A Day of fun for Israel’s Orphans

The joyous day dedicated to Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, turned out to be a huge success. Hundreds of orphans, affiliated with Colel Chabad’s ongoing programs for widows and orphans, enjoyed the day packed with activities. The amazing staff and counselors organized a Lag B’Omer parade with and an abundance of fun attractions for the enjoyment of every boy and girl.

In Ashdod they rented a new upscale amusement park that serves 1,200 visitors at once. It was rented for the day, exclusively for the widows and orphans – the families of ‘Colel Chabad’.

The counselors set up beautiful activity corners, including pet corners and horseback riding, giant climbing towers, a giant apparatus for bungee jumping from heights of 40 meters, drive-your-own cars, racing bikes and exercise devices, pita baking encampment, area for paintball shooting paint balls, group and individual races. The activities were geared for children of all ages. Who had a blast.

In addition, the children enjoyed riding jeeps on the golden sand dunes of the Ashdod beach, a hearty festive grilled picnic meal, and unlimited treats distributed throughout all hours of the day.

The children came by organized transportation from all over the country: from Binyamin, Shomron, Har Chevron, and from Gush Etzion, from the South and from the North. They were treated to a meaningful day filled with every kind of happy experience. Rabbi Sholom Duchman, the director of Colel Chabad, says that “It’s programs like this that provide the rare powerful means for strengthening and instilling positive self-esteem for these widows and orphans, who benefit from our up-to-date educational activities throughout the entire year.”

This day, an additional link to the chain of unique programs geared to widows and orphans, was made possible by the noble baalei chesed Rabbi Yitzchak ben Adina and his wife, Ms. Chava Rivka bas Chaya Tova Gitel. This special day was dedicated in the merit of their wedding day – for their good health, happiness, nachas from all their offspring, for long life and success in continuing their noble deeds of chesed with true menuchas hanefesh.