With spring around the corner, families across the country are getting ready to send their kids off to camp for a season of fun, adventure, and growth. For CGI Poconos, this summer promises to be especially exciting, thanks to the announcement of the appointment of three new members to its leadership team.
Over the past decade, CGI Poconos, an overnight camp for Jewish girls that don’t receive a comprehensive Jewish education, has served over 700 girls from Chabad House communities around the country and abroad, always committed to providing campers with an unforgettable summer experience. Since then, they have continued to innovate and expand their programming while remaining true to their founding principles of combining the ultimate Gashmius with the ultimate Ruchniyus.
With the addition of these experienced professionals in camping and youth development, the camp is confident that they will be able to enhance their programs even further, creating new and exciting opportunities for campers to explore and develop new skills.
First and foremost, we are excited to welcome our new assistant director, Mrs. Menucha Isenberg, co-director of Chabad at Vanderbilt University JGrads in Nashville, Tennessee. Menucha brings with her a wealth of experience and passion for youth development to our team. She is known for her ability to inspire and motivate staff and campers, and her attention to detail will be an asset in overseeing the day-to-day operations of the camp.
Menucha’s expertise in creating inclusive environments and mentoring staff will also help us to maintain our commitment to fostering a welcoming and respectful community for all our campers.
Joining her on the leadership team is our new learning director, Mrs. Malka Jacobson, co-director of Chabad at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. With a passion for education and extensive experience in curriculum development, our new team member is poised to revolutionize how we approach learning at camp. Her focus on tailoring the curriculum to the age and level of each individual camper is a game-changer that will significantly enhance the overall camp experience.
By working closely with our counselors and program directors, our new learning director will ensure that every camper is engaged, challenged, and supported throughout camp.
Finally, the camp leadership team is thrilled to welcome the new program director, Mrs. Nechama Dinah Lipskier. Mrs. Lipskier is an accomplished Mechaneches and popular Kallah teacher, with over 20 years of experience in providing young adults with valuable Chinuch lessons. In addition, Mrs. Lipskier has a passion for the outdoors and a talent for creating exciting and challenging activities that push campers to new heights. Her expertise in programming and her commitment to safety will ensure campers have a memorable and fulfilling experience.
Her focus on providing a proper progression of programs for all campers means that each camper will be challenged and engaged at an appropriate level throughout the summer.
“We are thrilled to welcome Menucha, Malka, and Nechama Dinah to our leadership team. Their expertise and passion for Chinuch are exactly what we need to enhance the programming at camp,” said Mrs. Dini Druk, the camp’s director. “We look forward to working together to create a transformative experience for our campers, and we are confident that the addition of these new team members will help us to achieve this goal.”
In addition to the summer program, CGI Poconos started offering a winter camp and year-round activities through a new Camper Engagement office, recognizing the value of providing campers opportunities to learn, grow, and connect beyond the summer months. Campers’ connections during the summer are unparalleled and must be continued even when the weather turns cold.
“As we approach our 12th year of running camp, we couldn’t be more excited to continue building on the foundation we’ve established. We’re committed to doing whatever it takes to grow and make the camp experience even better for our campers”, said Gershon Sandler, founder & executive director. “Over the past decade, we’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t in creating a successful camp. We’ve listened to feedback from campers and staff and made changes to our program to ensure that everyone has the best possible experience”.
To find out more about CGI Poconos and to support its work, please visit cgipoconos.org.
CGI Poconos keeps raising the bar.