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HASC Alumni Bulletin, September 2009 |
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 Greetings!
It
is hard to believe that Labor Day is this weekend which signifies the official
end of summer. Where did the summer go? It seems as though it was just
yesterday that we were celebrating the departure of the cold weather and welcoming the joyous warmth of summer (or
we were hoping to!) and start of camp.
As with all things in life, everything must come to an end, and we must
remember the phrase "Onward and Upward."
In preparation for the Yomim Noraim in the coming weeks, it is traditional to
use the month of Elul as a time of reflection and introspection. It is
important for everyone to look back at the past year and reflect where we were,
where we are now, and where we hope to be in the in year to come, both professionally,
physically and spiritually.
As I reflect the past year for me personally and professionally for the coming
year, it goes without saying that I am grateful for the role HASC has begun to
play in my life, which it did not a year ago. I am grateful for all the
wonderful people I have met and the amazing work I have seen take place at
HASC, ranging from the work which is done at the HASC Centers and school sites,
to the Day Hab programs and of course the special work that occurs each summer
at camp.
In looking to the year ahead, the future is bright for HASC and the Office of
Alumni Affairs. A year filled with a wide array of various programming
and social events ranging from our upcoming Alumni/Leadership event in November
to events for alumni, current counselors and campers, allowing time for everyone
to stay connected with camp and reconnect with old friends.
I look forward to the year ahead and having the opportunity to work with each
of you and get to know everyone on a more personal level.
As
always, I welcome your calls, emails, visits etc... I can always be reached by
phone at (718) 686-5920 or by e-mail at grant.silverstein@hasc.net..
Wishing you and your family L'Shanah Tovah
Tikatevu!
Best regards,
Grant
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A Tribute to Suri Granek, A"HBy: Michal Arieh (Speech) & Zehava Witkin-Cohen (Clinical Coordinator)
Suri Granek, A"H
was the Camp HASC Clinical Coordinator for many years where she created a serious, professional program infused
with love and hope. She cultivated this
environment by investing her heart and soul into each child who came through
the therapy doors.
Suri, believed in each child's ability to progress and
worked diligently to ensure that each child achieved his/her personal
milestones. Under her guidance, many of the children of HASC showed more
progress in just six weeks than they did in their respective programs all year
long. Through Suri's direction, many
children magically took their first steps, and uttered their first words under
her leadership and guidance. She never gave up hope on any child! Every child grew in her eyes!
Just as Suri encouraged each and every child to achieve his/her
potential (and many times even surpass
it!), so too she inspired each and every therapist to achieve excellence. She set high expectations for herself and
expected the same from the clinicians in her program. Suri encouraged the therapists to be
proactive, work hard and never "slack." She had zero tolerance for laziness! Suri's motto was "Just do it-100%." Suri was a leader by example, never by words! She never hesitated to teach various techniques
without herself getting down on the floor and doing the actual exercise. No
action or feat was too big or too small for Suri. She did not just hire therapists in order
to fill the mandates for campers, she galvanized a team that was responsible,
dedicated, professional and gave 100% to the campers for the duration of the
camping season. Suri's love, devotion
and dedication to the Camp
HASC therapy department
was unparalleled. It was because of Suri's
professionalism, diligence and commitment that each summer,
HASC therapists left with enhanced skills and each child left with new milestones.
While her inspiring work ethic is legendary, Suri's primary
commitment and dedication was to her family.
Her beautiful and loving family of friends and relatives is directly
related to her congenial and gracious attributes that kept her focused on the
needs of others. She was always able to
have time and energy for anyone who wanted/needed her.
Suri developed and nurtured a magical program in Camp HASC. Although she is no longer with us, her
influence is and will remain! The program she created is an on-going testament
and tribute to Suri, not only as a clinician, but as a caring and special
woman. May memories of Suri always shine bright for all who knew her and those benefited
from her professionalism as well as her genuine acts of Chesed.
Camp
HASC was truly blessed to
be a beneficiary of her avodas hakodesh
throughout the years. Tehay zichra baruchah.
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Will you consider this year a great success or failure?
A lot depends
on the next few weeks.
THE
END OF THE YEAR...
Rabbi Leiby Burnham
As a nation, we are now
in that last moment. Elul, the current Hebrew month, is the tail end of the
year, the last few days before Rosh Hashana, when we close out one spiritual
year and begin the next. It may have been a great year for some of us, a
strained and difficult one for others, an unfulfilling year for others. But
this is the month in which we can sink or swim. 
