Author: cgi

After packing all their belongings the campers boarded the buses for the short trip to Neversink River Campgrounds.

When the campers arrived @ the camp site they began setting up their beds (sleeping bags). Afterward they started to collect enough wood so that their bonfires would stay lit all right and provide heat & light.

Meanwhile the counselors together with the help of other staff members started to prepare the barbeque for supper.

After supper everyone gathered around the fire to sing many camp songs (a special song sheet was prepared for the overnight). Lots of dedicated counselors purchased marshmallows & graham crackers for their campers. The campers then roasted the marshmallows and ate them with the graham crackers ala smores. As has become the custom in recent years, Levi Hodakov the CEO of SHMAIS.com accompanied by his wife and baby Sarah arrived on the scene and gave delicious citrus ices to all the campers. Later on in the night the campers went to sleep while hearing a story from one of their staff members.

At around 7:00 in the morning the campers woke up, davened and ate breakfast. At about 8:30 the campers went on to buses to Mountain Creek water park. @ the park everyone got into their bathing suits, and went into the water park together with staff members.

Everyone had a blast @ the park that was filled with only Jwish boys camps. Once again the campers & staff of CGI stood out wearing their Yarmulkas and Tzitzis all day long.

At about 4:30 it started to rain a little bit, but CGI didn’t give up, we waited under shelter and entertained the other camps with our renowned Chayus until the light drizzle stopped. When the drizzle stopped we went back into the park for another hour

@ exactly 12:00 noon, with beautiful temperatures in the 70’s, hundreds of visitors from all over the world, including Australia, Costa Rica, Canada and Israel and from all over the US including New York, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, Maryland, Washington DC, Massachusetts, Nevada, Washington, Virginia and Vermont began streaming in to the beautiful grounds of Gan Yisroel, NY for the summers first visiting day.

The visitors included parents, uncles, aunts, cousins, Bubbies, Zaides, Shluchim and many former CGI staff.

While many parents & friends took campers off grounds to nearby Pizza Shops, Shoprite and other shopping, many others decided to spend their afternoon on the grounds of CGI feasting on delicious hotdogs, burgers and other food from the worlds best canteen.

In addition there were hay rides, a petting farm that included Sheep, Goats, Chickens & Ducks and 2 big horses that gave rides to all the campers & children that were visiting.
Camp caretaker Eric Taylor was busy all day long directing both vehicular and pedestrian traffic across the busy Old Route 17.

As visiting day was coming to an end, smiling campers were seen schlepping bags and bags of nosh & other goodies, back from their day out of camp.

Before Mincha the campers were shown a beautiful 15 speed bike to be raffled off after Shabbos. They were also told about Shabbos competition and a Shabbos camper from each bunk.

E.M.T. Michoel Bloom, with Chazzanus Davened Kabolas Shabbos @ the Umud. Kabolas Shabbos was very lebedik. H.C. Mendy Kornfeld honored some staff members including Levi Hodakov, CEO of Shmais.com to start a Niggun for the different stanzas of Lecha Dodi.

The younger bunks left to the dining room a few minutes earlier for Seudas Shabbos. Seudas Shabbos was delicious.

Once again, the world renowned Gan Izzy Friday night kicked in with lots of joyous singing. Following the meal a few dozen campers stayed on to Farbreng, with H.C. Moshe Steiner.

Shabbos morning there was Mikva in the indoor pool followed by snacks – kokosh cake, fruit & cereal. Camper Shaya Spalter – Morristown, NJ davened Shachris.

Before Kriah, H.C. Asher Deren auctioned off the Aliyos for campers & bunks who would learn Mishnayos Baal Peh.

Due to the very long double Parsha 2 Baalei Keriah were needed to lain. Rabbi Shemtov received Maftir.

Towards the end of lunch Levi Hodakov, CEO of Shmais News Service & Shmais.com treated all the campers to delicious, frozen, 3 flavored, Itzakadoozie ices. The CEO treated all the campers in honor of his 28th birthday. The campers were very appreciative and broke out singing Happy Birthday & SHMAIS.com.

After a very lebedik lunch led by H.C. Moishe Steiner, there was rest period & canteen, followed by Farbrengens that each learning class has with their learning teacher.

Rabbi Shemtov farbrenged in honor of Shabbos Mevorchim, with the staff in the guest dining room. Yeshivas Kayitz joined later with their Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Moshe Wolberg. That Farbrengen went on all afternoon.

After learning classes there was a very succesful M.B.P. session.

After M.B.P. camp davened Mincha, followed by Seder Nigunim, Shalosh Seudos & of course Shmaryonky.

This weeks’ Shmaryonky was put on by Division Head Moshe Markel & Y.K. member Berel Kaufman.

