ParentSpace Blog

When we had managed to stuff all our gifts into our luggage we headed to the social hall for the closing ceremonies. Dembi started off the show by naming and thanking every staff member in camp. First the waiters, then lifeguards, then specialties, medical and nursing staff, administrative staff, and maintenance staff. Each group got a well-deserved standing ovation. He went on to thank the counselors for their tireless efforts over the past two weeks on behalf of their camper. He told the campers that the only payment their counselors wanted is a thank you-in the form of a hug. At his count of three, every counselor turned to his camper, and the camper reciprocated with a long embrace. It was an event you had to witness.

Dembi went on to thank the campers for being an inspiration for us all, and for giving us the most epic session ever!

We then settled into out seats to watch the CSB 2012 Memories movie. For the first time ever, it included interviews from our very own campers. When that was complete, we headed out to the baseball field where we were treated to a spectacular fireworks display. What a way to end an epic session!

Although this session was short, the friendships gained, bonds formed, and good-times that we had will stay with us for a lifetime.

To our dearest campers, you are an inspiration to us all. Thank you for joining us for an amazing session here at Camp Simcha. Although it was short, we managed to fit in SO MUCH in the brief time allotted. Unfortunately, Tikunei Twelve (at least in Glen Spey) ended some time this morning.

It’s true that there are many lands you’ve still to visit (some of which are not even on a map) and wonderful things to see(that no one has yet imagined), but were confident that if you really want to, you’ll surely reach them all by yourself.

Yours truly

With the cloud of a premature departure hanging over us, Camp Simcha kicked into highest gear today and ended the session on an amazing note. We were truly pumping at full throttle here in SimchaVille, and we managed to stuff in so may different things.

After lunch, we all gathered in the middle of the dining room where we had the most epic upRoar ever. Everyone got involved, and made sure to make up for all the last time. Campers were hoisted onto shoulders and paraded around the room, while everyone else danced, sang, and cheered them on. After lunch, we headed out to all the workshops to finish and collect all the beautiful projects we created over the summer.

After we had managed to collect all our creations, we all headed back to our bunks to pack. At 5pm we were called to the dining hall for the banquet. And a banquet it was. A hot carving station, onion rings, sesame chicken, Hawaiian chicken, chicken lo mein, sweet and sour chicken, bar-b-que ribs, assorted dips, and fresh fruit.

After we were stuffed to the gills, we were informed that Deal Day had been rescheduled….to today! For those who don’t know, Deal Day is a DisneyWorld worthy experience in which members of the Deal community come down to camp and shower our campers with tons of free gifts and activities. After supper, our campers were given a duffel bag, and were let loose in a room full of gifts. They were able to take whatever they (and their counselor…and their rotator…and whoever else they commissioned) could carry out. There were backpacks, sandals, t-shirts, shorts, sweatpants, pillows, stuffed animals, and various electronics. The campers came out looking like they’ve won the lottery.

Wow. Wow. Wow. What a day!

It’s hard to believe that I still have energy to move my fingers across the keyboard.

At 9:30 AM, Camp Simcha was abuzz with activity. The whole camp worked together in our typical unified fashion to make sure we got off to an orderly start. By 10 AM, all of the day’s meals and a few thousand bottles of water were packed up, and our entire camp was dressed up in our orange and blue themed t-shirts and caps. With camper and counselor hand in hand, and our amazing auxiliary staff providing the background pump, we were off to NYC.

One movie-length bus ride later and we were in middle of Times Square. Oh boy did we light up New York! The moment our coach buses stopped in Times Square we were transferred to five double-decker tour buses. With megaphones and speakers in tow, we made our way to the top level of the buses (after a camp-wide sunscreen application, of course). It’s not often that New Yorkers lift their noses out of their smart phones, but boy did we create a raucous. As we traversed block by block, and district by district, we had heads turning, people clapping, and cameras snapping. We showed off our usual Simcha energy, while bouncing, chanting, and screaming our way around New York. We somehow managed to fit in a guided tour in middle of all that bubbling energy,and even convinced some people to drop their cigarettes!

