Category: CGI News

Reb. Yehudah Chitrik watches the CGI webcam during his morning breakfast. Reb Yehudah has three great grand children in camp this year. Shmuli & Eli Gross and Shmulik Schneerson. It was arranged that they were all to wave at the camera while their elter zaydeh was watching. To Reb Yehuda’s excitement he waved back.

This past Sunday, 194 campers came to Cocoa Club! Everyone who came received a picture of the Rebbe, a ticket in the raffle to win a fifteen speed bicycle, and a length of lanyard!

Visiting Day had a humongous turnout. Parents, relatives and friends came to visit the campers. To entertain the guests, camp brought down a petting zoo. The zoo included two llamas, two ponies, several ducks and a couple of rabbits and goats. A tractor, with a wagon on back, took staff, campers and visitors on rides from the square, around the shul and back. At the lake front, bumper boats, canoes and rowboats were available to be taken out. The canteen had a special expanded menu for visiting day. One of the most popular items was the fried chicken wings. Some parents stayed in camp to enjoy all that was happening there, while others took their children to the many restaurants and attractions in area. At 6:00 camp time, visiting day ended, and Camp Gan Yisroel lined up for flag lowering, as usual.

This past shabbos, the Internatinal Yarchei Kallah took place. This year had one of the largest turnouts ever, with over 50 rabonim attending. Many of the greatest rabbis of our time came to spend shabbos at Camp Gan Yisroel. Some guests came Wednesday afternoon. Most came on Thursday, while camp was traveling to Crown Heights.

On shabbos, the guests davened with camp. After Kabolas Shabbos, all the campers walked by the rabbis to shake their hands. For learning class on shabbos afternoon, the camp was divided into three groups, according to age. Rabbi Shimon Lazaroff, head shliach of Texas taught the youngest group. Rabbi Shalom Ber Groner, mashpia of the yeshiva in South Africa taught another class, and Rabbi Raitport of Venezuela led the third. During Shalosh Seudos, Rabbi Shimon Lazaroff told an entertaining and insightful story, which was enjoyed by all.

During the Melava Malkah many of the rabbis related what a great impression camp made on them. From the davening to the Mishnayos Baal Peh, the campers showed the rabonim how true soldiers of Tzivos Hashem behave. Overall the campers and the guests greatly enjoyed the shabbos.

This past Wednesday, in preparation for our trip to the Rebbe the next day, the head staff farbrenged with the campers. The camp was divided into five groups, based on age. The farbrengens were conducted by Learning Director Oshi Hecht, Head Counselors Yudi Steiner, Shaya Gopin and Chezzy Deren. The head staff related stories of the Rebbe and explained to the children the significance of going to the Rebbe. Special song sheets were printed out, with songs befitting the occasion. The farbrengens definitely helped make everyone understand the enormity of the trip.

The next day after breakfast, everyone went to mikveh, in the pool, to prepare for writing a pan to the Rebbe. Following mikveh, every camper was given a camp T-shirt, and went to their learning class to write a pan. After lunch, we boarded the comfortable coach busses, destination: 770! Some staff members came to 770 before the campers arrived, to set up the benches for camp. The entire front section of 770 was partitioned off for camp. Everyone filed into 770, where we davened a smashing Mincha, the likes of which 770 hadn’t seen since last year’s Chof Av. Following Mincha we sang some niggunim with great enthusiasm. We then walked out to the front of 770 where everybody lined up to go into the Rebbe’s room. While we waited, the pesukim were recited and more songs were sung. Head Counselor Yudi Steiner spoke about the great zechus we have to go into the Rebbe’s room. One by one, each bunk went into the Rebbe’s room. Where Head Counselor Shaya Gopin directed each camper to give tzedakah, and recite some Tehillim.

After everybody came out of the Rebbe’s room, we boarded the busses, and headed off to the Ohel. At the Ohel there was a rally with yet more leibidike singing. Yudi Steiner later said that in all his fifteen years in camp, he had never seen such lively singing. Each bunk went into the Ohel, read their pan and said Tehillim. A delicious supper consisting of salami and turkey sandwiches and plenty of drinks was served in the beautifully set up third tent behind Ohel Chabad Lubavitch. After everyone finished eating and davening Maariv, it was back to the back to the busses for the ride back to camp, uplifted, invigorated and inspired by the day’s events. Believe it or not, after such a packed day, we arrived in camp a full half hour ahead of schedule!

Bunk War began Monday Afternoon. The BMD was divided in two teams. The first team is Tomim. Their goal is to demonstrate the uniqueness and responsibility of a Tomim. The second team is Neir Lehoir. Their goal is to demonstrate how a person can affect someone else, and he will in turn affect others, just as one candle ignites another candle, ehich in turn light yet more candles. Each team presented theme speeches, wrote songs and put on plays to bring out their themes. The “Generals” and “Lieutenants” were campers. The staff helped out, but did not join any specific team.

The winners of Shabbos Competition for Shabbos Parshas Vaeschanan are: Bunk Zayin, Bunk Yud-Bais (Winners of Shabbos Competition four times, and winners of Bunk Competition last month.) and Bunk Yud-Tes.

Night Activity Director Dovid Taub, also the creator of www.itchekadoozy.com, put on a special presentation for Sunday’s and Monday’s night activity. Rabbi Itche Kadoozy (a puppet) played a game with the campers, called “A closer look.” A video of the show is available at www.itchekadoozy.com

Tuesday night, Rabbi Itche Kadoozy served as moderator during a night activity entitled “How Well Do You Know Your Brother?” The game is played as followsThree pairs of brothers come on stage. The older brothers leave, and the younger brothers are asked questions about their brothers. The older brothers are then called in, and they answer the questions themselves. If the brothers’ answers concur, that pair receives a point. For the first round, three pairs of campers came on stage. For the second round, Head Counselor Yudi Steiner and his two brother, Head Counselor Shaya Gopin and his brother came on stage. Itche Kadoozy himself was asked questions about his “brother” Dovid Taub.