By
putting in an extra effort to increase our spiritual involvement during this
month, we can close out this year as a success.
Somehow, just as our
spiritual antennas begin to buzz with excitement of the approaching High Holidays;
a wrench gets thrown in our plans to race down the homestretch. We have the new
school year for our children, the beginning of a new season at work, and all
the catching up to do at work after our summer vacations. It seems as if
something out there wants us to miss this incredible opportunity to tie the
year together.
By marshalling our forces
and putting in an extra effort to increase our spiritual involvement during
this month, we can close out this year as a success. One way to do that is to
make this month a mini-Rosh Hashana by incorporating its three major themes:
Kingship, Remembrance, and Shofrot.
Kingship speaks of the
idea that God runs the world and all that transpires in it. One way we can make
this real is to write down every day one time you saw God acting on your behalf.
It can be making an unnaturally long string of green lights when you were late
for work. It can be how that person you were just thinking about calling popped
into your office. Your baby might have tripped and fallen, but luckily a couch
pillow was right there to cushion the fall. If we look for God's interactions
with this world we will find them everywhere.
Remembrances talks about
how God remembers all of our actions and cares about everything we do.
Unfortunately, we are often the ones who don't care about what we do. During
the month of Elul we can try to spend five minutes each night contemplating the
past day. What mistakes did we make and how can we avoid them? What things did
we do that were just right and we need to ensure that we will continue doing
them? When we do this exercise, we start realizing just how important and
valuable our actions are.
Shofrot deals with the blowing of the
shofar and the unique relationship it signifies between God and the Jewish
people. Throughout the month of Elul, the shofar is blown in the synagogue
every morning. Spend a short time each day thinking about your relationship
with God and about the changes we want to make before Rosh Hashana.
Let's seize the moment,
and soar.
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Alumni Profile
Adeena (Schonblach) and Marc Penner
Hakadosh Baruch Hu always has a plan. Sometimes, we are
fortunate enough to look at our lives and actually understand and appreciate
some of it.
We both started working as HASC counselors when we were 17
years old and remained counselors for three summers before becoming part of the
head staff. We were ECP division head and camp rabbi (we will leave it to you
to figure out who filled which position).
During our summers as counselors we learned many valuable
life lessons. We learned to appreciate the smallest of achievements, to give
without expecting anything in return (though, of course, all HASC counselors
get back much more than they could possibly give) and that a sense of humor is crucial
for getting through life's challenging situations. We overcame our fears and
discomfort about disabilities and looked at HASC as a place of great joy and
accomplishment.
In the summer that we transitioned to head staff, we learned
that we were also in camp
HASC to meet our bashert.
It's a good thing that the head table is co-ed.
After getting married and having four children in four short
years, we decided that it was time to return to camp. We returned as
occupational therapist and camp rabbi for the following four summers (again -
you figure out who filled which position). HASC was heaven for our children.
They loved everything about it: the campers, the other staff kids, the
counselors, the concerts and especially the frog hunting.
And then the unexpected happened. Our two-year-old, Matis,
began to display autistic tendencies. Shortly thereafter came the diagnosis of
autism. When it came time to explain this to our other children, it wasn't
really all that difficult. They already knew and loved many other children just
like him. When it came time to get Matis help we knew so many people to turn
to. And as we wondered for our son's future we could draw upon all of the
wonderful times we had seen in HASC.
Just before Matis' birth we had an opportunity to move to California to lead a
young Jewish community. For a variety of reasons, we stayed in the New York area and settled in Holliswood, Queens. Little did we know how important it would be for
us to remain amongst family and our network of connections. Little did we know
how important those coming summers would be in Camp HASC.
And little did we know that the Young Israel of Holliswood would have turned
out to be the incredible extended family they have turned out to be.
Matis is now 13 years old and has just finished his second
summer as a camper in HASC. These seven weeks are a most appreciated respite
for us and our family and an absolutely fantastic experience for Matis. It is,
without question, the best and most enjoyable weeks of his entire year.
Who knew when we were seventeen years old what Hakadosh
Baruch Hu had in store for us. He prepared us well and we are so deeply
grateful. Hakadosh Baruch Hu always has a plan.
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HASC
Alumni Association
~Maaser
Campaign~
The memories that
are made each summer are enhanced through the generous support of the many
friends of HASC. With the Maaser campaign, we invite all staff, alumni and
friends of HASC to remember the beautiful memories that are created for every
camper each summer.
