A Camp of Their Own

Naperville, IL — Rabbi Mendy Goldstein counts among his fondest memories the times he spent at Jewish summer camps during his youth.

There he felt at home with other Jewish children learning more about his faith and heritage, an integral part of his life.

For the past two weeks, Goldstein got to feel like a kid again, this time as he provided the summer day camp experience for another generation of Jewish children.

The camp, which ran from June 25 through July 6, is part of Camp Gan Israel, a world-wide program in which children learn a practical application of their Jewish faith while participating in a variety of activities. These included crafts, pony rides, swimming, baking, bowling and twice-weekly field trips to places like Brookfield Zoo, Odyssey Fun Land and Splash Country Water Park.

The camp was organized by Goldstein and his wife, Alta, who hosted many of the activities at their Naperville home. It was one of the many activities the Goldsteins offer through Chabad of Naperville, an organization dedicated to increasing the awareness, knowledge and observance of Judaism in the Naperville area.

Goldstein, director of Chabad, said his goal is to not only increase the children’s knowledge about Judaism in a fun way, but also instill in them a sense of Jewish pride.

“We try to connect everything to something Jewish that they learned about that day,” Goldstein said. “All the activities, the arts and crafts the counselors do with them, it’s somehow connected. They have a good time and at the same time, they’re learning something new that day.”

Fifteen children, ages 2 to 11, from Naperville, Aurora and Plainfield attended this year’s inaugural camp. To see how their Jewish heritage merges with their lives, the children made Challah bread for Friday night Shabbat, pet and fed kosher animals in a petting zoo, took a trip to the grocery store to identify kosher foods and learned the importance of helping others by taking a tour of an ambulance.

Alta Goldstein said teaching children about Judaism should be more than academic.

“It’s like you learn a subject – math – and end of the day, you close your book and you go home. You learn science, you close your book and go home,” she said. “Judaism is not a subject. It’s part of who you are and it’s a part of your being and you have to live it. This is how we show them Judaism is not a subject, it’s life.”

To assist them in sending that message, the Goldsteins brought in four camp counselors – two from New York, one from Iowa and another from neighboring Aurora – to help conduct the camp. For the past four years, Sara Liberow, of Brooklyn, N.Y., has been a counselor at Gan Israel camps across the country. She said its programs give Jewish children a chance to experience pride in their heritage in a safe, comfortable environment alongside other Jewish children.

“Kids experience Judaism in a place where it’s fun and interesting,” she said. “That’s where you really live it, when the kids see it alive and see it as a fun thing and not just for the synagogue.”

Chabad of Naperville offers Jewish residents of all ages a variety of programs and activities including Bar and Bat Mitzva lessons, Hebrew classes, story times, youth events and Shabbat services. Goldstein hopes Camp Gan Israel will become an annual Chabad event that will be as memorable to today’s children as it was for him.

“When we look back at our summer days, it’s a fun experience and a good experience,” he said. “Therefore, it’s important to teach them during the summer. They know they had a good summer and at the same time they know they learned about Judaism and they learned about their faith. … When they go to camp, the whole day is filled with fun and they are learning, so they have a positive feeling toward Judaism.”