Staff of CGI NY to Release CD of Camp Songs

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A number of staff members along with a few campers who spent the summer in Camp Gan Israel Parksville, NY have been recording a CD featuring the summer’s most popular camp songs.

The staff who are involved include Zalmy Schreiber, Sholom Leiberman, Ari Raskin, Nachum Schapiro, and Shimon Gorkin. The CD’s expected release date is Yud Shvat.

Published: November 05 2009

Learning comes to life at Camp Gan Yisroel

Learning is my favorite part of the day”, said Mendel Ciment from Little Rock Arkansas.

This year in Gan Israel there is a special emphasis on making learning fun, accessible and meaningful.

“I want kids to experience a great love for learning that they can take with them for the rest of the year. Having a positive feeling about learning is so important since it’s the corner stone for the rest of our lives” said Moishe Frank, Learning Director for summer 5769

The famous “Air Miles” program was created and developed by Moishe in the summer of 2003 and is now used in Gan Israel camps around the world. During learning class the camper accumulates miles for his participation and joins different ranks due to the amount of miles he has. Prizes are then administered to the boys according to how many they’ve acquired.

Zalman Futerfas, Nosson Potash and Moishe Frank together form a great team as learning directors this summer.

The boys enjoy weekly game shows that are connected to what they learn during the week, thus bringing what they learned to life. These games shows are innovative way to bring chayus into learning and have been a major success. There is a great deal of “hands on learning” as well. When the boys were learning about tefillin, a sofer was brought into camp to illustrate the halochos and understand how it applies practically. Tzitzis were made by the boys so they can appreciate how the garment is made.

Every week a video is made, comprised of boys acting out what they learned that week. The video is displayed in the main are outside the dining room for boys to see all week and feel proud of.

On shabbos morning these is a record number of 150 boys who come to learn chassidus faren davenen, and the lucky boys earn a new picture of the Rebbe each time.

The campers air miles go up if they practice what they learn during their free time.

Finally, there is “leben vi chossid project”, which includes halachas and minhagim of how a chossid should act.

Crown Heights: “Chof-Av by the Rebbe, I did see the Rebbe’s love for you and for me…”

Chof-Av is in more ways than one synonymous with Camp Gan Yisroel, NY. The camp song in which the lyrics “Chof-Av by the Rebbe, I did see the Rebbe’s love for you and for me…” are found are by no means an exaggeration. For tens of years Gan Yisroel, NY has come to the Rebbe for Chof Av. When Chof Av fell during the week they came and when it fell out on Shabbos they came as well, all the while meriting special Kiruvim from the Rebbe. They came before Gimmel Tammuz and they’re still coming.

Today, Monday, Chof Av marking the 65th Yahrtzeit of the Rebbe’s father, the entire Camp Gan Yisroel traveled on coach buses from Parksville to the Ohel where everyone had a chance go and read a P”N. Afterwards it was off to 770 for a super Lebedike Mincha and camp songs.