Earlier this year, Zuccotti Park, in Lower Manhattan, housed the Occupy Wall Street movement. Today, Camp Simcha stopped there to protest and raise awareness about something that we consider more critical; namely, the perils of cancer. We made sure that that NYC got our message that Happiness Heals. Yesterday, our campers were asked to make personalized posters for our demonstration. Today, they were out in full display for the whole world. There were many creative signs, including “Hair Me” and, of course, “Bald is the new Hair”. The second the tour buses dropped us off, we mobbed Zuccotti Park, chanted our message, and made sure our views (and solution) on the matter were very apparent. We were positively received by everyone there; many tourists and strangers asked to pose with our campers.

Just as fast as we arrived, we were back on our buses and headed towards the second half of our tour. It’s understood that we kept up our dancing and that our energy didn’t wane one iota. A little later, we arrived at a dock on the east side of Manhattan and were transferred to a chartered ferry. Everyone appreciated the opportunity to relax and chill with friends after the morning’s excitement. A gala lunch was served, and we headed to the bow to check out the spectacular views. Throughout the boat ride, a magician went around to different tables and entertained our campers with mind-boggling tricks.

A bit later, we docked in Queens at a port next to Citi Field, and we were off to the ball game. We first stopped at the apple in front of the stadium and did our Happiness Heals dance. With multiple cameras videoing us for our annual music video, we executed the dance flawlessly, and showed the world the power of joy. Stay tuned for the final product. Then, after receiving our tickets and complimentary Mets merchandise, we headed into Citi Field. Before the game, our campers got to sit right by the bullpen and watch the pitchers warm up. One even came over to chat with us, and even threw over some balls. Meanwhile, six special campers and Dr. Wexler got to go to home plate where they were presented with special Merit Awards from the Mets.

It is not often that someone gets to stand on the field during the national anthem. But today, the WHOLE Camp Simcha got to stand on the outfield! It is something that many people dream for their whole lives, and will be something that our campers remember for a really long time. After a delicious supper by the picnic area, we headed to our amazing seats. The game was fun, but the ambiance was what truly stood out. From everyone holding up signs, to chanting ourselves horse, to waving orange and blue balloons, to getting on the jumbo screen multiple times, we seriously rocked the Stadium.

It was quite a unanimous consensus on the ride back that today was amazing. Our campers came back with memories to last the year. And NYC will always remember, Happiness Heals.

On the advice of its medical director, Dr. Peter Steinherz, and its associate medical director, Dr. Leonard Wexler, both leading pediatric oncologists at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Chai Lifeline has decided to conclude the current Camp Simcha session five days early.

Several children were diagnosed with viral flu influenza. They were immediately isolated from the rest of the camp population and they have already returned home. The final two sessions of camp have not been affected. The next session will begin on August 2.

“The medical directors have made this decision for the safety of all campers,” said Rabbi Simcha Scholar, executive vice president of Chai Lifeline. “Children fighting cancer have weakened immune systems, and our first priority is to safeguard their health. While no children are in danger, the medical staff has taken the prudent step of ending this session to ensure that no other children are exposed to the flu.”

While they are undoubtedly sad about missing even one day of camp, Camp Simcha’s campers will continue to find joy and camaraderie during Chai Lifeline’s year-round activities and programs and their ongoing friendships with counselors and bunkmates.

Parents who have questions may reach the camp office at 845-856-1432.

Party rock is in the house tonight

Everybody just have a good time

And we gonna make you lose your mind

Everybody just have a good time

WOW! Camp Simcha really rocked the house today. When our campers walked into the dining room for mealtime, they were transported to a whole new world. The dining room was redecorated to look like the 60’s. It was replete with groovy graffiti on the walls, guitars hanging from the rafters, and of course our own rock band, The Tikkunei, rockin’ it up on center stage. It was not uncommon to spot Elvis, Jimi Hendrix, and Ozzy Osbourne roaming around the dining room and the campus over the day. Towards the end of lunch, we all gathered in the middle of the dining room where we partied like it was 1969. The campers danced, climbed on staff members’ shoulders, and screamed in a Tikkunei Twelve rendition of upROAR. Of course, we supplemented our usual playlist with All Stars and Party Rock Anthem as our campers practiced their shuffelin’ skills. And by dinner, the camp squared off in a break dancing competition in the middle of the diningroom. Charlie, David, Ofek, and others all wen’t head to head showing off their poppin’ and lockin’, windmills, and six-steps as the rest of the camp cheered them on.

