Campers ‘Journey to Lubavitch’

Camp “AYOL,” under the directors of Oholei Yosef Yitzchok Lubavitch in Crown Heights, is providing campers with a “Journey to Lubavitch,” featuring trips, activities and learning relevant to the theme of each week’s Chabad Rebbe.

“It’s summer fun in a way that doesn’t lose sight of the desire of the Rebbe that the Torah learning of Jewish children should not take a vacation during the summer,” says Rabbi Bock, Camp Director and the Rebbi of the elementary division.

Over 40 kids so far attended the exciting, educational and fun program, which runs for a total of six weeks with another two weeks left. Prior to the summer, the directors ran a fundraising campaign and with the help of donors and foundations offered scholarships for campers who otherwise would not be able to attend day camp. We are committed to providing equal opportunities for all children in our community regardless of their socio-economic background,” says Mila Schneiderman, OYYL founder and director.

“Children can freely explore our Rebbeim’s lives and learn about our roots of Lubavitch,” says Bock. “To know where to go we need to know where we are coming from!”

The day starts with Chassidus and Davening, followed by summer review learning and the Rambam’s הלכות בית הבחירה, “as per the directives of the Rebbe that by learning these הלכות we actually are building and revealing the 3rd בית המקדש,” says Rabbi Bock.

Through “Project Lubavitch” students are focusing each week on a different Rebbe as well as a renown chossid, through stories and classroom discussions. They also learn about the settling of the Rabbeim in Lubavitch and some of the history and events that took place there. The children are learning about the town of Lubavitch, its streets, and the layout, and are in the midst of making a 3D model of the town.

The afternoons are spent in interactive activities, varying each day of the week, and “rural trips,” a chance to get out of the “concrete jungle,” which also fits with the reason Jews settled in the town of Lubavitch—for its bucolic, rural environment. Trips of this nature were planned to the Queens County Farm, horseback riding, peach-picking, Museum Village, and even a ride on authentic old-time trains pulled by a real steam-locomotive.

With educational trips almost every day, AYOL camp provides fun, hands-on learning about craftsmen in a Shtetl, trains, buses, ships and fire engines focusing on earlier generations with trips to the NYC Transit Museum, South Street Seaport, Lefferts Historic House in Prospect Park, and the NY Fire Museum.

“Kids are learning parallel about the country life of the Shtetl and different craftsmen each week,” says Mila Schneiderman. “And the Museum Village will be a showcase of those craftsmen where children will actually see and have the opportunity to do certain crafts as they did in the olden days.”

Trips also include local parks, water parks, the Aquarium, Zoo, Governor’s Island, Pier 6, berry picking, honey harvest, farms, together with scavenger hunts and other games.

“Our goal is to provide your son with a healthy, fun, and educational summer in an environment permeated with Chassidishkeit and Moshiach, We are very glad to provide quality summer experiences to the children of the Rebbe’s Shechuna” says Rabbi Bock.

For more information visit purechassidiceducation.org