A smashing Maariv was the conclusion to a wonderful Shabbos, the 2nd Shabbos of the 47th year here in The Rebbe’s Camp.

The winners of Shabbos competition were bunks, Tes Zayin, Yud Gimmel & Vov. Honorable mentions went to bunks Chof Beis, Hay & Yud Tes.

After many summers with slow dial up connections, High Speed Internet has arrived to the Parksville, New York area. This will allow camp to broadcast it’s WebCam on a much higher speed and quality. This high speed connection will also host the new Bunk pictures website, and will allow campers and staff to send video email and view the CGI website.
All of the computers are equipped with filtering software that allows only our website to be viewed.
According to Time Warner Cable most of the outside wiring has been completed, they expect us to be up and running iy”h this coming Monday

1. THE OUTDOOR POOL:
Although camp has an indoor pool the excitement of swimming outside in the “big” pool where there is even more room to swim has started and all the campers are having a grand time swimming where every camper has a “buddy” to swim with for their wellbeing and also their partner for pool fun.

 
2. ARTS AND CRAFTS: In arts and crafts this year the younger bunks are making Gan Yisroel clocks while the older bunks are making a Krias Shema Al Hamitah with a light the campers get a chance to do many things including sanding, sawing, and designing.

3. THE COMPUTER ROOM:
Every camper is given a “cool” digital camera to take pictures of whatever they like, afterwards each camper is able to show his creativity by designing the pictures with borders shapes etc. and the get a hard copy on picture paper besides it being posted on their bunks online album. visitors and guests can see the originality for themselves.

With the Gan Yisroel spirit invigorating every camper, and M.B.P. in every campers head there were announcements that the winners of Shabbos competition were none other than bunks
Hey (division 1), Yud (division 2), and Tes-Zayin (division 3), honorable mentions were bunk Yud Aleph and bunk Yud Gimmel.
The week started off with more M.B.P. being memorized in the morning during cocoa club. although the head counselors had sore throats due to the amount of campers that they had inspired on Shabbos they did not need to strain their voices any longer for a new microphone was installed in the shul and they were given a megaphone to use for the dining room, line-up, and on many other occasions
Once the week started there was a need for things to start rolling so the entire camp went on the first trip of the summer roller skating. where the campers had a chance to show their innovation from some kids skating backwards to others doing “fancy falls”, the counselors ran some games including limbo. As the excitement of camp was taking over the M.B.P. chart was marked to show how much every camper had learned on shabbos.

Before Mincha the campers were shown a beautiful stereo system to be raffled off after Shabbos. They were also told about Shabbos competition.

T.D. Betzalel Camissar led a spirited Kabolas Shabbos @ the Umud. Kabolas Shabbos was smashing, rocking and lebedik, truly befitting the first Shabbos in the Rebbe’s Camp.

The younger bunks left to the dining room a few minutes earlier for Seudas Shabbos. Seudas Shabbos was delicious.

The world renowned Gan Izzy Friday night spirit began with the singing of camp songs in middle of the meal. The over 400 campers, masmidim & staff in the dining room sang the song with much chayus & emotion including jumping unto their benches @ many times during the singing. Following the meal a few dozen campers stayed on to Farbreng, with H.C. Moshe Steiner.

Shabbos morning there was Mikva in the indoor pool followed by snacks – cake, fruit & cereal. P.D. Shmuel Chaim Plotke davened Shachris & Mussaf @ the Umud.

Before Kriah, H.C. Asher Deren auctioned off the Aliyos for campers & bunks who would learn Mishnayos Baal Peh. Among those who had Aliyos purchased for them were Executive Camp Director Rabbi A.Y. Shemtov, Camp Director Rabbi Yossie Futerfas & CEO of Shmais.com Levi Hodakov who will IYH be celebrating his birthday this coming Friday.

Camper Aryeh Leib Hurwitz “the Bar Mitzvah Bochur” lained very beautifully. He was also honored with Maftir. After his Aliya the entire camp sang “Siman Tov U’Mazel Tov”.

After a very lebedik lunch there was rest period & canteen, followed by general learning classes.

Yeshivas Kayitz had a farbrengen in their dining room with Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Moshe Wolberg. That Farbrengen went on all afternoon.

After learning classes there was M.B.P. Approximately 90% of the camp participated in M.B.P. and the hundreds of dollars worth of Nosh, with the exception of a few pieces of watermelon were all sold out by the time M.B.P. was over.

After M.B.P. there was seder Niggunim next to the flagpole followed by Mincha, Shalosh Seudos & of course Shmaryonky.

This weeks’ Shmaryonky was put on by V.D.’s Mordy Andrusier & HaChoson Yochanon Klein & Division Head Moshe Markel.

A smashing Maariv was the conclusion to a wonderful Shabbos, the 1st Shabbos of the 47th year here in The Rebbe’s Camp.