Camp Creates Jewish Memories

During this week in the Catskills, a group of boys aged 9-16 created Jewish memories as they enjoyed a dream winter vacation filled with skiing, snow-tubing, and other winter sports at Camp F.R.E.E.-Gan Israel.

“Camp gives kids the chance to be very gently introduced to Judaism so that they can consciously comprehend it and make a conscious decision,” said one mother of a camper.

A project of Friends of Refugees of Eastern Europe, the winter camp is one of several year-round activities for public school children like shabbatons, holiday programs, and summer camp.

“They have a good time, develop confidence and Jewish identity,” said camp administrator Rabbi Dan Dashevsky. “We want them to feel comfortable in a Jewish environment, make Jewish friends and be part of the Jewish community.”

Bochurim took time off from their studies to be counselors at the winter camp. They say that a highlight of camp came each evening when the boys and the staff got to hang out together and schmooze. “We’d farbreng with the boys, play games, talk and answer questions,” they said. Some of the boys came from the release time program – which permits public school children to leave school early once a week for religious instruction – and so had some Jewish education; others knew nothing at all about Judaism, and they had plenty of questions. Questions like, “What is Torah?” “What is Shabbat?”

“They came not knowing what to expect,” said winter camp director Rabbi Mendel Altein – known to campers simply as “Mendel” – “but at the end of the week they had a real varemkeit, warmth, toward Yiddishkeit, they saw that Judaism is not something strange and weird but is fun and something they have a connection to.”

Parents were happy to know that their kids at camp were safe, happy, cared for, and spiritually nurtured. For a mother, if someone cares for her children, this is the best thing she can wish for.