A five star hotel resort, in an idyllic private natural site on the S. Laurence River, near Montreal, is the home of a camp program for mesivta age bocherim that offers a warm atmosphere, an innovative hands on learning program, and a day packed with swimming in their own indoor pool, fishing at the private access to the river, animal care, horseback riding, all kinds of sports on the private grounds, go karting, outdoor adventures and camping; a happy and productive experience.
Rabbi Barak Hetsroni, an experienced and dedicated m’chanach is excited to offer this summer camp program featuring a vibrant Chassidishe environment, for a small group of boys who will enjoy much personal attention and nurturing. Along with lively activities the camp features an innovative, multi-sensory camp/chinuch program that brings the text alive and allows the boys to use all their senses and different areas of intelligence to connect and to develop their geshmak for learning.
Rabbi Hetsroni explains his approach. “This is not your ordinary camp. Of course the children are happy and will have a great time. But this is something more. I’ve run several similar programs with kids you’d never believe could sit down and learn- you’d be astonished by the results. It’s not that that these kids are not capable. When kids have a hands-on experience, when they can experience the subject in a real and living way, it opens many doors. When it’s nogea- meaningful to the child- they care and respond. When something is not nogea- in many standard learning environments- they do the all too familiar spacing out, losing concentration, drifting into behavior problems and so on.”
The camp builds the engagement through direct hands on experiences with the subjects they learn about.
“Kids may complain, ‘Who cares about an over from 2000 years ago?’ How can we help them relate to this? We try to think how to connect them to these concepts. We bring the campers to a carpentry studio. The Chassidishe carpenter gives the kids an option- what would you like to build? They get to see and use his computer, make plans, go into the shop and use real tools and create something. Then, when they learn about ovens or some other such topic in halacha- it has meaning to them- they’ve built one, “ he says. “ All of a sudden they realize, learning can be exciting!”
The summer camp study program will center on several topics in the Gemara and the Mishnah such as: types of ovens used on Shabbos, basic laws of Shechita and Shechita knives. These themes will be developed through text learning, innovative discussions such as one group presenting questions and answers on all the theoretical scenarios of the Gemara. The topic will be carried through its development in the Shulchan Aruch, Chabad minhagim and Chasidic stories. The talmidim will develop individual portfolios with their learning and practical “projects”.
Once the subject has been presented, the students will go to the “field” and explore the subject. Whether it is Shabbos halachos or shechita, the students will be a part of the whole process from checking the health of an animal, examining the shechita knife, shchita and melicha procedures.
Other hands on experience include caring for farm animals on site, tzitzis making, outdoor camping and adventure including navigating by the stars and much more.
Boys who are looking for a different way of learning can thrive in this small, personal, caring environment. “I help the kids believe in themselves again. Once the kid has trust in himself- that is the foundation for everything.” Rabbi Hetsroni continues, “The most important part of our camp is that it is small and we have the time and manpower to give every talmid that special individual attention and caring – someone to listen to them and make them feel extremely valued and cared for.” The farbrengens, guidance, and warm Chassidishe atmosphere combined with busy skill and confidence building sports, activities and learning can make a dramatic difference in a young bochur’s life.
For more information contact Rabbi Barak Hetsroni at [email protected],
Cell: 514-966-6770, Tel: 514-735-4770