HASC Maaser Campaign
For more information on the Maaser
Campaign, please contact Grant Silverstein, at
(718) 686-5920 or by e-mail at grant.silverstein@hasc.net
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HASC
Makes A World Of Difference
_____________________________________________________________
Is Proud To Present
Feeding Therapy -
A sensory-motor approach
This is a step by step approach to teach your most
challenging clients tolerance of touch, enabling them to learn to eat and
develop appropriate oral-motor movements.
It will feature a combination of promoting acceptance of touch for
therapeutic feeding and oral stimulation and movement as well as hands-on learning
of techniques for spoon feeding, straw drinking and chewing solid foods. You will leave this workshop with feeding
techniques you can use with confidence the next day.
Presented by:
Lori
Overland, ms, ccc-slp
Acclaimed speaker and presenter
Lori is a member of the ITI speakers bureau who deals
with the unique needs of infants, toddlers, pre-schoolers and school age
children, incorporating oral-motor techniques into feeding and speech therapy
This conference is directed to Speech and Language
Pathologists, Occupational and Physical Therapists, Special Education Teachers
and Early Interventionists
Sunday, November 1,
2009
8:45 am - 4:00 pm
MERKAZ HASIMCHA
1898 Bay Avenue, (Btwn Avenues M
& N) Brooklyn 11230
Coffee/drinks and
light lunch will be served
Rate: $180.00 Credit cards accepted
HASC employees may register at a special rate
To register please call: 718-686-5901
Or via email: hascconference@ hasc.net
This couse if offered for .6 ASHA CEUs as
well as .6 AOTA CEUs
Executive Office: 5902 14th Avenue, Brooklyn,
NY 11219
Phone: 718-686-5900
Boro Park Preschool: 1311
55th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11219
Phone: 718-851-6100
Boro Park School Age Program: 6220 14th Avenue,
Brooklyn, NY 11219 Phone; 718-331-1624
Remsen Preschool & School Age Program: 555 Remsen Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11236 Phone: 718-495-3510
Woodmere Preschool & School Age Program: 321 Woodmere Blvd. Woodmere,
NY 11598
Phone: 516-295-1340
Monsey Preschool Program: 465 Viola Road, Spring Valley,
NY 10977 Phone: 845-356-0191
Camp HASC: 361
Parksville Rd., Parksville Rd. 12768 Phone: 845-292-6821
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Half day Special Ed Teacher
Special Ed Teacher needed for PM (11:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.) early intervention
center-based class in Boro Park.
Must possess NYS special education
certification Birth - Grade 2. Experience a plus.
Email your resume to
jobs55@hasc.net or contact Julie Ben-Zvi 718-851-6100, ext 5806
Substitute TAs
Substitute Teacher Assistants needed to work in our Boro Park preschool.
8:30 - 3:00 daily, Fridays until 2:00 p.m.
Must be a high school graduate. Daily
positions available.
Email your resume to
jobs55@hasc.net or contact Julie Ben-Zvi 718-851-6100, ext 5806
Off Site Services Providers
Home-based Service Providers needed. NYS certified, DOH approved PT, OT, SP,
Special Education Teachers to provide home-based services for children birth
- 3 years old (EI) and ages 3-5 (SEIT and related services) in all areas of
Brooklyn.
Bilingual (Hebrew, Russian) a plus.
Email your resume to
jobshb@hasc.net or contact
Lynn
Gordon at 718-851-6100, ext 5829
Service Coordinator
Early Intervention Service Coordinator needed to service children ages
birth-5 in Brooklyn and Staten Island. Responsibilities include working with
children and their families, liaison with therapists and assisting with
accessing support services. Birth-5 experience a must. College a plus.
Email your resume to
jobshb@hasc.net or contact
Lynn
Gordon at 718-851-6100, ext 5829
School Psychologist - Part-Time
Part-time School Psychologist needed for our Special Ed preschool/school-age
population in Woodmere. Ideal candidate will have experience with CPSE,
psychological evaluations, FBA/BIP. Preschool experience preferred. NYS
certification required.
Email your resume to
jobswd@hasc.net or fax it to
516-295-1180
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 On behalf of the entire administration we would like to wish a special Mazel Tov to :
Ariella Silver ('04-'06) on her marriage to Zach
Kornhauser
Leiku Perles ('07) on her engagement to Daniel
Schneider!
Alison Silver ('06-'08) on her marriage to Eli
Snyder!
Robyn Fenster ('04-'06) on her marriage to David
Rackman!
Miriam Apsan ('04-'08) on her engagement to Joshua Schulman!
