Category: CGI News

After Maariv Wednesday night the tense atmosphere was felt in the Shul as the Campers and Counselors awaited the announcement of the winners for the hard earned bunk competition.

Finally after all the singing and chanting the Head Counselors made the dramatic announcement and the winners are… first division Bunk Hey (Chabad of Costa Rico), Second division Bunk Yud Bais (Chabad of Spain) and Third division Bunk Tes Vov (Chabad of Venezuela). The winners will be going on a full day trip to Hershey Park on Thursday. Runners up of the entire camp was Bunk Yud (Chabad of Texas) who came in very close to winning; they will be going on a special trip on Thursday. Special recognition was given to Bunk Chof Aleph (Chabad of Thailand) who will be going on a special outing.

Team of Shluchim
(T.T.T.O. VeHa’aviosim MBD)

My Shabbos by the Shliach
Is always more serene.
Since in a Chabad house
The Rebbe’s clearly seen.

From his family and friends
The Shliach is removed.
To do the Rebbe’s Shlichus
How could he refuse?

The farbrengens Friday night
Inspired me.
Sitting with the Shliach
In unity.

His guidance helping hand,
Changed me through and through.
Making me feel that
I’m a Chossid too

Mesiras nefesh beguloi
The goal of every Jew.
But as the Rebbe’s, Shluchim
This is all we do.

Shliach Shel Adam, K’moso
Rebbe — Shliach unite
Bringing Moshiach closer
Lighting the Golous night.

Team of Merkos Shluchim
(Original tune)

All alone, a young man sits,
His soul crying out from deep within
His Yiddishkeit sold carelessly
He asks Hashem “please let me see”

Few moments later a bochur stands
Before him holding matzos in his hands
Our holy Rebbe sent these to you
For he knows that you’re a Jew

The Rebbe worries for every single Yid
Despite their level or city were they live
For this reason the Rebbe chose his bochurim
Who stand on guard to be sent speedily
For this reason we as Merkos Shluchim
Are marching forth Triumphantly!

Team of Chayolim

I am what they call a minuteman
To serve the army as best as I can
Normally I’ll be working elsewhere
But as soon as war breaks out I will be there

Every Chossid is a minuteman
Serving the army as best as he can
Whenever I get a chance to fight
I will strive to touch every Yid in sight

The Rebbe demands that every single Jew
Should become part of his mission too
We’re ready for the call, to prepare the world
For the coming of Moshiach Tzidkaynu

Shlichus War Teams – CGI @ 4:12 am PST

Team of Shluchim
Theme: A Shliach settling in a city to be the Rebbe’s representative to reach and affect every Jew in the city.
General: Yudi Steiner
LT. Gen.: Shmuli Backer
LT. Gen.: Zalmy Hecht

Team of Merkos Shluchim
Theme: A traveling Shliach to reach even the furthest Jew wherever others may not be able to settle.
General: Simmy Morgenstern
LT. Gen.: Motti Seligson
LT. Gen.: Shneur Shneerson

Team of Chayolim
Theme: Every Chossid, regardless of his job, has an order from the Rebbe to influence every single Jew that he comes in contact with.
General: Mendy Greenberg
LT. Gen.: Koppel Cohen
LT. Gen.: Levi Raskin

On Tuesday for the second activity all the Campers went up to their bunkhouses to complete the final touches on their bunk decorations and costumes for “Project Shlichus”.
At 3:45pm all the Campers and counselors got dressed into their costumes and stood outside of their respective Chabad Houses with proud signs and flags welcoming everyone in to their Chabad Houses.
After individual pictures were taken of each group in front of their Chabad Houses, all the Campers assembled in the center of the hill for a special formation.
What a Site to see! From the English royal guards to the Alte Chasideshe Yiden of Russia, from the vacationers of Hawaii to the Moroccan Jews, the hill looked as colorful and diverse as can be!
The bunks then each had a chance to present their cheer or song about their Chabad House and Country, each in their own accent or language. The Chayos and noise (thanks to the infamous CGI siren) was tremendous!
This prompted on of the CGI neighbors Mr. Ray Kelly to come on his tractor to the center of the hill berating the Staff for the commotion and the noise Camp was making, this lead into a confrontation with Masmidim Director Yossi Waks. . . . . . BOG WAR!
After a loud thank you to Mr. Kelly and the completion of the Presentation the Campers all went down to the Shul where they were explained the names of the teams in this Shlichus war and the teams were divided. (see related article).
The Chayos of Mincha and Bentching of supper really started this Shlichus war off on a high!
Very entertaining scavengers followed supper, the Campers then went up to bed and fell asleep within minutes after a long exciting and tiring day in Gan Yisroel – The Rebbe’s Camp

On Monday afternoon the entire camp moved to “Neversink” where they camped out in the wilderness.

Grouped in 2 bunks there was a total of 11 sites with beautiful campfires & BBQ’s found at each one. The sound of camp songs being sung at all the sites was heard all around the entire campgrounds.

Even a little rain that came down for a brief period during the night was not able to dampen the spirits of the campers.

At 8:00am on Tuesday morning all campers were awake after Shachris, breakfast and cleaning the site ready to board the buses for the trip to Mountain Creek the world’s largest water park which is located in Mount Vernon, NJ, where the Campers had a very enjoyable day, see related article.

