Camp Blog

This past summer was Danielle’s first time in Camp Simcha. See what she has to say about camp and her awesome counselors!

Come join us November 3 for our annual Chinese Auction! You can WIN BIG while benefiting Camp Simcha’s kids. The auction will take place at Congregation Shaare Zion, 2030 Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn, New York.

Order online and receive a 5% discount! Check out this year’s amazing prizes here!

The Jewish holiday of Sukkot is a time to connect with family and friends. Chai Lifeline hosted many events throughout the area to enable campers, counselors, and families to meet and enjoy the holiday.

The largest event took place at the Connecticut Sports Center where families enjoyed a day of Ice Skating, Mini-Golf, Laser Tag, bowling, hockey, arcades, and a performance by the New York Boys Choir. Our campers really enjoyed seeing each other and said that while the experience was not as cool as being up in camp, it definitely came close! Later that night, the White Shul in the Five Towns hosted a beautiful Sukkot celebration that included food, dancing, and music. It was a perfect end to a fun filled day.

Across the globe, the Israeli branch of Chai Lifeline hosted a Sukkot celebration at the Great Synagogue. Our counselors ensured that campers and their families were singing, dancing, and having the best time. The guests enjoyed a concert by Israeli superstar Amiram Dvir, were entertained by a juggler, and of course were served many refreshments, Camp Simcha style.

“Sukkot is a time of happiness, and we are determined to give families fighting pediatric illness a chance to rejoice in body and spirit. Events like these allow families to forget about illness for a while. They give children a chance to be kids once again, and parents feel extra happy when they see their boys and girls, in the arms of loving counselors, laughing and playing as if they haven’t a care in the world,” said Rabbi Simcha Scholar, Chai Lifeline’s executive vice president.

He added that the happiness of the events comes from the hundreds of volunteers who give their time throughout the year to make a difference in the lives of Chai Lifeline’s children and their families.

“Their compassion and energy make every day into a holiday for our children. The impact of their love is felt all year long,” he emphasized.

So thank you to all of our volunteers who make these events possible, and thank you to our wonderful campers who make the events worth attending! We’ll see y’all next time 🙂

Nathan, one of our Camp Simcha campers wishes a Happy New year to the whole Chai Lifeline family:

Dear Chai Lifeline,

Happy New Year!

I want to thank you for being there and creating fun times for me. I love Camp Simcha and Shlomo is the best! I am so inspired by you guys so I am donating $36 from my birthday money so other kids that are sick can enjoy their lives too.

Love,
Nathan Lev

Camp 2012 just ended, but we are already gearing up for Camp 2013! Want to know when your Camp Simcha 2013 session is scheduled for? Check out our calendar page!

As the summer season comes to a close, we want to wish all of our campers a happy and healthy year. We hope to see you all at Camp Simcha reunions and events throughout the year!

If you were a camper or a staff member this past summer,  we would love to hear about your experience! Please send anything you want to share to webmaster@campsimcha.org.

Gumdrops, lollipops, jellybeans…you guessed it, today was Candy Land day!  With a giant size gingerbread man, and girls in candy costumes, camp is a tasty sight. This morning our campers put on a Peter Pan play. Peter pan was played by Jordan, and Tinkerbell by Tzippy. My favorite part of the play was when Tinkerbell was jealous of Wendy, and Peter Pan appeased Tinkerbell. He broke out in  One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful”, and sang it to Tinkerbell.The play was a hit! Later in the day, eight of our campers won iPod nanos in a raffle. Our banquet was Candy Land themed, with buffet-style candy platters. Yum! After the banquet,  head counselor Rivky thanked everyone individually. The heartfelt thank yous were followed by a tear-jerking video, recapping all of our amazing times here in camp. The night literally ended with a bang, while we watched fireworks. The fireworks lit up the night sky, and our faces. Although camp is over, I will not say goodbye because in Camp Simcha we never say goodbye. I will not even attempt to describe my experience here because,  anything I say will not do it justice; it will just belittle it. However, I will tell you that it has changed my perspective on life. Not even in a cliche “live life to the fullest” or “live everyday as if it is your last” way. But rather in a, give everyday all that you can give, in every opportunity you have, to anyone who needs it, kind of way. Chai Lifeline’s slogan is “Fighting Illness With Love”. I can assure you that here at Camp Simcha we honor that slogan, and we fight cancer by loving our campers to our fullest capabilities. I also can assure you that every single one of our campers feels our love.

Our last Shabbat in camp was beautiful. We began Friday night with heart-warming prayers. Campers Miriam and Shilat spoke during the meal. Both shared their love for Camp Simcha. The meal was followed by a motivating speech from our camp Rabbi, Rabbi Finer, and some Jewish chulent. Today, the Israeli and English speakers put on a bi-lingual skit.  After the laughs, the whole camp enjoyed a game of Bingo. Throughout the day, campers stocked up on goodies from the canteen. Ayelet, an Israeli, said that her favorite part of the day was “chilling on the grass, and making friends with the American campers”. The campers mesmerized us with their voices, during the Simcha Choir. Annie, Avishag, Shayna, Sarale, and Miriam all had solos. This is Esther’s last summer here at Camp Simcha. Estehr told us that even if you feel sick, you are never too sick to attend Camp Simcha. Tonight, we will dance until we can’t feel our feet. That’s how we do it here at Camp Simcha.