From the COLlive inbox:
The past two summers I’ve been a counselor in an overnight camp.
Around two months ago, being a devoted counselor, I made phone calls to all my campers from the past 2 years to ask them if they are coming back to camp for a 3rd year. To my surprise, two of my campers told me “NO, this year I will be in Crown Heights for the summer!” when I asked them why, the reply was MY PARENTS CANT AFFORD IT! I was totally lost for words, here I am on the phone with a 12-year-old telling me his parents’ financial problems. after around 30 seconds of Silence on the phone, I said, oh I understand I’ll see if I can speak to the directors to get a discount, goodbye.
I have another camper which came last summer for his first time to a Lubavitcher camp. His family is now coming closer to Lubavitch but is not Lubavitch yet. he is not coming to Camp as of now due to financial issues! I think it is very important to make sure he comes back to a Lubavitcher camp.
That’s not it, I have a few more campers and I know of a few more campers in other camps which are going only for one month due to the price.
What is a thirteen-year-old meant to be doing in Crown Heights the whole summer?!
Knowing that all his friends are right now in Camp having fun!
It doesn’t make a difference which camp, it’s a general problem that the camp tuition is outrageous! I know there are a lot of funds and discounts from third parties and from the camp itself but it’s still nowhere near affordable for a lot of Crown Heights families never mind shluchim.
I know a shliach in Europe that his kids just finished online school for the year, now they will be home with absolutely nothing to do for the next two and a half months!
If we can get enough funds for them too, that would be amazing!
Pls donate generously and I will give out the money to however many people possible according to how much we fundraise. Thank you very much!
I will not write my name so I won’t embarrass any of my campers or family.
Also, this is pure tzedaka, I will not be taking any money for myself.
Please click here to donate and help these kids go to camp.
People pick and choose which parts of the Tanya they want to listen to. The Alter Rebbe says we should not have so much as a fancy pillow if our fellow Jew is without a pillow at all! Yet the rich in our community could care less if our children go to camp, as long as they are able to go to their 2nd or 3rd home for the summer. Do you realize even the community council is not giving out help for camp this year? READ THE TANYA AND LISTEN TO THE ALTER REBBE, NOT JUST WHEN IT’S CONVENIENT… Read more »
Perhaps everyone should work for free. Camp directors earning too much money etc. That is communism. Bigger issue is that the school system is failing our children. Most will never earn enough to cover the basic needs of tuition etc. Costs are accelerating faster than income. So this is a band-aid. If costs do not come down or we don’t change the method of teaching to afford students meaningful opportunities you are guarantying a life of poverty.
One of the big issues facing our schools and camps compared to yesteryear is that in the past years the goal was to help bring children into the schools and camps and to do so there was heavy fundraising for them. Today the schools and camps attitude and mind set has changed to why should we have to worry and sweat and why does it have to be our burden? Let the parents worry about it and work on it for us, after all it’s their children, their responsibility.
The point here is a just a perspective not blame.
Its so amazing that this counselor cares so much about his campers and is doing his best to make sure his campers are in camp!!!! I hope you surpass your goal and all the kids have an amazing summer!!!
While I applaud the sentiment of this counselor the hard facts are that having large families today are for the rich. Between rent/mortgage, food, tuition (school & camp), health care, clothing, etc. you need roughly a bare minimum of 25k income per child.
Very important cause. We know the affect of being a good environment can have on a child’s future. Imagine starting another school having an inspirational summer vs. roaming crown heights (or anywhere) without any chayos for two months!
I would venture to say it’s akin to pikuach nefesh to make sure kids can get the support they need to grow up healthy spiritually and socially, and we as a community are obligated to do the most we can for each other and our children’s future.
The reason ppl in ch can’t afford tuition is because of the outrageous housing costs. So stop blaming the camps cuz if u want to point a finger its the brokers and landlords here that are making basic living for the average family nearly impossible.
This is capitalism, if you don’t like the price of the housing in crown heights, then don’t live in crown heights, simple as that.
There are many other Jewish community that’ll be happy to have you (Kingston,PA)
You are a good neshoma and May HaShem Shower you with lots of Brohos, so all your campers will come back and will have an amazing experience. Chabad need to unite all wise Rabbis and all rich sponsors, and put a huge effort to give free ( or almost free education with the same minimum fee for all) and equal education for all kids inside Chabad Institutions. When education will be free as well as summer camps, all those institutions will get more support and zdokah from simple people as well. The one problem that all schools run by not… Read more »
Plenty of large families with kids (ages 9-15) who cant afford to send their kids to camp….. so whats the alternative??? Kids are home doing nothing & thats not very good……… mayb each camp should have a scholarship fund…….
Would be a BIG mitzva……..
Schools are necessary and every effort must be made to make sure that finances aren’t a blocker to attending school. Camp? No,I went some years, not others. Same for my kids. Camp is not a must and not a tzedokah. You don’t want kids having nothing to do? Keep schools open longer like other countries do.
Finally someone with a brain! Tell it to the whole CH
You are doing a great mitzvah! I donated. If EVERYONE gives even a few dollars this goal can be reached in no time! Hatzlacha Rabba!