Category: CGI News

CGI is off to another smashing (or rather splashing) start! There is nothing like being welcomed by our dedicated staff (not to mention those scrumptious danishes, accompanied by a cool glass of milk.) There is also nothing like being welcome with a storm; a rainstorm. This just goes to show: come rain, shine, thick, or thin, Gan Yisroel is having a blast!
The highlight, of course (other than Head Counselor Yudi’s highly informative speech) was meeting the counselors; and what counselors! The wild applause could only mean one thing; these counselors are on a roll! We can definitely look forward to this summer being the best summer ever!

A SUMMER OF SURPRISES
Nobody could guess what this summer holds, but this start definitely hints at something out-of-the-ordinary.
Imagine this scene: you are seated in the Shul. After getting over the disappointment of camp songs not replacing night activity, you hear a loud popping sound. Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! It’s getting louder and louder. Then, a loud BOOM pierces the air (and your ear). What’s going on?
Have you ever tried snatching a seat when the music stops, only problem is, the seat is twice your height? How about tossing a ball into a basket, feeding a friend cereal, or having a pillow fight…blindfolded? These are just some of the wacky things that tell you: night activity 5765 has taken off with a bang!

FRESH STUFF
What are things like Air Miles, Express Lanes, or Gold and Platinum Memberships doing in Gan Yisroel?
The record-breaking Fresh Air Foundation (formerly known as Mishnayos Baal Peh) CEO, Moshie Frank, is back and better then ever! In this newly innovated display of anticipation, stimulation, and exhilaration, Cocoa Club and Mishnayos Baal Peh will never be the same! With temptations like marshmallows to enhance your hot cocoa, barbecues, privileges, grand-trips, and much more, who could resist?

This year’s Head Counselors are:
Yudi Steiner – Toronto, Ontario
Mendel Scharf – Crown Heights
Chezzy Deren – Stamford, CT

The Learning Directors are:
Rabbi Sholom Baras – Crown Heights
Isser New – Atlanta, GA
Moshe Raitport – Brooklyn, NY

Chassidishe Bochurim who wish to devote their summer to the Gan Yisroel mission as staff members, should apply as soon as possible. Last year the head counselors were forced to turn down a number of superb bochurim due to the large demand. They noted however, that out of concern for seder hayeshivah, they will not reply to the applications until yeshivos break for Pesach.
For more information or an application form call the office at (718) 774-4805 or download your application at https://kiryatganisrael.com/application-forms/

The administration and staff of Camp Gan Yisrael NY, have announced that they are throwing a Reunion! The date has been set and invitations have been mailed out, the event promises to be a smashing success.

On Motzei Shabbos Parshas Beshalach, 12 Shevat @ 7:30, all campers and staff of CGI NY – summer 5764, are invited to Oholei Torah’s upstairs ballroom. Pizza, fries and other goodies will be served, and a full program of fun and excitement is planned. Campers will spend time with their beloved staff, most of which are away in yeshiva the year round. The special camp feeling will be born anew, and together with it, the powerful and positive impact the kids get no where else.

A special slide show of camp memories will bring the kids back in time to their precious summer. Grand raffles, Itchekadoozie live, a Souvenir, and music & dancing, are just some of the attractions that are being prepared. “I am proud to say that we were forced into this,” says Yudi Steiner, one of last year’s head counselors, “the demand and excitement that kids expressed to make something of this kind, was literally heart warming. It just goes to show all those dedicated staff, how much the kids really appreciate what they do for them.”

For more information call the camp office @ (718) 774 -4805.

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! .