By COLlive reporter
Although facing fierce competition in recent years, the Masmidim summer program at Camp Gan Israel in Parksville, New York, is being very selective with its enrollment.
Geared to 14 and 15 year-old bochurim, Masmidim is building on its successful 2008 summer, assembling a creative staff and arranging new programs.
“We are going to live up to last year’s height,” the program’s director Yosef Kramer told COLlive. “We had a Chasidus shiur every morning and night, a shiur in Reshimos every week and the bochurim wore white shirts.”
The Crown Heights-born Kramer, who spent 13 years in Parksville as a camper and staff member, is credited with rejuvenating the Masmidim program.
His counselors this year will be Mendy Bronstein and Avremel Nelkin. The learning teachers were not announced yet.
Rabbi Shmuel Lew, London’s Shliach and educator, spent a full week with the bochurim last year.
“The plan is to host other Roshei Yeshivos and Rabbonim this year,” Kramer said. “Shiurim will engage the bochurim on all levels, preparing them for a successful return to yeshiva.”
Situated amongst the beautiful scenery of the Catskill Mountains, the Masmidim get to express their youthful enthusiasm through nature hikes, overnights, sports, BBQ’s, exciting trips and many more new activities planned for this year.
The camp is directed by Rabbi Avraham Shemtov and Rabbi Yosef Futerfas.
“We want to maintain the high standard and individual attention and will have a limited enrollment,” Kramer added. “All Masmidim will also need to be interviewed before being accepted.”
For more information please call the camp office at 718-774-4805 or email: [email protected]. Registration forms at www.CampGanIsrael.com
Every CGI in the world goes out of their way to accept every child. If he/she is Jewish then they are in. We then use all our resources to love and educate them.
But when it comes time for OUR OWN children; Crown Heights kids and Shluchim’s kids we are selective.
Shame on us!!!
We save the whole world but we cant save ourselves.
go bronstein !!!
it is an unbeilvable prgrm!!!
leibel u did and amazin job last yr !!!
and mnedy were sure ull take after ur oler bro
and do an amazing job as well this yr !!!
not every program is for every child. the trick of a parent is to find the best program and yeshiva for their child.
Last year the program did not reject not one boy!!! The program was explained clearly to every boy and if they were still interested and thought they could handle the program, than the registration moved on to it’s next step. In other words – The boys made the decision if the program was for them or not!
they are not as tough as the article makes it, i think they accept the boy not really how he is but if he is ready to work with the program in improving himself and not having a bad effect on other boys!!!
now you can have you 14 year old fall into depression over rejection from camp. are we going to see article written about the camp crisis? may we should.
what have we become?!
isn’t this the very issue for which chassidus was established? didn’t the rebbeim go to jail for this ?
even if it is not the fact and just a gimmick to get more applications (because for some odd reason, the more you reject the more applications you get), in any case, it is a pretty good indication of what today’s community wants to hear.
we lovecgu ny masmidim
GO DINS………..!!!!!!!
Get a life. the guy did nothing wrong. this is the best masmidim prgram out there for this age. who are you anyway lets see how much youhave done
Yasher Koach Rabbi Yosef Kramer for a job well done in 2008. You did a great job on my son and i would tell any parent that wants their children to be ina great program with learning and fun to send them to this program. Hatzlocho Rabah
3= this has nohing to do with him – hes just running the program and he does a great job at it. If you have a problem with the program speak to futerfas
shame on you- write your name- dont curse someone out behind your computer – you havebo clue what you are writing
i don’t know if this is bait for responses, and as #6 writes, it is inaccurate, but if this program is taking the example of the current non-lubavitch-shlichus attitude of selecting (meaning turning away) children from chinuch, … well, it’ll be another brick in the wall between what the designers of our version of religion had in mind and what is and will be.
You guys really believe everything a reporter writes????
why don’t you guys just email him and ask?
go mendy broanstien
why do people have to lose out from a good thing the world wasnt meant to be a perfect place anyway some people live in their own world and its not whats bringing moshiach
what hapened to masmidim prksvle bein the only chiled program, where bochrim who sit and learn all day can go have a vacation… shame on kramer
i wat the old masmidim program back, the NORMAL ONE
great program!
good going yosef – much luck