As summer approaches, we asked 13-year-old Josh, who attended Camp Gan Israel last year, to share his experience with families considering the program for Summer 2025.

The best part of my summer was definitely Camp Gan Israel. I’ve gone for three years now, but last year was my favorite because I was old enough to join the Bar Mitzvah Division, which meant more field trips and special activities.

A typical day at camp starts with morning circle, where we all gather for free play and a short prayer before hearing the theme schedule. There are different themes each year that steer the program along. Last summer, we did “CGI Goes to Israel,” and each day we “visited” a different part of Israel. The counselors are really good at making everything fun — even learning Hebrew words didn’t feel like school at all.

My counselor Srolik was awesome. He remembered everyone’s name on the first day and knew I was nervous about swimming because I wasn’t very good at it. By the end of the second week, he had helped me learn to dive, and I wasn’t scared anymore. That’s what I like about the counselors — they really care about helping you, not just watching you.

The field trips were my favorite part. We went bowling (which was supposed to be like bowling in Tel Aviv), and another day we went to SkyZone trampoline park. The Bar Mitzvah Division gets to go on special trips, which is cool because we’re older, but even the regular trips are great. One week, the whole camp had a “Sun Splash” day at a water park!

Days we stay at Chabad are also packed with activities. We’d play sports in the morning when it wasn’t too hot yet. I remember one game of capture the flag where the counselors hid different mitzvah objects all over the playground, and we had to find them while learning facts about different holidays.

I loved the special activities too. During “Israel Food Day,” we made our own falafel and learned how to make Israeli salad. On Fridays, we always made challah, and I brought mine home to show my family. My mom was really impressed and said it tasted better than the one from the store!

The coolest project was during MasterChef week when we did a kosher scavenger hunt. We had to find ingredients that were kosher and then create a recipe. Our team made “Jerusalem Nachos” with pita chips and hummus. We didn’t win, but it was still really fun.

I also liked that I got to make Jewish friends. At my regular school, I’m the only Jewish kid in my class, so it was nice to be around other kids who celebrate the same holidays. We still keep in touch, and some of us even got together for Chanukah.

By the end of the day, I was always tired but in a good way. Before pickup, we’d have a final song session, and everyone would talk about what we were doing the next day. I remember being so excited about the reptile show that I made my mom come early on Friday so she could see it too!

If you’re thinking about going to Camp Gan Israel this summer, you definitely should. Even on regular days when we don’t have field trips, there’s always something fun happening. And the counselors make you feel special, like you’re part of a big family.

I’m already signed up for this summer, and I can’t wait to see what theme we’ll have next!

Camp Gan Israel runs weekly sessions through the summer. Scholarships are available — see our camp page.