The air was heavy with rain, and our hearts were heavy with the sadness of parting….

Camp Simcha 2010 has officially come to an end.

Oh, the memories that we shared this summer… the concerts– Avraham Friend, Eli Gerstner, Yaakov Shwekey, Shloimie Dachs, Yehuda Green, Maccabeats and Aryeh Kunstler… the shows– those hysterical French Twins, Jabali Acrobats, Chicago Boyz Acrobatz, Sky Riders, Simon Sez, Magic of Illusion, Talent Show, Camp Simcha Musical 2010!, and so much more… the activities– Paint Ball, Helicopter Rides, Motorcycle Rides, TRANSPORT (Yes, it’s an activity), BBQ…. the workshops– Arts n’ Crafts, Sweet Shop, Glass Fusion, Candle Making, Ductigami (or Ductigamee), Pottery, Mosaics, Lake and Swim, Ropes Course, Shooting Range, Recording Studio, Photography Studio,Wood Working, Intensives- First Aid, Drums, Crocheting…

Wow! We did a lot!!

The Camp Simcha Boys Musical was of course a fantastic hit! Produced by Duvy “The Legend” Becker, it featured great performences by our amazing campers and staff. For the grand finale, staff member Benjy Weintraub and camper Luke sang a duet of “I Believe I Can Fly.” At the end, Luke actually flew right over the cheering crowd!

During Camp Simcha Special, Bike4Chai cyclists rode 135 miles from Lakewood, Brooklyn, Baltimore, and Deal, NJ to Camp Simcha. The bikers raised nearly $200,000 to benefit the campers. The ride culminated with a triumphant entrance into Camp Simcha, where the campers performed a spectacular choreographed wheelchair dance to welcome the riders. We are Rollin’ in Camp Simcha!

The epic trips to New York– Camp Simcha stormed Times Square and blew away Brooklyn…

The boys’ New York trip was one for the books. After an exciting day of boat rides and STOMP, we took over Time Square for the performance of a lifetime. Flags waving, we sang to the sky, to the world, about how strong we are and how strong we will be. Hundreds of blue flags, hundreds of voices strong, we showed the world the power of Camp Simcha… and made an amazing music video from it!

The girls’ New York trip was one of empowerment. Our march across the Brooklyn Bridge for Hope, Health and Happiness was a reflection of everything that Camp Simcha stands for. There was a breathtaking moment when hundreds of blue and pink balloons were released into the sky, a symbol of our hopes and dreams taking flight. Anyone who was there or saw the videos (check them out!) felt chills at that moment.

All the friends we made, the lasting bonds we created…

Now home safe and sound, our unbelievable campers now have memories to last til next summer to keep them going strong and happy. They now have the strength of confidence of a summer in Camp Simcha to help through the year which we hope to fill with so much fun they won’t have time to miss camp.

And to our amazing Camp Simcha and Camp Simcha Special staff…. this summer would not have been possible without you. Your countless hours of work, intense devotion and unending love was palpable every second of our time in camp. Your dedication to your work and to our campers is truly an inspiration. There are no words for what you did, for the children you renewed, for the memories you created and for everything else that you did.

So yes, the last bus may have rolled out of Glen Spey, taking with it our incredible campers but we know it won’t be long til we see them again…

Stay tuned for more exciting posts here… this may be the Camp blog, but just because Camp is over, it doesn’t mean we won’t keep you posted on all the great things that we experienced and the even greater things to come..

Our last day in Simcha was filled with both happiness and sadness. We spent our time packing, picking up our projects, and getting ready for the Fairy Tale Ball! We had princess parties and ROCKED OUT when Aryeh Kunstler came to camp! His concert was off the hook as his band and uplifting songs kept our feet moving. He really knew how to pump us up and we showed him the Camp Simcha spirit that we are famous for.

After the concert, it was time to get ready for the Banquet. Dressed as princesses and other fairy tale characters, we entered the Ball where we were served the finest food and even champange! (ok… it was really soda)

When the Banquet was over, we headed to the Social Hall for thank you’s and the camp video! After we thanked our incredible staff and wonderful campers, we sat back to relived camp from the first day… Freeze Arrivals…. Chocolate Day… Dynamite Dance… Zombie Zumba… Scuba Diving… Shooting Range… Workshops… New York Trip… Helicopter Rides… and so much more was played back for us to remember and keep locked in our hearts.

Camp Simcha, though tomorrow we leave you, you are forever a part of our lives… we can’t wait to come back next year in Jerusalem where we will all sing and dance together, happy, healthy, and whole, waving our flags and marchin’ our hearts out.

It’s kind of hard to imagine if you were a millionaire in Camp Simcha because out here in Glen Spey, we always feel like millionaires! But that was today’s theme, and the big bucks kept rolling as we once again avoided the rain drops.

