Eden Jablon

Staff Writer

On Friday, December 10, Milken sophomores left for their two-day shabbaton at Camp Hess Kramer. While some students worried over the loss of their Saturday, most were delighted to experience the retreat.

“I had an English test, so I even brought stuff to study. [But] once I was there, I forgot about school and finally took a break,” Megan Simon ’13 said.

Rabbi Yechiel Hoffman, Judaic studies teacher, stressed that he understands just how hard it is for students to take themselves away from the constant pressure to work. However, he explained that that is precisely why retreats are important. Not only do they give less religious students an opportunity to experience a traditional Shabbat, they also serve as a class bonding experience.

“It gave me a chance to talk to people I didn’t know that well,” Hannah Low ’13 said.

This year, the theme of the retreat was Israel. Faculty worked together to create the “Israel Games,” where four teams each representing different cities in Israel were given four challenges to complete. They had to debate in a policy forum and create a poster, cheer, and skit.

“Although some of the actual products were quite silly, there was a great positive energy,” Hoffman said.