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CGI Links the Generations as It Celebrates 50 Great Summers
By: Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort
Date: 05.07
A lot has changed -- for both good and bad -- in the past 50 years. However, during this tumultuous era one thing of great value has not changed: Chabad-Lubavitch summer camps for children. The camps are called Gan Israel, which means Garden of Israel. This name was chosen by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, to honor the founder of Chasidic philosophy, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, who cherished the great outdoors and had a special place in his heart for children.
Camp Gan Israel started out five decades ago as a single overnight camp in the Catskills. In the early years, there was a boy's camp -- run by Rabbi Avraham Shem Tov -- and a girl's camp called Camp Emunah run by Rabbi and Rebbetzin J.J. Hecht. But for the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, this was just the start. Once the Rebbe's emissaries caught on to his message about the importance of camp, and once they saw the happy faces of the campers and understood the enormously positive experiences they enjoyed, the Chabad representatives went to work with a vengeance.
As Rabbi Shem Tov explained, "What the Rebbe did was change the Jewish world's perception of camp. He transformed it from being viewed as merely a safe place to warehouse the children during the summer, to being a place where we could create the ultimate positive learning environment."
What began with those original two camps has blossomed into several hundreds of camps across America and more than a thousand camps around the globe. Camp Gan Israel is now the largest network of Jewish camps in the world, offering both overnight camps and the ever-popular day camps. In California alone there are dozens of Gan Israel camps that together host more than 10,000 children each summer.
What is the secret that allowed two camps to grow into over a thousand in just 50 years? How has Camp Gan Israel managed to open an average of 20 new camps per year? When asked these questions, Rabbi Moshe Yosef Engel, longtime director of Silver Camp Gan Israel in Huntington Beach, California replied: "First of all, Camp Gan Israel is a very happy place. Second, it teaches the children independence in a loving and supportive atmosphere. And third, CGI conveys to the campers the same values that the parents themselves hold dear."
"I myself had an amazing experience through CGI Montreal that has stayed with me for nearly 50 years," said Rabbi Engel. "And because of my awesome experience, I can identify with what parents are looking for regarding their children."
Over the last five decades, CGI has become a family tradition for many. One example of this is the Schreier Family, which currently has its third generation involved with Chabad and the second generation of children involved with the Gan Israel network. Grandfather Charles Schreier and Grandmother Sandra attended the Chabad synagogue in Long Beach, California, which is where they heard about Camp Gan Israel in nearby Huntington Beach. The Schreiers decided to send their three daughters to CGI and were thrilled with the results. While enrolled in CGI, the Schreier girls experienced the same kind of trips, activities, and uplifting Jewish environment described by Rabbi Engel.
"Gan Israel really got in my blood," exclaimed daughter Sarah Schreier. "The camp became part of who I am, and I knew that when one day when I had children of my own, they too would attend CGI."
True to her intuition, Sarah enrolled her son, James, in CGI as soon as he was able to attend. "There's no question that Camp Gan Israel was becoming a family tradition," said Sarah. "My son's great experience has matched my own. The positive energy, the friendships, and the outstanding counselors all combined to make an unforgettable summer adventure for him, just like they did for me years ago. I'm sure that James will also decide that CGI is a precious gift, like a family heirloom, that he'll want his own children to enjoy some day."
There is an interesting wrinkle in the Schreier Family CGI tradition: Sarah now lives in Midland, Texas and sends her son, James, to spend the summer with his grandparents in California just so he can attend the same CGI that she did. Rabbi Sender Engel, the current Camp Director in Huntington Beach, smiled as he said such devotion is "a typical condition for those involved with Camp Silver Gan Israel."
"Now that I have grandchildren and I hear about their terrific camp days, I know that I've done something extraordinarily important for my family," said the Schrier grandfather, Charles. "I've helped shape their Jewish identity in a positive way while giving them memories they will cherish for their entire lives."
While the core principles of CGI have stayed constant over the years, many new elements have been added to the camp programs. Rabbi Gershon Sandler, Director of CGI Running Springs (the Gan Israel overnight camp on the West Coast) said, "Our campers truly love our ropes course!" For those of us unfamiliar with a "ropes course," he explained that it is an activity where campers climb into tall trees and proceed to follow a trail -- just like hiking trail, but in the trees. The adventurers are decked out with safety harnesses and helmets, and are of course supervised at all times by trained professionals.
"The ropes course is really all about teamwork and trust," said Sandler "Each climber is supported by friends below who make sure to keep the safety line taut. In the process, they learn to work together to face new challenges. Plus, there's the unique thrill of ascending these majestic trees and getting a bird's-eye view of our 70-acre campus."
If a bird could circle the globe, it would see new Camp Gan Israel locations springing up everywhere. As the number of camps continues to grow, it's safe to assume there will be 2,000 of them within the next 15 to 20 years. Each new camp represents a chance for a Jewish child to enjoy a healthy, uplifting summer experience -- and a chance to pass that experience on for generations to come.
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Articles::Regional