CGI Detroit Campers Reunite

CGI Detroit:

Thursday evening 23 Cheshvan, with many of the campers in town for the Kinus Hashluchim, campers and staff of Gan Yisroel Detroit gathered together for a grand reunion and rally, experiencing once more the fun and Chayus of Camp.

In true Camp style, the event began with all campers sitting down, pens in hand, with their Chosidel Hanocho sheets, to watch a video of the Rebbe, and transcribe it in their own words.

Chosidel is a program started in CGI Detroit with the aim to impress on the campers that they are true Chassidim, just like all the greatest Chassidim they hear and read about, each child is a Chosidel of the Rebbe. During Camp Chosidel included many missions, Hachlatos, rallies and of course raffles and prizes.

The highlight of “Chosidel” was the Hanocho program! Each few kevutzos would get together to watch a Sicha of the Rebbe and write a Hanocho (transcript). The program was created as such, that every single camper understood the Sicha and had written a clear Hanocho, which he could later look at and remember the Sicha learnt. All the hanochos were later printed in a book, which all campers took home with them.

Camp may have finished, yet the Hanocho program still continues. Campers are sent a video and Hanocho sheets bi-weekly, and upon completion art entered into raffles. Our staff were pleasantly surprised by the great amount of campers actively involved in this beautiful program on a regular basis, even as the summer moves further and further away.

As such, this reunion was not merely a time to share memories of camp, with bunkmates and friends they haven’t seen in many months. Rather an opportunity for campers to get together, strengthen and encouraging the Hachlatos from camp, to keep them going year round.

As the lights came back on at the end of the Sicha, the effort seen on the campers faces while paying attention to the video turned to smiles and excitement as the pizza was served. camp songs soon turned to fast-paced Lebediake songs and Nigunim, campers on their chairs singing and dancing, the Camp atmosphere and Chayus was clearly felt in the room.

Following dinner, campers enjoyed a specially prepared jeopardy game show, questions and fun-facts about camp, the head staff, Kinus and more. The final question, addressed to both teams, read: “are you coming back to Gan Yisroel Detroit in Eretz Yisroel – 5779?” the room shook with the roaring response: “YES! YES! YES!

As parents came to pick up their children, one camper was overheard telling his father the Sicha he had just watched. In the words of a camper in bunk Hei: “this is the bestist, funest time I had since the summer in camp, meeting my friends who are my bunkmates! “

Campers and staff are waiting eagerly for Registration to open for summer 5779.