Camel Double Take in Skokie

Drivers passing by East Prairie Public School may have done a double take on Tuesday: A 400-pound camel was walking in circles near the building’s field.

More than 40 children from Junior Gan Israel Day Camp were waiting for their turn to ride a real camel. The toddlers sat Indian style while their camp supervisor asked them how many humps the animal has.

“Four!” one child blurted (the camel clearly had one).

The children would later line up and ride the camel four at a time. During the animal’s break, the camel would reach his long neck over a tall steel fence and help himself to some grass.

Zeesy Posner, director at Gan Israel Day Camp, said she thinks it’s important the children are exposed to a camel because of its biblical importance. Yet when the tiny Posner — who spoke with a more authentic Jewish accent than Jerry’s mom from the show Seinfeld– first wanted to find a camel she did what most of us would have done: She turned to Google.

“It isn’t cheap,” Posner said.

Posner added that she quickly found a business online that would rent her the camel.

“The kids know all about the camels from the Bible,” she said, citing the book of Genesis. “So I think it’s important [the kids] see it.”