Indoors again, we were really excited for an activity that kept us moving: Dance Dance Revolution! Over 20 DDR mats were set up in the gym and everyone got to play the game that kept us movin’ and groovin’ on a huge projector. It was so much fun to try to keep up with the fast-moving arrows!

The night rounded off with a game show of Who Wants to be a Millionaire where we got quizzed on camp trivia and proved that we know our stuff!

It’s hard to believe that tomorrow is the last day of Camp Simcha… we’re having way too much fun!

Camp Simcha is outta this world! Despite the dreary, rainy weather, we still managed to have a smashing day! Our time inside was spent in workshops where we braided, painted, burned, hammered and hardened busting out some creative projects the likes of which can only be found in Camp Simcha. And while the rain was falling, we were too busy to notice because we were playing… laser tag! Our gym was turned into a maze with lights flashing and cool music blaring. Each girl received a laser gun to chase after her friends.

After dinner we had a special screening of ET— phone home? It was just like a real theater– we even had popcorn!

All in all, another great day in Camp Simcha… can’t wait for what’s next!

The last Camp Simcha Shabbat of the summer? Can it be? Well at least we can say that the last Shabbat ended with a bang-it was uplifting, entertaining, inspiring, and as always, all around awesome!

Friday night was a fantasy with singing, dancing, and beautiful speeches from Shayna and other campers. Rabbi Scholar joined us and it was clear that he was filled with pride as he watched the incredible time that his campers were having. Posts upon posts could be written describing the incredible food that was consumed: the delectable stuffed cabbage, the ever popular chicken salad, the beautifully cut fruit… but I won’t bore you.

Our Shabbat was filled with fun that included divisions games and our weekly round of Bingo. After ice cream, right before Shabbat ended, we were graced with the melodious voices of our campers who sang in a Shabbat Choir. Our night ended with some high energy dancing as we twirled and spun our campers to the beat of our favorite songs. Then, we headed off to sleep to prepare and look forward to an awesome rest-of-the week!

EVERYONE is talking about the Camp Simcha Girls NY Day…

NBC
JewPI
daylife
mcbrooklyn
The Yeshiva World

New York, are you ready for Camp Simcha?! Well ready or not, here we come! Our day began bright and early for breakfast, after which we went straight to the buses for our New York Trip! Our first activity was at the New Jersey Harbor where went on boat and yacht rides that took us to Manhattan. The ride was awesome–we had wind in our faces, sea spraying against our skin, and sun shining down on us. Camp Simcha flags waved as we sailed, and some boats even had dancing and karaoke!

Once we reached Manhattan, we were greeted by our waitresses and specialities who made a tunnel to welcome us to the greatest city in the world (after Glen Spey, of course). After loading the buses, we were immediately rushed to our very own private viewing of Stomp! We watched in awe as ordinary brooms and garbage cans were turned into cool musical arrangements complete with colorful lights and funny acting. We joined in the performance, clapping with Stomp and getting into the cacophony of clangs and bangs. 

After Stomp, we headed over to Cadman Plaza to prepare ourselves for meeting the King of New York, Mayor Bloomberg! We practiced our march and ate dinner as we waited for the Mayor to arrive. When the Mayor’s arrival was announced, we stood division by division, in four groups of two rows, to perform Seize the Day and King of New York– the Camp Simcha version (recorded by our awesome married staff guys). Then, Elisheva, Yachi, Elana, and Tzipora presented Mayor Bloomberg with The Key to Camp Simcha, a beautiful piece created in our wood and leather-making workshops.

Finally, the moment that we were all waiting for arrived… it was time to march across the Brooklyn Bridge in our March of Hope and Courage! With balloons tied to our wrists and Simcha flags waving high, we began our journey. We sang and cheered as we showed New York all that Camp Simcha stands for– joy, happiness, courage, and strength. Passersby joined in and cars below us honked in support. 

At the halfway point of the bridge, or as we dubbed it, the top of the world, we released our balloons into the sky. The hundreds of pink and blue balloons, carrying so much emotion and hope, was truly an inspiring and uplifting sight to see. We then finished our march and crossed to the end of the bridge where we danced some more and then loaded the buses back to camp…

Camp Simcha,
Is there any place in the world like you
You uplift us and guide us
And make dreams and wishes come true

You teach us courage and strength
But campers, you do the same
You spread love and joy to all
Proclaiming the Simcha name

In New York we saw more courage than ever before
You turned walls into wide open doors
We walked the Brooklyn Bridge with a passion so strong
It was a moment to remember, a memory that will go on and on

Campers of Camp Simcha, it’s for you that we’re here
To tell the world of your greatness that we all hold so dear
It’s empowering and beautiful how you fight each day
Our flag will always be waving, forever we shall stay

(Poem by Adina L.)