In between lunch and supper, Nadav and Itai headed out to the glass blowing workshop. Nadav decided to make a glass picture frame to save all those crowd surfing moments. He started with a piece of clear glass. He carefully created four polka dots from tiny blue glass beads along each vertical border. For the horizontals, he opted to use orange glass squiggles. Itai decided to make a night light cover and opted for a more modern look. He used white and black stars, circles, and square to create a piece of work that would make Gaudi proud. Meanwhile, Nathan and Jeremy decided to escape the heat and jumped into the pool. They swam, splashed, dunked their counselors, and took their turns racing down the three slides. What a great way to refresh yourself durig a jam packed Camp Simcha day!

Throughout the day, campers had a chance to learn balloon sculpting from an expert. Campers were spotted walking around camp with the wackiest creations, from animals to hats. Mid-afternoon, we were all summoned to the social hall where we we’re greeted by a star studded guitar trio of Aryeh Kunstler, Ari Boiangiu, and Yitzi Spinner.  They wowed us with their slow melodies and pumped up the room with their famous pop and rock songs. We sang, danced, jumped, and stomped; there was fun for campers and staff alike. They shared the stage with many campers, and even had a duet with some of the campers. There was not a person that left the room un-exhausted.

To cap off the night, we went back to the social hall for another show! Jonathan, a ventriloquist, amazed us with the help of his four friends.

Tomorrow, we’re heading to NYC. We will be showing the world that Happiness Heals. It’s going to be amazing.

Camp Simcha had an Xtremely epic day today as we travelled into the world of X-Games and extreme sports. When our campers walked into the dining room this morning, they were greeted by bicycles and wheelchairs doing flips from the rafters. And the center of the dining room staged a custom built mega ramp that would make Tony Hawk really jealous. It was a great way to start a day that epitomized: Work hard. Play harder.

Throughout the day, our campers had the privilege of attending a football clinic that was run by Alan Veingrad. Alan is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League; he played for the Green Bay Packers for five seasons, and two seasons for the Dallas Cowboys (who won Super Bowl XXVII), playing in a total of 86 games. Our campers got to play hours of ball with him, and appreciated receiving pointers how to improve their game. Alan was thoroughly impressed by our amazing program and assured us that football players wouldn’t stand a chance of matching our energy.

After their clinics, Ian and Freddy decided to show off their sports accumen and headed out to the archery field field. They didn’t miss the bulls eye, and after a while it got very repetitive. They decided to move on to the paint balling field (hey, thats more of a sport than poker, fishing, and bowling combined) and had a real blast.  Meanwhile, the lake was a beehive of water sports activity. It was there that you could find Ori fishing (hey, ESPN considers that a sport!). After just a few moments, he caught the first fish of his career. Elad and Benji went a bit more extreme and took the motorboat for a spin. They had a blast pushing the throttle and riding the waves.

Right before supper, we headed out to the ball field for our annual Epic Dr. Lenny Water Fight. Dr. Lenny is known to be an expert in the oncology field, but today he showed off his adept water-gun handling skills. Our campers had a blast as they had a chance to cool off and soak the medical staff in the process.

For supper, our master chef, grill meisters, and waiters, collaborated to create an unbelievable tailgate party. We were served hero and fried chicken sandwiches, chicken wings, corn on the cob, knishes, and assorted salads. The only thing missing was the beer!

From supper, we headed to a mesmerizing mentalist show from Alain Nu. To start off the show, Alain placed four blue beads and one gold bead in a bag, and had five campers stick their hand in and select one. Then, just by watching their faces as they looked at the beads, he was able to tell that Yanees was the one with the golden bead! The audience went wild when he bent and twisted a metal spoon with his bare hands!!! And to end off the show, he was able to guess the card created when one camper chose a color, one a suit, and one a number. The crowd erupted with chants for an encore performance.

