A great time was had by all at Tipperary Hair Styles in the West Coast as our friends enjoyed a day of haircuts, food, fun, and activities to benefit Chai Lifeline. A big THANK YOU to those who donated their hair so children battling cancer can enjoy the comfort of a wig. Congratulations to the winner of a puppy in the grand raffle. Many thanks to our generous sponsors.[singlepic id=1856 w=520 h=440 float=center]
Camp Blog
A Mother Gives Thanks.
Dear Wonderful Camp Simcha Special Boys Staff,
I am taking some time to pen this letter to express my deep appreciation to you. We’ve just finished the Camp Simcha Special Boys Queens Shabbaton. Being that we live in Queens, I thought it would be an interesting experience, having Kovy enjoy it while staying at home. Yes, of course Kovy had a great time, seeing all his friends from camp (both campers and staff), and getting a healthy dose of the ruach [spirit] and simcha that permeates every second of these experiences; yet for us, this time, it was so much more.
Being part of the Queens community meant that we got to attend theoneg and melave malka. At the melave malka, many people came to show support, gain inspiration, and be a part of the excitement. My other sons, age almost 11 and 4 1/2, are growing up with a very keen awareness of abilities and disabilities, and the sensitivity and maturity that comes along with having a brother with challenges. At the melave malka, they got to see a spectacular thing: their community, their neighbors, classmates, friends… and the boys of Camp Simcha Special– and saw that these two entities can be joined, so there is no dividing line between “us” and “them”– their brother, and all the boys, have a place, an acceptance, a love, in the community. My boys experienced, perhaps for the first time, that we are all one and the same.
For this, and for everything else, I thank you…
May Hashem continue to bestow upon you shefa bracha vehatzlacha [an abundance of blessing and success], and grant you much koach[strength] to continue your wonderful work.
Sincerely,
Galiah Morgenstern
Kovy’s Mommy
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Friends ‘n Fun Queens
The Queens Friends N’ Fun Weekend hosted by Eli and Chedva Rowe was a smashing success. An amazingly lavish Shabbos full of activities was followed by a gala Melava Malkah with a concert by Mordechai Ben David. Participants went home with official weekend fleece sweaters, each camper received a 9″ portable DVD player, but most important of all, everyone left with smiles on their faces and memories to keep them strong through the winter. Many thanks to the Rowe family and all the families in the community who hosted our Chai Lifeline family. A big thank you to those who spent many months planning this event, the amazing medical staff, and our counselors for their dedication.[singlepic id=1853 w=520 h=440 float=center]
Winter Reunion-CS/CSS Girls
Camp Simcha is covered in snow! The lake is iced over. The dining room even looks like a ski lodge. Everyone knows about simcha magic, but simcha magic in the snow is something entirely different. This past weekend, Camp Simcha campers and counselors made their way up to Glen Spey for a winter reunion. Here’s what it looked like in camp:
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Pretty amazing, right?! Once everyone got settled in their “lodges,” campers were treated to our familiar “Simcha Spa” that included manicures, pedicures, makeup, and massages. Shabbat consisted of many meals, many smiles, and much laughter as we enjoyed Shabbat plays, speeches, and of course, Shabbat Bingo.
[singlepic id=1846 w=300 h=220 float=right]After Havdalah, we took advantage of the snow with ATV rides around camp! After the thrilling rides, we headed to the social hall for a dazzling show by a mentalist. Back in the dining room, campers were delighted when they saw that the whole dining room was transformed into a kitsch coffee shop! Campers helped themselves to a wide array of different coffee flavors (okay-the counselors were the ones obsessing over the coffee), a table full of pastries, panini making stations, wraps, pasta, salads, and probably any kind of food that you will ever think of. To quote Bassie L., “there was TONS of food!” Melava Malka was followed by Simcha style dancing, but this packed night was not over yet. In the middle of dancing, Eli Gerstner popped out of the CS kitchen and treated us to a surprise concert! Now that’s what I call an end to a magical night.
Sunday morning breakfast in the “ski lodge” was truly on par with five-star lodge standards (not that we would expect anything less from Camp Simcha!). Our activities for the day consisted of snow mobile rides and a ventriloquist show that had us all laughing. Finally, campers and counselors filled up with a huge barbeque lunch before loading the busses back home.[singlepic id=1851 w=520 h=440 float=center]
Winter Retreat
The Annual Weekend Winter Retreat, sponsored by LH Financial, provided much needed rest and relaxation, friendship and support, professional guidance and family time for Chai Lifeline families battling cancer. Special thanks to Yossi Schwartz, Nachman Maimon and the entire CLL staff for making an amazing weekend in East Windsor N.J.!
Ohr Meir Trip
On December 5th 2010, 48 Chai Lifeline children from across the United States and Canada were whisked away from their daily regimen of chemotherapy treatments and hospital stays for a four-day magical, incredible, and inspiring trip to Orlando, FL. The trip included stops at SeaWorld, Universal Studios, and Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Many thanks to Ari and Idy Friedman of the Ohr Meir Foundation, and “The Crew,” for funding, planning, and executing a magical trip to Orlando. Thanks to our Camp Simcha counselors under the leadership of Ari Dembi and Rivky Schwartz for bringing an unmatched energy to the trip. To our campers: thanks for teaching us how to truly live. Read more about our trip here: Ohr Meir 2010
Happy Chanukah!