Chani Weinstein ('04,'05,'06) on her engagement to Eli Rudner!
Yael (Gamss- Nurse '07,'08) and Tzachi Rosman on the birth of a
girl!
Mordy Shapiro ('08) on his engagement to Raquel Genoun!
Duvie Shapiro ('06, '07) on his engagement to Chanie Fenster!
Shoshi Butler
('03-'04) and Ira Karroll on the birth of a baby boy! Mazel tov to the rest of
the Butler
family!
Itiya Brand ('05) and Brian Khunovich ('03, '04) on their
marriage!
Lisa (Cooperberg '05) and Daniel Kuflik ('05) on the birth of a
girl!
Zipporah (Fisch '04-'06) and Michael Neuman on the birth of a baby
girl!
Ash Cohn ('08) on his marriage to Aliza Avrech!
May we continue to share simchas together!
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HASCAlumAffairs
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SaMeaCH
A Camp HASC Weekly Dvar Torah L'Ilui Nishmas
Shmuel Menachem Chaim Ben Daniel V'Shoshana A"H -
Stevie Newman
Parshas Ki Savo - BIG Think
In this week's
Parsha, Bnei Yisrael is given the mitzvah of Bikkurim. Once they are dwelling
in Eretz Canaan, Klal Yisrael is instructed to give the first of their fruits
to Hashem.
The very first Rashi in the Torah,
on the word "Bereishis," says something that sounds very peculiar. It says the
whole purpose of creation and the whole purpose of the entire world is for
Bikkurim. What in the world does that mean?! The world was created so that Bnei
Yisrael could give the first of their fruits to Hashem? It doesn't sound right,
does it? Chazal explain that Rashi is referring to the importance of Hakaros
HaTov, and that is precisely what the Bikkurim represent. Expressing hakaros
hatov is an integral part of our daily lives, as we must remember that
everything we have is purely a bracha and a gift from Hashem. Pashut, Hashem
does not need our bikkurim, just as He does not need our Tefillos, or at least
not nearly as much as we need them. Hashem created the world for us and for the
Torah, so it is our duty to demonstrate our gratitude for that. Therefore,
Rashi's words ring true. Expressing our gratitude, not just to Hashem but also
to anyone who has done good for us, is "the purpose of the entire world."
Upon bringing the Bikkurim to the
Kohen, the person would declare "An Aramean would have destroyed my father, and
he descended to Egypt
and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation- great,
strong, and numerous. The Egyptians mistreated us and afflicted us, and placed
hard work upon us...Hashem took us out of Egypt with a strong hand and with an
outstretched arm, with great awesomeness, and with signs and with wonders...And
now, behold! I have brought the first fruit of the ground that You have given
me, Hashem!" Why, upon bringing the bikkurim, are we recounting Sipur
Mitzraim!? Doesn't it seem a little out of place to be talking about our slavery
when now we are free in our Land?
My stepbrother, Rabbi Marc Penner,
Shlita, offered a beautiful answer to this question at my Vort this past
Sunday. As already explained, we brought the first of the fruits as a way of
thanking Hashem. By giving over our first fruits, we are showing that we are
grateful for the produce that Hashem blessed us with. At a time where we are
expressing our thanks to Hashem, we might as well take advantage of the
opportunity and think big. In reality, the bikkurim represent our Hakaros
Hatov, but is that really all we are coming to thank Hashem for? There is so
much more to be thankful for than for just some fruit. So at a time when we are
in "thanking mode," we begin to recount all the incredible things that Hashem
had done for us in the past. I believe this is extremely important. When you
find yourself thinking about something you are grateful for, take that moment
to start thinking about all the other wonderful things you are thankful for
that you had forgotten about or have taken for granted. When you thank, thank
big.
Elul is a time of
self-introspection. During this time of reflection, we may at times find
ourselves thinking how Hashem has done so much for us, and we have not done
enough in return. It is in those moments that we can begin to recount all the
hakaros hatov we have towards Hashem, our parents, etc., and use those feelings
of gratitude towards bettering ourselves. The more we feel grateful towards
someone, the easier it becomes to respect them and honor them. May we be zoche
to not only be blessed with an abundance of bracha for the upcoming year, but
we should also be zoche to always remember where that bracha comes from.
HAVE AN UPLIFTING AND
JOYOUS SHABBOS!!!(Suggestions?
Comments? Interested in writing for SaMeaCH? Please feel free to contact Aaron
Fleksher at aaronflek@gmail.com)
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