To cap off the day, we rehearsed the song of the summer, Happiness Heals, which we will be premiering in NYC this coming Tuesday. ITS GOING TO BE TIKKUNEI!

Dear Folks back home,

Sorry that I haven’t written home since day one. So much has been happening here that I have a hard enough time catching my breath, let alone write.

I’m sure you’ve been following the camp blog, so you should be pretty up to date on what’s happening here. I’ll just pick up from where the blog left off. Friday afternoon the camp underwent this crazy transformation as we entered our first Camp Simcha Shabbat. Shabbat in Camp Simcha is legendary, and it sure lived up to its expectations this week. Friday night services took place in the social hall where all staff and campers gathered under one roof. A lot of staff members dressed up in these whacky costumes, and everyone rocked up the place. As a fellow camper led the services, my co-campers and I were lifted up onto shoulders, and were danced up and down the aisles. Even the more traditional campers couldn’t resist the excitement and opted to join in. It was quite an amazing experience.

After the services, the camp proceeded to the dining room where we had a gala feast. The zemirot (Wiki) were beautiful, and the unity displayed by the whole camp was something worth crossing the world for. When we finished eating, we all gathered in the middle of the room where we were entertained by Duvi “the legend” Becker. Duvi told us three stories of campers in camp who exhibited outstanding character this week in camp. Jonah, Liem, and Chaim Moshe all won a Giant’s sweatpants and Eli Manning jersey for being giants in character. Afterwards, a friend of mine from England, Eliyahu J, delivered a very inspiring speech to us. The night was topped off with more singing, as we sat around eating chulent and sharing stories.

Shabbat morning we once again had services in the Social Hall. From the services, the camp proceeded to another gala meal. Following the meal, we were entertained by a bunch of counselors. One counselor got up from each division and had to say the most embarrassing story that ever happened to them. It was quite hilarious. One counselor spoke of a time he was in India and had to sleep in a room with a bunch of Buddhist monks. When he woke up in the morning, they all wanted to lynch him because throughout the night he had been killing mosquitos (Buddhists consider them sacred). After that, we had a scavenger hunt on the baseball field. The winning division won an Apple iPod Touch to raffle off to one of its members.

After lunch, I had a few hours to relax, play some games of miniature golf and ping-pong, and enjoy the gorgeous weather before heading to Bingo. This was no old-fogie Bingo that grandma and grandpa play. This was EPIC Simcha Bingo! A friend of mine (Ori from Israel) won the latest generation Apple iPod Nano!!! How crazy is that? I hope I win it next week.

To cap off this amazing Shabbat, we had a scrumptious Seudat Shelishit with fresh salmon, flounder, bagels, fruit, and more. If you find another camp that serves even one of those things let me know. We ended the Shabbat with an epic havdalah. It was really nice to have a break from the non-stop action of the past few days. I spent the day chilling with friends and had a great time. But the non-stop action here can’t stay away for too long. After Havdalah, we unleashed all our pent up energy with an epic upROAR in the dining room, complete with live music and dancing.

I’m getting tired, and Dembi said there a special treat in store for us tomorrow, so I want to be totally awake. I think I’m going to catch some z’sssss.

Love you guys.

Good Night

How comforting is it to know that according to recent data, Americans supposedly play a combined 200 million minutes of Angry Birds every day? That means that US companies lose about $1.5 billion dollars worth of productivity hours by their employees playing Angry Birds. Well, love it or hate it, Angry Birds is a fiendishly addictive, unbearable cute time-sink that has captured the attention of millions of people all over the world. And today Camp Simcha got to actually experience Angry Birds first hand; and believe me, experiencing Angry Birds live is A LOT more exciting than exercising your index finger on your couch!

As the campers walked into the dining room for lunch, they were greeted by life sized Angry Birds. Campers got their portraits taken with the characters, and some even got an autograph! By lunch, our divisions competed for the loudest cheers. The shufflers, combinos, and playa’s all rocked the place, but the winner was by far the Aces division. Special thanks to Josh for introducing a new cheer to camp. (“when I say, you say, we say, they say, MAKE SOME NOISE!”) And of course, lunch was capped by another Tikuei Twelve uproar where the campers rocked to the songs of Party Rock Anthem, I Gotta Feelin, and Levels.

