Where Chabad Houses Send their Girls

Eva, age 11, was the only Jewish girl in her Public School class when her parents started attending programs at their local Chabad House. Eva signed up to join the shlucha’s monthly Bat Mitzvah Club meetings, which left her inspired and thirsting for more. But running a small-town Chabad house with few girls her age, the shluchim knew that Eva needed more.

Then they heard of Camp Gan Israel in the Poconos, a top-tier overnight camp nestled in the beautiful mountains of Pennsylvania that caters specifically to girls like Eva. There is no dress code, no pressure, just lots of warmth, connection, and inspiration – exactly like the Chabad House she grew to love.

At CGI Poconos, amidst a host of professional camp activities such as swimming, boating, ropes course, hiking, sports and art, a team of dedicated Shluchim and professionals give girls like Eva a life-changing Jewish experience they will never forget.

As CGI Poconos prepares to enter its 10th camp season, executive directors Gershon and Devorah Sandler reflect on the over 500 Jewish girls who have spent their summers at CGI Poconos. This year, as they prepare to welcome 100 campers ka”h – their largest group ever – CGIP has hired additional staff and brought back Mrs. Dini Druk to serve as camp director. Mrs. Druk brings years of experience in working with Chabad House families and leading educational endeavors such as schools and camps.

Having been around for 10 years, CGI Poconos now looks forward to having former campers returning as counselors. “These are girls who started their journey to Yiddishkeit at CGI Poconos when we were just a start-up, and their repeated summers at our camp ultimately encouraged them to grow in their Judaism, attend Jewish high school and seminary, and eventually apply to come back to camp and give back to girls just like themselves,” says Sandler, “there is no greater nachas for us.”

Camper registration is almost full for the season, and interested families are encouraged to apply as soon as possible in order to secure a spot. This year, camp will run for 4 weeks from June 29 to July 26 on breathtaking campgrounds in the Poconos. For more information, visit CGIPoconos.org.

Due to unprecedented camper registration, the camp is still accepting additional staff members as well. Interested girls in 12th Grade or Sem Alef may apply for counselor positions and girls in Sem Beis or older may apply for head staff positions by clicking HERE.