Westside children enjoy Jewish COVID-safe camp
Volunteers pack indvidually wrapped activities for delivery to campers of Camp Gan Israel.
Despite the unique challenges posed by COVID-19, Camp Gan Israel – a division of Chabad of the West Side – opened its doors with a special program for local children to enjoy a fun-filled experience ingrained with traditional Jewish values.
In-person meetups for specialty shows took place twice weekly, with ample space between families and some shows being repeated a few times throughout the day in order to accommodate everyone safely. Supporting staff and boxed activities were also sent to children's homes all across the West Side to allow for a full, enriching experience.
Volunteers at Chabad tirelessly packed dozens of individually prepared science experiments, food-art, and other creative activities for the campers.
Overall, by thinking out of the box, adding some teamwork and a healthy dose of optimism, the challenges of COVID-19 proved to be of little significance for Camp Gan Israel.
Rabbi Mendel Jacobs
Director of the local Chabad Jewish Center in Westlake