“A Yeshiva from within, a camp from the outside.”

Those were the words of the Rebbe when he founded Camp Gan Israel, and this remains the driving philosophy at the camp in Parksville, NY, the trailblazer Chabad summer camp that spawned hundreds more around the globe.

Indeed, since the camp hung out it’s shingle 56 years ago, it has established itself as a Chassidishe camp true to the Rebbe’s directives for a Jewish camp.

Today, the camp at Kiryat Gan Yisroel continues to provide a “fun-filled camping experience set in an authentic, deeply Chassidishe environment,” says Rabbi Abraham Shemtov, Executive Director of the camp.

“Every child has a different skill set,” says Rabbi Yossi Futerfas, director of the camp. “Because every child is so unique, this year, as in the past, we’re placing emphasis on diversifying our curriculum by totally rethinking our sports and physical activities to ensure that every child has a fair shot.”

Already, Head Counselors Rabbi Nachman Dov Vichnin, Nochum Schapiro, Levi Shemtov and Avremi Wolff are putting their heads together to find more ways to engage every child at every demographic.

Learning directors Rabbi Sholom Baras, Shazi Perman and Menachem Altein are keeping pace with the new developments by ensuring that the camp’s exciting sports and physical activities are set in a distinctly Jewish and Chassidishe environment with a rigorous Torah learning schedule, giving campers the best of all worlds.

For 12-13 year-old boys, Camp Gan Israel has created an exciting program to cultivate this important demographic. This year, the camp’s popular Bar Mitzvah Division (BMD) has already drawn a record number of enrollments and will soon reach full capacity.

BMD heads Shimon Gorkin and Shmulik Moskowitz are already hard at work with a fully redesigned program for this years’ summer experience.

With the campers’ needs provided for, Rabbi Shemtov has also raised the bar for staff as well. This year, educator Rabbi Zalman Kaplan will conduct daily shiurim for learning teachers and counselors.

Rabbi Kaplan is the Director of Adult Education at the Montreal Torah Center – Chabad in Montreal and is on the faculty of Beth Rivkah Academy and Chaya Mushka Seminary there.

In this manner, says Rabbi Shemtov, “the staff will maintain a healthy balance by continuing Yeshiva and setting a standard for campers to follow by embodying the Chassidishe values and practices of a Tomim.”

Last year, the camp’s innovative ‘A Year with the Rebbe Calendar’ initiative was launched to a positive reception. Campers completed various tasks, or excelled in davening and learning and were rewarded for their achievements with an array of stunning pictures of the Rebbe.

Head Counselor Nachman Dov Vichnin has confirmed that this program is currently on the launching pad and will feature a redesigned program and all-new pictures of the Rebbe.

“After last year’s success, we’re very excited with the possibilities of this initiative and we’re looking forward to another great year at Gan Yisroel,” says Rabbi Vichnin.

Every boy who’s registers before Shavuos, will have his name appear on the calendar on his birthday. To register your son, visit CampGanIsrael.Com

5772 – 2012

1st trip: Tuesday JUNE 26 (6 Tammuz)—Monday JULY 23 (4 Av)
2nd trip: Monday JULY 23 (4 Av)—Monday AUGUST 20 (2 Elul)

Camp Gan Israel in Parksville, NY, Chabad's oldest overnight camp for boys, is once again hiring a married man on its head staff.

By COLlive reporter

Camp Gan Israel in Parksville, NY, announced its head staff for the summer of 2012 – and more than one of the names will sound familiar.

Levi Shemtov of Uruguay and Nochum Schapiro (ben R’ Gavriel) of Crown Heights will be joining Rabbi Nachman Dov Wichnin as Head Counselors of Chabad’s oldest overnight camp for boys.

“This will be Nachman Dov’s fourth summer with us,” the camp director Rabbi Yossi Futerfas told COLlive.com.

Hiring a married man for the job is a rarity among Chabad summer camps, relying instead on single bochurim and girls who are on break from the yearly learning routine.

“We are lucky to have him,” Futerfas admitted. “The dream was always to have such staff coming back summer after summer.

“Nachman Dov is very responsible and has tremendous people skills – with children and parents alike. Having him on board brings a certain consistency.”

Futerfas likened his hiring to that of Rabbi Sholom Baras who has been the learning director for years now, and is joined by bochurim as co-learning directors (this year Menachem Altein of Crown Heights and Shazi Perman of Chile).

