Month: August 2004 – ז׳ באלול ה׳תשס״ד

GRAND TRIP TO SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE!
The Grand Trip took place on Wednesday, to Six Flags Great Adventure, in New Jersey. Reveille was 5:30 AM, followed by Shachris and breakfast. At 8:00 the coach busses left camp. We arrived at the park at 12:00, and had a quick lunch outside the park. After lunch everybody entered the park, to have the greatest time of their lives! For those who wanted, one of our busses went on the safari located near the park.

Everyone enjoyed the rides and other attractions available there, until the power went out at 2:30 (camp time). The entire park, as well as the surrounding region was out of power for an hour. Boruch Hashem, none of our campers were stuck on any rides while the power went out. We gathered at a central location to daven Mincha. After Mincha, the entire camp went to watch a sea lion and dolphin show. After the interesting and informative show, we ate snacks and went back to the rides, as the power had been turned on. At 6:30 we met outside the park to eat supper after which we reentered the park for a final two hours of fun before closing. At 9:00 we set off, back to camp. Maariv was davened on the busses. We arrived in camp at 12:15, fifteen minutes ahead of schedule.

This past Monday was bunk war for bunks Tes-Zayin through Chof-Aleph. Monday afternoon, one camper reportedly hit another camper in the pool. Lifeguard Abba Gurevitch gave a loud and lengthy speech about the importance of treating our friends with respect. “You’ve already been in camp for seven weeks, and you don’t know that you can’t lift a hand towards another camper? If you can’t behave yourselves there is going to be BUNK WAR!” Immediately all the staff members jumped into the pool, to join in the excitement. Everybody exited the pool, and the teams were split up. The two teams are Shliach and Chosid. For the team of Shliach: the general is Mendel Sasunkin, the Lieutenant is Moshe Deitch and the captain is Chaim Lisbon. For the team of Chosid, the general is Mendel Lifshits, the lieutenant is Eliyahu Raskin and the captain is Shneur Gansburg. Counselors Ruvein Gitter, Yosef Lewis and Levi Schapiro were judges. The other counselors were “advisors” to both of the teams. The plays, song and scavengers are solely the children’s responsibility.

After the teams were split, there was “team time.” The campers divided up the responsibilities among themselves, and then went to learning class as usual. After supper each team put on two scavengers. Tuesday morning each team presented their theme speech. Following lunch there was team time, to learn the theme song. The songs were presented to the judges during rest period.

At 7:15 Team Chosid put on their play. The story went as follows: An American Patriot tries to steal some documents from the British to help the Americans win the war. He is caught and imprisoned. He escapes, and tries again, this time succeeding. He demonstrated how a Chosid must never give up, and keeps on trying until he succeeds.

Team Shliach presented their play next. During World War Two, a young Jew flees to Russia. In Russia, he is enamored with communism and discards his Jewish identity and adopts communism as his personal creed. His communist education, as well as the memory of the Nazis killing his father in front of his eyes, makes him very bitter towards Judaism. After the fall of communism, a Chabad shliach meets him in Russia. The shliach reminds him of his old jewish life, causing him much anguish. He refuses to speak to the shliach, and even threatens to kill him. The shliach, thinking his end is near, cries out Sh’ma Yisroel. Hearing Sh’ma Yisroel reminds him of his father’s Sh’ma Yisroel and reawakens his Jewish spark. He decides to return to Judaism.

This year at Gan Yisroel Parksville N.Y. Mishnayos Baal Peh is rocking the house! The average daily attendance at cocoa club exceeds one hundred. The season and alltiem record was set on visiting day of the first session, when 219 campers k”ah showed up to cocoa club.

In addition, Mishnayos Baal Peh Director Moshe Frank keeps coming up with innovative ideas to make M.B.P. more enticing. Periodically pictures of the rebbe are given to all the campers that come to cocoa club. Every week bicycles are raffled off. Campers can earn tickets by coming to cocoa club or learning mishnayos baal peh on Shabbos.

Recently the new “Fresh Air Miles Program” was launched. The program is based on effort to include all campers. A camper can earn fresh “Air Miles” by coming to cocoa club or even doubling his miles by bringing his entire bunk. Campers can reach various levels of membership based on how many Air Miles they accumulated. Among the benefits of being a member are: automatic entry to all raffles, Rebbe pictures, an occasional barbecue, the privilege to an express line to buy nosh or get tested, get whipped cream on their cocoa and many more benefits.

The term “Fresh Air” alludes to the taharas havir that is accomplished when reviewing mishnayos baal peh.

This summer is also the first year that there is an M.B.P. program on Shabbos morning. The program is called “Chassidus Faren Davenen”. Every shabbos morning over one hundred campers gather in the soccer field to hear a sicha of the Rebbe and a story from M.B.P. Director Moshe Frank. It is interesting to note that this program started because campers were complaining that there was no cocoa club on Shabbos! All in all this summer has truly been exceptional for mishnayos baal peh, and will IYH continue until the last day! .

FOR SALE 1979 Diesel International DT 466 18 foot truck. $2900
After being in service since 1983, and driven by many tmimim whom now have their own children at camp this year. The camp has replaced this fine truck with a larger capacity. The truck has under 90,000 miles and is in fine working condition. New brakes and tires, great for city or local use. GVW is 17,999 lbs and is considered non CDL. Steering wheel needs an adjustment, other than that it is a fine truck, and we would like to find it a new home.
For more information, please contact Yossie Futerfas at 845-292-9307

Shortly before 11:00am (10:00am camp time) on Tuesday morning the loud noise of a helicopter’s rotors were heard over the sprawling grounds of Camp Gan Yisroel, NY. The noise and sight of the large helicopter hovering over camp, startled campers and staff alike and even roused some from their slumber.
Within moments it was apparent that the helicopter was going to land on the hill and a crowd rushed up to catch the scene.

Moments after landing on the baseball field, the surprise was over as CGI’s Executive Director Rabbi Avrohom Shemtov and Director Rabbi Yossie Futerfas emerged from the helicopter.

The helicopter, owned by billionaire and Baal Tzedaka extraordinaire Ronald O. “Ari” Perelman, was making a “practice run” for an expected visit later this week by none other than Perelman himself.

When Perelman visited last summer, his first visit ever to the camp, he told the campers that “now that I know the way” to camp “I will see you more often.”
Photo by: Shmais.com

Tonight’s night activity was Judgment Night! If any camper had any complaint against a staff member, this was his chance to have his day in court! Night Activity Director Dovid Taub presided as judge. Before any witness could testify, he needed to swear with the official Night Activity 5764 Oath that goes as follows: Shehe sheha shehackoy sockee bomerocky tooty fruity firecrackey tooty tooty tow. We’re gonna bring Moshiach, nad we’re gonna bring him now. Complaints varied from campers not being able to do their jobs on Topsy-Turvy Day, counselors acting bossy to bunks other than theirs’. The most interesting complaint was brought by Camper Shaya Katz against his learning teacher, Choni Kazen. Reportedly, the maintenance workers had laughed at him when they saw him punished. According to his lawyers, Shaya has been afflicted by mental retardation since the traumatic incident. Although Choni’s lawyers claimed the mental retardation was a pre-existing condition, the court still found Choni guilty. He was sentenced to a twenty second timeout, while the whole camp laghed at him.