The Bais Yaakov Academy of Queens always seeks to meet the needs of all of their parents and students. As the midwinter break approached, the administration noted that although a large number of families would be traveling out of town for vacation, a significant number would remain in the New York City area. Many of the parents had work or other obligations and dreaded the annual scramble to find ways to keep their daughters occupied during the break. Rabbi Mordechai Ginsparg, BYQ’s Menahel, felt that creating an optional winter camp was extremely important, and the response to the offer was overwhelming. Around three hundred girls attended the program, including sixth, seventh, and eighth graders, who served as counselors.
Rabbi Ginsparg, Mrs. Ora Love, Preschool Director, Mrs. Ahuva Ginsberg, and a number of staff members developed and supervised the program. The schedule included davening and parshah, fun, exciting camp-like activities, and great food. The result was a huge success! The day and a half program ran during normal school hours on Thursday and Friday. On the first day, after the girls davened and enjoyed a special pancake breakfast, they painted pottery, jumped on inflatables sponsored by the BYQ Parents Association, used Orbeez, played games, and had a delicious pizza and French fries lunch prepared by Rabbi Raphael Noble and staff.
Day Two of the program began with davening and a special waffle breakfast. The girls had a unique parshah program that included a coloring project, stories, and a challenging Parshas Bo crossword puzzle. Afterwards, the younger girls had a music program, while the older girls made bracelets and necklaces spelling out their names. Everyone then watched a fascinating video regarding animals in the Gemara, and the day’s activities finished with delicious ice cream and toppings.
The feedback from all involved was extremely positive; a number of parents expressed their thanks for the program in person or by email. Rabbi Simcha Noble, administrator of the Bais Yaakov of Queens, who helped coordinate many aspects of the program, commented that he heard from many parents that the program exceeded all expectations, and “when Bais Yaakov does something, they do it right.” Mrs. Love and Mrs. Ginsberg both praised how helpful the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade counselors were. Most important, the talmidos, both counselors and campers alike, were happy and enjoyed themselves, instead of being bored at home.
Following the program’s conclusion on Erev Shabbos, Rabbi Ginsparg said, “The girls were already asking about next year’s program, while at the same time expressing their thanks for the last couple of days. Baruch Hashem, the program was a huge success and, b’ezras Hashem, we look forward to next year’s winter camp, as well as finding more ways to help our talmidos grow.”
