A Night to Remember

“Are you sure you’re in the right place?” the taxi driver asked me. I was sure; I was expecting something off the beaten path, and my destination certainly fit the bill. With a dubious goodbye, he sped off, and I set off for the headlamps and bonfire in the distance. It was late Thursday night during Bein HaZmanim, and I was running a teambuilding activity for Yeshivat HaKotel. They were just finishing up an all-you-can-eat barbecue of hot dogs, hamburgers, wings, and sausages (fat spicy hot dogs), and spirits were high despite the late hour. After my slot, the students would be embarking on an all-night hike of the Burma Road, learning about it’s role in breaking the siege on Yerushalayim in 1948. They’d be finishing with a Neitz Minyan back in HaKotel.

Teambuilding with Yagilu

Yagilu runs teambuilding workshops all the time. We’ve worked with schools and shuls, huge organizations and individual families; each experience is fun and unique. A typical workshop will include a mix of group games and challenges that pit the group against a specific goal. While working together to accomplish that goal, participants have the opportunity, with our guidance, to practice a host of skills:

• Communication
• Creativity
• Positive Attitude
• Self-Control
• Dedication and Perseverance
• Leadership and ‘Followership’

I’ve watched students and campers transform over the course of a single game. Once, we were playing one of our opening get-to-know-you games that takes some out-of-the-box thinking to really succeed in. A quiet student hiding behind some other members of the class approached me during the game and suggested an idea to help the class succeed. I encouraged him to share it with his classmates, which was hard for him. He did it, and I immediately pointed out positive feedback from the class when they tried his idea and it worked. He responded with another idea, and another, and another – and finished off the game leading and directing his peers to an incredible success! I love being a part of experiences like that.

Game Time

My goal for the night was to facilitate relationships. These guys had just arrived in Yeshiva a month ago and gotten straight into a a full-day learning schedule. The month gets more and more intense, finally culminating in and awe-inspiring Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur opposite Har HaBayis. This program was an opportunity for the guys to relax and get to know their fellow students in a positive, fun setting. Our first game was Speedball, a classic everyone remembers from camp. However, I had never played it in the dark, with just one headlamp…how would the guys adapt? You can tell a lot about people based on the way they respond to setbacks, encourage their friends, and tackle hard challenges. I watched in amazement as the HaKotel students worked their way up, succeeding again and again. Each time another issue popped up, the group laughed it off, listened to suggestions as to how to solve it, and tried again. At the end, they even kept posing new goals for themselves, trying to get their fastest time lower and lower!

Do you see the Tower of Feetsa?

After such a great first game, I was excited for the next: The Leaning Tower of Feetsa. The instructions for the game are just a single line; the challenge of the game is just as mental as it is physical. Again, the group was more than up to the challenge, trying different strategies as they thought farther and farther ‘outside the box.’ I was able to watch as boys from London, New York, and Canada (and more!) worked together to succeed in the games we played.

Success!

We finished off the session with a couple of high-energy group games, some singing around the bonfire, and an epic camp story. While the guys were clamoring for more, I had to get back home, and they had to start on their night hike. I walked away so impressed with the positivity and engagement from the Hakotel students. While I’ve run these activities many times before, this group was special – they needed no coaxing or encouragement to rise to the challenge and try to succeed as a team. It was an awesome night of great food, lots of fun, and the beginnings of many strong relationships, and I’m happy I was able to be a part of it.