As the summer comes to a close, heads of Schools in the New York area express their gratitude and pride for the tremendous success of CGI Chayolei overnight camp.
Below is the letter in full:
ג’ אלול תשפ”ה
Dear Parents שיחיו,
As the summer comes to a close, we are filled with gratitude and pride for the tremendous success of CGI Chayolei.
Throughout the summer, the feedback from parents and children alike was overwhelmingly positive. Now that the campers have returned home, we continue to hear just how uplifting, exciting, and chassidish the summer was.
We are especially thankful to CGI Chayolei for keeping every part of their commitment and for providing every single one of our talmidim with a camp to attend. This year, no child was left without a camp. That alone is a remarkable milestone.
Parents repeatedly shared how much they appreciated the presence of experienced, responsible mechanchim on staff – professionals who could be called upon, who understood each situation, and who handled issues with wisdom and care. This made a real difference, and it was deeply felt by families throughout the summer. We extend special recognition to Rabbi Yeruchem Engel, Rabbi Tzviki Pruss, Rabbi Shmuel Wagner, Rabbi Mendel Rutman, Rabbi Itche Chein, Rabbi Mendel Spritzer, and Rabbi Shmuel Feiner, whose dedication and leadership played a key role in making this summer such a success.
On a communal level, we are proud that this initiative brought not only tremendous ruchniyus and chassidishe inspiration, but also a significant material benefit. Together, we were able to save our Crown Heights community upwards of $750,000 in camp costs.
We thank CGI Chayolei for making this possible and are grateful that our joint endorsement helped ensure such a successful summer for our talmidim and families. As always, if parents would like to share feedback, we warmly welcome it.
With heartfelt thanks to Hashem, and with brochos for continued hatzlacha and nachas from our children,
Oholei Torah
Rabbi Mendel Blau
Rabbi Yehoshua Lustig
Rabbi Eli Simpson
Rabbi Yossi Evers
Cheder Menachem Long Island
Rabbi S.Z. Berkowitz
Rabbi Moishe Koncepolski
United Lubavitcher Yeshiva
Rabbi Yosef Simpson
Rabbi Yossi Langsam
Rabbi Yosef Aron
Rabbi Mendel Scharf
Cheder Chabad of Monsey
Rabbi Dovid Brawer
Rabbi Shaya Itkin
United Lubavitcher Yeshiva – OP
Rabbi Menachem Lifshitz
As a parent of 3 children that attended CGI Chayolei this summer I have to agree 100% with the letter. My hat’s off to the excellent staff of CGI Chayolei for giving my sons the best summer of their lives. Definitely looking forward to next year with CGI Chayolei in Yerushalayim.
Well deserved! Thank you!!
Heard it was an awesome summer stunning grounds amazing staff
And shout out to AC the Camera man
You did an awesome job #tipyourcameraman lol
They gave our son an experience that we have seen tremendous results. He was one in a big camp. But he wasn’t just a number. He felt well-taken care of, and we are just so grateful
I understand that the “mechanchim” are older and “more experienced” but tachlis the people that made the summer good are the STAFF.
The counselors b’rosham
Those are the ones that shld be thanked first and foremost
The mechanchim had almost nothing to do with the kids
The staff-all day everyday caring for YOUR child
I feel like it’s always the same person that writes these comments and articles about the staff. You kids don’t actually know what hard work is or what the mechanchim do get off your phones and learn
It seems that whenever Teachers in our community are discussed, the overwhelming sentiment is one of “overworked and underpaid” “the hardest job in the world”.
A counselor in a sleep away camp deals with the same kids, nonstop hours, and get just about 300x higher wages.
Not saying counselors should be payed the same as Tteachers, as we dont have a family to support. BUT WHAT IS WITH THE ANTI STAFF RHETORIC?!
ALL PARENTS GET A BREAK BECAUSE OF US!
THE BEST MONTHS OF YOUR KIDS LIVES IS BECAUSE OF US!
A little appreciation, PLEASE.
Of course the mechanchim helped but it was done through the mechanchim helping the staff who directly gave our children the best summer. So a lot of gratitude should be given to the staff also, in a sense even greater then the mechanchim because they were the ones that took care of our son’s 24/7 for 8 weeks straight.
Huge yasher koach to the incredible head staff!
All the people In the comments complaining about how the staff work so hard and need more appreciation go get off your phone and get a real job that actually is hard stop writing op-eds about tipping
My sons Loved camp!! They never thought they would have so much fun in sleep away camp! We were very happy with camps standards thanks to the Yeshivos who backed this
Counselors and learning teachers put in serious work this summer, non stop energy,
They gave your son their best for weeks,
A tip is the simplest way to say “I noticed.”
It doesn’t have to be big, just real.
A small thank-you goes further than you think,
Thank you to Shlomo Amar for being the best driver in Lubavitch