Summer Camp With No Grounds

By COLlive staff

Introducing: Camp Gan Israel of the world wide web.

A new summer camp for children of Chabad Shluchim will not have camp grounds, a swimming pool, a basketball court or go on hikes or trips. That’s because it will all be online.

The virtual program for the summer of 5773 is being organized by the Chinuch Yaldei Hashluchim division (CYH) of the Shluchim Office for children who live in Jewish communities too small to hold a camp.

“Last summer a group of Shluchim approached the Shluchim Office asking for a program to give their children some structure during the summer day,” explains Chanie Hertzel who is coordinating the program with Chana’le Lerer.

Rabbi Moshe Shemtov and his staff came up with the idea of using the infrastructure and resources used year-round by the successful Shluchim Online School.

“We created a brand-new, fantastic online camp program,” says Hertzel. “Many of the counselors will be familiar faces to the children, as they worked with them during the Kinus camp in the winter.”

Daily schedule will begin with davening and line-up and then continue into other camp activities off and on the screen. Twice a week, both the girls and boys will have special workshops with professionals, including arts and crafts, baking, dancing and more.

“With an exciting schedule in the works, together with a staff of counselors who will be a true ‘dugma chaya’ for your children, we plan to give the children a summer they won’t forget,” says Lerer.

Camp and bunks for specific ages will be opening upon demand.

Shluchim can email the names of their children, ages, dates and times they are interested in to [email protected]