It is about a thousand degrees outside, and even more sweltering inside the bounce house in the parking lot of Chabad Bais Menachem.
The heat, though, is of no matter to the 10 youngsters, who turn maniacal when someone enters the bounce domain to take some photographs and ask what their summer camp experience is like.
“I love the trips we take,” proclaimed one camper.
“I like swimming,” chimed another.
Welcome to Camp Gan Israel, which boasts one of the biggest networks of summer camps in the world. Rabbi Yisroel Engel and his wife Leah have been running the camp in Denver since they first arrived here 42 years ago.
“A lot of the kids are coming from public schools and they’re getting a nice warmth of Yiddishkeit by coming here,” says Leah.
“We have all ranges – we have kids who go to the Denver Jewish Day School, go to DAT, go to Hillel Academy — all kids, all backgrounds, and they’re all the same. They all have the same love that we have for every Jew.”
Rabbi Engel: “Forty-two summers. We really try to serve the area with a great summer experience.”
The camp runs every weekday for six weeks in the summer. The Engels draw 50 kids a day, boys aged four-eight and girls four-13. Over the course of the summer, there may be 75 kids in Camp Gan Israel. Some are affiliated with Chabad, some not, and all Jews are welcome.
Even families that can’t afford a summer camp experience for their young ones are accommodated.
“One hundred percent,” said Rabbi Engel. “To us, a camp experience is not a luxury. It’s a necessity. It’s really not just to fill up time.
“It’s such an experience for children to be with their friends. They learn new skills, they learn more about Judaism, and they become more confident in what they do.
“It’s really an important part of their life. The pride that they have in growing up is in large measure due to what they experience in the summer day camp.”
In the case of Camp Gan at Bais Menachem, Rabbi Engel has a serious strategy about the camp counselors he hires for the summer. This summer there are 11 counselors, and they come from everywhere.
“Over the years we’ve hired from all over the United States and Canada, including overseas this year,” says Rabbi Engel. “They’re mainly from Toronto and also from Los Angeles.
“We usually hire counselors who have a number of years experience in Chabad camps. Being raised in the Chabad environment and working in different camps prior to coming to our camp gives them that experience. It’s what makes our camp famous for its lively and energetic focus.”
Often, the camper-counselor bonds last longer than the six weeks of summer.
“The bond lasts the entire year, and I’ve seen it last over many years,” says Rabbi Engel. “Some of them last a lifetime, because what happens is even with those out of town counselors, the campers develop a strong bond and they keep in touch.
“It’s a tremendous, tremendous experience for everyone and the bond lasts a long time.”
Aside from the field trips and swimming off campus, for most of camp the campers are at Bais Menachem. On this day, the crazed bouncers are about to wind down inside the shul to shape mounds of dough, to make challah.
“The whole program blends camping fun and learning,” said Rabbi Engel. “The kids don’t even know that they’re learning because it’s part of the fun experience.
“The kids go away not only having a fun experience, but they become enriched and become prouder of who they are. They’re learning more about Jewish studies because it is also an important component.”
Time to leave the bounce house, though it takes a bit of prodding from two nearby camp counselors.
“This is the best camp in the whole entire world,” said one camper still out of breath from bouncing. His name is Menachem Mendel Engel.
Yes, nepotism runs deep at Camp Gan. Menachem is one of four Engel grandkids at the camp.
“I like when we go bowling, and roller skating,” says Menachem. “And I like when we go swimming, too.”
On this day, with Shabbat a few hours away, first things first.
The challah dough awaits.
© IJN 2024