A throwback to the Borsht Belt: A rare antique was found hidden in a sunken shed in Camp Gan Israel Parksville.

By COLlive reporter

Construction work at the parking lot of Camp Gan Israel in Parksville, NY, has landed the known Chabad boys overnight camp a rare find.

A 1940′s Dodge Woody Beach Wagon was unearthed in a hidden shed while excavating the lawn used for parking across the Parksville Road which belongs to the camp.

It is estimated that the car has been inside the shed for over 40 years. Amazingly, everything inside the car remained intact, with air in 3 of its 4 tires.

The grounds once belonged to Klein’s Hillside Hotel, one of the largest resorts in the Catskills during the Borsht Belt era. It was able to host some 350 guests.

“Klein’s was a huge hotel complex. It had professional basketball players on its staff. It booked only the best entertainers on weekends. The grounds were enormous,” Stanley Greenberg recalled in the Plainview Old Bethpage Herald.

When the camp director Rabbi Abraham Shemtov purchased the property, moving the Gan Israel from its rented grounds in Swan Lake to Parksville, the shed was part of an unused maintenance building.

It sunk some 7 feet in the ground with its roof at street level and hidden by tall trees. It was recently ordered to be demolished.

The Dodge Woody is a rare find, and is sought after by antique car collectors. A fully-restored Dodge Woody Beach Wagon can fetch a nice amount at auction.

The Woody has been carefully removed from the sunken shed and is expected to be sold.

Watch the trailer for the video of Camp Gan Israel - Parksville, NY, summer of 5771, now available for purchase.

Watch the trailer for the video of Camp Gan Israel – Parksville, NY, summer of 5771, now available for purchase.

The exciting video includes A Day in Camp, footage of trips, overnight and visits to NY and the Ohel, Staff Play, Color War and much more.

Also includes hit color war theme song ‘You are my home’ music video and other bonus features.

For a few days the campers had been noticing some strange activities going on in the soccer
field. The staff seemed to be building and painting for something. All claims of “a new shed for the
camps bus” did nothing to satisfy their curiosity, and besides, who really would believe such a
preposterous story? There had to be something bigger and better going on. And it had to be soon
because all of the staff seemed to be more and more tired by the day. On Thursday night the questions
were answered (as if they didn’t already know), with the announcement of the grand staff play. The
play, which was about the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, opened up with a scene of the Simchas
Beis Hashoeiva in the Beis Hamikdash, a scene of great dancing and celebration with real fire juggling
and acrobatics, all performed by our talented staff. The following scenes showed the infamous story of
Kamtza and Bar Kamtza, in which ECAD Eli Lipsker through HC Rafi Steiner into a cake. This was followed with the story of Bar-Kamtza’s appearance before the roman emperor – a
hilariously entertaining character portrayed by HW Simcha Raskin – to propose that the Jews wish to
rebel. He is then sent with a Korban from the Emperor to see if the Jews will bring it. The korban is given
a blemish by Bar Kamtza and is rendered unfit for a korban. Then Abba Sikra – a Jewish zealot played by
HC Moshe Shemtov – threatens to kill Bar Kamtza, and Bar Kamtza pleads for his life and tells Abba Sikra
when the Romans are attacking. They watch, from a guard tower (a fire escape covered with a
backdrop), as torches flare up from all sides, and the entire Roman Army surrounds the
wall that the staff built. The Roman attack scene was led by Vespasian, played by LT Mordy Touger. He
rallied them with war cries and prepared to attack Yerushalayim, but the battering ram (yes, they
actually built a functioning battering ram!) is no use. The walls are too strong and they are forced to
make a siege and wait. Fortunately for the Jews there are rich men in Yerushalayim with enough
supplies to last for tens of years. Unfortunately, we once again saw how our destruction always comes
from within, when some zealots burnt down the storehouses, in an attempt to force the Jews into a
fight with the Romans. Then came the story of Rabbi Yochanan’s escape from Yerushalayim to see the
General/Emperor, and the famous request to leave the yeshiva of Yavneh alive. Then came an epic battle and, sadly, the destruction of Yerushalayim. But the play ended of on a happy note as in the final scene
Rabbi Akiva and the Chachamim seeing the aftermath of the destruction of Yerushalayim and the fox coming out of the Beis Hamikdash, may we all see it rebuilt, may it be speedily in our days. AMEN!

Campers and staff members of Camp Gan Israel Parksville and Camp Emunah returned home Monday afternoon after another fun-filled summer season.