Thousands of children and their families were granted a reprieve from the daily grind of illness this Chanukah when they gathered at parties around the world to celebrate the miracle of Chanukah as well as miracles of their own.
Participants were treated to performances by world renowned recording artists, performers, and clowns. There was music, singing and dancing, delicious food, & crafts. The highlight of each evening were the toys the children received thanks to the Honey Engel Toy Drive, the Ossie Schonfeld Toy Fund, our generous sponsors, schools, and shuls.
Music made possible by The Ariella Horenstein Music in Our Lives Program
Many thanks to our dedicated volunteers for making it all possible!
CREDITS
Photos by Ephraim Shapiro, Itamar Frankenthal, Joel Cherner, Rikki Liff, The Lakewood Shopper, and many other kind souls.
Video created by Moshe Deutsch
“Miracle” by Matisyahu
No copyright infringement intended
From Dembi
Dearest Chai Lifeline, Camp Simcha and Simcha Special Family,
One of the central themes of Chanukah is to give thanks for the miracles of defeating evil and retaining our lofty goals, which are constantly threatened. When the Greeks breached the outer fence of the temple, the rabbis instituted 13 places of bowing down, or kneeling before G-d at those very spots where the fence were breached. The rabbis’ point out that is very much what the theme of Chanukah is. The kabalistic sfira for Chanukah is “hod” which means splendor literally. The deeper concept of “hod” is to thank or to be “modeh”-agree- that all is from g-d. This is the battle we fight with the Greeks. The Greeks professed that man is the end all. We believe that man is great but not as great and powerful as our creator. We recognize G-d’s hand in nature as well. The rabbis instituted the bowing down or the recognition at the very spots that the Greeks breached. We bow down and realize that although we are strong and great, that power comes from G-d.
This is the publicizing of the miracle of Chanukah that we show the world. For the spiritual light that guides us in our decisions, our strength and guides our wisdom. The Menorah in the temple had a skylight above it which was narrower on the inside and wider on the outside. This signifies that we are spreading the light of our torah and Menorah throughout the world.
When we approach all that we do with “hod” of Chanukah, we approach all we do with humility. We are powerful and wise, but that’s all from G-d. When we realize this we can unite. For as the rabbis point out, the blessing we make is over just one candle, one flame. However, we actually kindle a lot of candles. What this blessing is teaching us is that in the future all lights will unite to be one light. All the paths will lead to one truth. It will be clear to the world. The way to this unity is with humility.
May the lights of Chanukah bring you joy, clarity, humility, and unity.
Ari Dembi
Alumni
Dear Alumnus:
As we celebrate 25 year of Simcha, one thought comes to mind: WE COULDN’T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU! For the past 25 years, the relationship between camper and counselor made Camp Simcha the very special place it continues to be.
Though we may have lost touch, Chai Lifeline has never forgotten how much you gave to your campers and the organization. We’d love for you to be part of Chai Lifeline going forward.
In that spirit, it is our pleasure to invite you (and your family) to Chai Lifeline’s Gala Chanukah party on Sunday, November 28th, at Tiferes Mordechai, 600 McDonald Avenue, Brooklyn. Hundreds of current campers and their families will be there, and we are sure you will add to that special camp magic that makes the event a family favorite. There is entertainment, music, and of course, delicious food. It all begins at 3:30 PM. RSVP (info below) to let me know you’ll be there.
For those of you who love the chance to win big prizes, Chai Lifeline’s annual Chinese Auction has great offerings this year. All camp alumni and spouses are entitled to free admission to this fun-filled evening. This year’s Auction takes place on Saturday night, November 20th at Shaare Zion Congregation in Brooklyn. For more information, go to www.chaiauction.org. You must reserve your free tickets in advance by calling or emailing (info below).
Please RSVP for both events by emailing afoxman@chailifeline.org or calling 212-699-6615 or 646-265-9036.
P.S. Watch your email. We’re unveiling a new alumni program and chance to connect to Chai Lifeline’s kids and their families soon.
Amazing Race Scavenger Hunt
A couple of lucky Camp Simcha campers and counselors got to spend this past Sunday participating in “The Amazing Race Scavenger Hunt!”
Three camper/counselor teams competed in an epic scavenger hunt that took them across Manhattan. Following Camp Simcha standards, the hunt was composed of creative, wacky, and wildly fun activities that included taking pictures of people wearing Camp Simcha hats and “working” behind the TKTS counter. Points were awarded for bringing back used metro cards, banana peels, and items with the word “camp” on them. The highlight of the hunt was definitely taking a video of four random people doing the Waka Waka dance in the middle of Times Square! After the hunt, the teams met at Kosher Delight for a celebratory dinner, where they added up their points. Karen and Rebecca were deemed the winners and were awarded awesome I Love NY sweatshirts. Looking forward to more reunions, and more Camp Simcha excitement!
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