook delicious, healthy food over open flames—yes, real campfire cuisine, led by a pro chef.
- Mosaic Making with Laura Wolfson: Each camper contributed to a stunning birkat habayit (blessing for the home) mosaic that will become a lasting piece of camp art that will hang in our new Chadar Ohel.
- Creative Arts with Dan Abramson: Campers used elements from nature—leaves, branches, and found objects—to create one-of-a-kind prints that reflected their surroundings and explored Jewish values like shmirat ha’adamah (protecting the Earth) and hoda’ah (gratitude).
- Flag Football Workshops with TFFL: Professional-style drills, scrimmages, and high-energy skill-building sessions kept our sports lovers on their toes.
- Pasta Making with Chef Brodie: Campers rolled, shaped, and cooked their own pasta from scratch—and then, of course, devoured it.
- Teambuilding with Everblast’s “Strike a Light”: Fast-paced, interactive games that had campers moving, laughing, and working together in brand-new ways.
These programs weren’t just fun—they were different from our regular offerings, injecting camp with a fresh vibe for week 6. For many campers, it was their first time trying things like STEM innovation, professional cooking techniques, or hands-on art with visiting educators.
We are deeply grateful to our partners and friends at UJA Federation of Greater Toronto and the Silber Centre for Jewish Camping for their generous support in making this week possible. Their investment in creative, dynamic Jewish experiences helps us continue to evolve and elevate the magic of camp.
Shavua Sababa reminded us that there’s always something new to discover at Camp George. It gave campers the chance to explore new passions, test out new skills, and break out of the ordinary with something extraordinary.
Week 6 came alive—and we’re still riding the wave of excitement!