After lunch, Alexander and Liem decided to do some baking. Of course, they topped their challos with chocolate chips! The room smelled so awesome that I couldn’t resist sneaking a chocolate cookie from the oven, and another, and another, and another! In woodworking, Adam got to make a birdhouse to protect his birds after those birds finally decide to take a valium.

Throughout the afternoon, different divisions got to go to the gym to have a live Angry Birds experience. The bunks were divided into teams. One team had to strategically build a fortress and defend it, while the other team had to evade their defenses and knock down their fortress with angry birds. Simultaneously, another division got to go to the gym where they had a drum circle with George “The Drum Man” Hooks. Campers got to recreate the Sound of Angry Birds and other beautiful compositions. Every camper had a chance to use numerous different instruments including assorted drum sets, percussions, cow bells, tambourine among others. We will be uploading a short sample of the results shortly.

Did I mention that…

It’s Friday, Friday

Gotta get down on Friday

Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend, weekend

Friday, Friday

Gettin’ down on Friday

Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend

Partyin’, partyin’ (Yeah)

Partyin’, partyin’ (Yeah)

Fun, fun, fun, fun

Lookin’ forward to the weekend

Hey folks back at home,

How was your commute to work today? Did that guy sitting next to you on the train smell like he hasn’t taken a shower since he last went skiing? Did you decide to purchase a bag of M&M’s for the low price of $4.99? Did you enjoy the blasting music leaking from the headphone of that guy sitting down the aisle? Well this morning in Camp Simcha, our campers were elated to find out that they were going to experience a bit of a more classy mode of transportation. A helicopter came in from NYC to Camp Simcha, landed in middle of camp, and every camper got to board and get a ride. The aerial views of the trees and lakes were beautiful, and they even saw the Delaware River. It was a really cool experience to get a bird’s eye view of the Happiest Place on Earth.  The squeals of delight were able to be heard even over the roaring whirl of the helicopters propellers!

Meanwhile, our campers had the special privilege of attending a basketball clinic run by Tamir Goodman. Tamir has been dubbed by Sports Illustrated magazine as the “Jewish Jordan”. Campers had a blast shooting around with Tamir, as well as getting tips on how to improve their already great shots. Campers also appreciated that they got a chance to shmooze, take pictures, and receive autographs. From the basketball clinic and helicopter rides, we headed to our first activity. In honor of Farmville, our campers had a great time building scarecrows, pinning tails on their counselors, and having horseback races.

When we had finally finished horsin’ around, we headed to the dining room for lunch. It was there that we enjoyed a scrumptious lunch fresh picked on the farm. Lunch also served as a meet-and-greet and photo op for Porky-the-Pig, Betsy the Cow, and Dolly the Sheep who were all roaming around the dining room. And when we were stuffed to the gills, we headed to the center of the dining room for a Tikunei Twelve rendition of upROAR where the campers rocked to the songs of Stomp on the Ground, I Gotta Feelin, and the Tikkunei Niggun.

But our energy didn’t deplete there. We immediately headed out to our four consecutive action-packed afternoon activities. Josh headed out to the leather workshop where he had an opportunity to make a saddle for his horse back on his ranch in South Africa. However, he opted for something a bit more meaningful, a bracelet for his friend Chan. Meanwhile, in candle making, David and Uri, created large candles to light up the barn.

After supper, Camp Simcha was thrilled to welcome Steve Max. Every year, Steve comes and plays the craziest largest game of Simon Says. His tricky strategies leave even the brightest people confused. Counselors and campers were head to head in an intense battle. And of course, a Camp Simcha camper was crowned champion. At the end of the night everyone said goodbye to Steve…after Simon told us to.

To cap off the night, we stamped, clapped, and waved as we leaarned the dance for the song of the summer…a song that will blow away Wavin Flags and Light up the Darkness. But I dont wan’t to spoil the secret. Stay tuned.