Earlier this afternoon their was great excitement in the air as all the Campers went up to their bunkhouses to finish decorating the bunks and making costumes to resemble the country that they are representing in “Project Shlichus”. While their counselors continued collecting information about the Chabad Houses and contacting their respective Shluchim, the Campers were actively working on the posters and decorations of the bunk.

Afterwards there was the traditional Campers Counselors Baseball game the final score was 16-2 with the counselors in the lead, the younger bunks played a grand game of hockey in the Shul.

After Mincha Rabbi Baras told the Camp a story. To break the fast to the excitement of all the campers the whole camp was served pizza from “Delicious Pizza” in South Fallsburg (Lazer Raksin).

Like last week, before Mincha the campers were told about a brand new 10-speed bicycle to be raffled off after Shabbos. In the course of the Shabbos there were 1500! tickets given to the campers. H.C.B.H. told the campers a story before Kabolas Shabbos. C.S.B. davened Kabolas Shabbos @ the Umud, and it was very lebedik especially during the singing of Lecha Dodi

This, the 2nd Friday night Shabbos meal in camp was as “lebedik” as ever, most of the songs were focused on Shlichus in connection with last weeks launch of “Project Shlichus”. For the second week in a row camps chef Shlomo Futerfas made delicious knaidelach to go along with the chicken soup.

After the meal close to 50 campers stayed on to Farbreng till 12:00 midnight with H.C.S.A.

Shabbos morning there was cocosh & marble cake, cereal & fruit for snacks. Camper Shimon Shur davened @ the Umud till Shochain Ad, he was taken over by Camper Shnayor Kamensky. Rabbi Avrohom Shemtov was honored with Maftir. The letters for counting during Kriah spelled “Moshiach Now” backwards. Camper Yankie Lokshin davened Mussaf @ the Umud.

Seudas Shabbos began with a story from H.C.B.H. and when the singing began the dining room was rocking. The camp made sure to sing with extra enthusiasm @ 1:30pm which is the time that the Rebbe would come down to Farbreng.

The 3 Head Counselors, Rabbi Baras & Rabbi Mordechai Avtzon from Hong Kong farbrenged during the afternoon learning classes with groups of campers.

It was a very active afternoon for Mishnayos Baal Peh.

For most of the afternoon, Rabbi Shemtov farbrenged in the guest dining room with many members of Yeshivas Kayitz present.

Prior to Mincha there was Seder niggunim in the Shul. This week’s “Shmaryionky” had a guest star from the custodial department of camp.

After Havdola the winners for Shabbos competition were announced. Bunks 8, 12, & 19 won, the runners up were bunks 13, 20.

After Maariv in addition to the regular late night sports activities, Bunks 1, 5 and 10 were privileged to be the first bunks to enjoy the first “night swim” in Camps indoor heated pool, and Bunk 14 enjoyed the newly renovated “game room”!

It was Thursday 2:05 PM, the ground shook in Gan Yisroel as some 20 flags were proudly waved.
Gan Yisroel was announcing their latest event – “Project Shlichus”! A fiery speech was delivered by H.C.B.H. about the work of the Shluchim, immediately following, the camp was allowed to stand in their place and begin marching as they sang “From 770”. As the singing continued the stage curtains opened revealing the counselors waving flags of their newly “acquired” country or state.
Each bunk has now been asked to transform their bunk into a Chabad House. “No longer will you be known as bunk Yud Gimmel, rather ‘the Shluchim of Uruguay’”.
When asked for a Lebedike Bentching the H.C. is heard saying, “Shluchim of United Kingdom show the world what you’ve got”. Many bunks have already placed big signs in front of their bunkhouses. “Chabad of Hawaii”, “Chabad of Alaska”, could be seen standing side by side.
Letters received from Shluchim from around the world are hanging proudly in their respective bunks. “Thank you for joining me on my Shlichus” reads one. “Your involvement will surely give us the Koiches to go on with our work” wrote R.Y.C. Cantor Head Shliach of Bangkok Thailand. Campers and counselors alike with maps and displays of their region are decorating bunks. Pictures of the interesting sights of their respective countries are being put up on the walls.
Throughout the day we were hearing “the Shluchim of Argentina” singing “we want Moshiach now” in Spanish.
Shluchim from around the world have sent Tanya’s, Pushka’s, flyers and brochures here for this spectacular event. “This sounds like it’s gonna be fun” said a camper from bunk Chof Beis. “Yes! We’re Shluchim too!” was said by many children of Bunk Daled. The project, which is planned to continue throughout the summer, is meant to focus on various subjects. Contests on how to publicize Mivtzoim, Yomim Tovim, Chasidish Minhagim, etc. scheduled for the upcoming weeks. “We hope we can teach the children Yidishe and Chasidishe values this way, without having them constrained to the conventional classroom methods” said one of the head staff. “This is a lot of Oros but lets make sure it comes into Keilim” said Rabbi Shemtov.
Rabbi Shemtov expressed his concern that the project be well organized and scheduled in order to insure a proper delivery to the children.
All-in-all camp Gan Israel is in a whirlwind, on a high with excitement. “The iinvolvement of the Shluchim has really been inspiring” said correspondence coordinator L.T. Levi Slonim. It seems that it would be best summed up by the remarks of Shliach Rabbi Yossi Amar from Argentina “this project comes as no surprise, it’s called the Rebbe’s camp for a reason”.