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HASC Alumni Bulletin, November 2009 |
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 Greetings!
Cheshvan is an awesome month, for in it G-d has given us
the opportunity to truly shine!
Between the end of summer, the start of school and of course
the month of Tishrei, the past few weeks have
been extraordinarily busy. There has been so much packed into the past month of
Tishrei that one can feel as though time just flew by. A Sunday is truly a Sunday again!
During the month we welcome in the new year, focus on judgment intense repentance
during the 10 Days of Awe and Yom Kippur, and
climaxed with equally intense joy during Shmini
Atzeret and Simchat Torah. Within a
month, we fasted, we prayed, built a Sukkah,
waved the Four Species, had countless guests
and practically lived in the synagogue.
And now we are in the Hebrew month of Cheshvan
(also known as Mar Cheshvan). The reason the month is also called Mar Cheshvan
is because we are disappointed by the lack of holidays found within this month.
Many may mistakenly think that because Cheshvan has no holidays it is somehow
less important than its predecessor. In fact, nothing can be further from the
truth.
While Tishrei is the time for charging our spiritual
batteries, Cheshvan is the time to express that energy. After a wonderful end
to the month of Tishrei with the successful Simchaton, the Alumni Office of HASC
entered Cheshvan with full force with the planning of many exciting events and
new programs.
The HASC Red Carpet Premiere is just around the corner on
Wednesday, November 11th. A wonderful committee of former alumni and
young leadership of HASC have been working tirelessly in creating an event which
promises to be a wonderful evening benefiting camp. All are welcome to register to join us: https://www.hasc.net/redcarpet.php
Save-the-Date!!! The HASC 23RD Annual "A Time for
Music" concert will be held on Sunday, January 10TH at Avery Fisher
Hall-Lincoln Square Center. Special alumni promotions will be announced shortly.
The alumni committee is planning fun and exciting programs
to take place during Channukah and Purim time in various communities.
Please don't forget about the HASC Maaser Campaign. We have
had a wonderful response to it so far. We thank everyone who has participated
in the campaign for your support and participation.
It is also with great excitement that I share with you a new
partnership between HASC and the online store, Kosher.com. You will find
detailed information located in this bulletin. We thank the management of
Kosher.com for supporting the wonderful work of HASC.
As always, if you would like to get involved with HASC
either as an alumni or young professional, please feel free to contact me by
phone at (718) 686-5920 or by email at grant.silverstein@hasc.net.
Wishing you an easy and restful Cheshvan!
Be in touch...
Grant
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REGISTER TODAY! REGISTER TODAY!! REGISTER TODAY!!!
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Simchaton 2009 - a Word from One of Our Campers
My name
is Yaffa. I am one of the campers who attended HASC's annual Simchaton event in
Kutsher's Country Club in Monticello
this past Simchas Torah. It was my fourth  time attending the weekend, a cross
between a camp reunion and a well-needed respite from our families (did you
think it was the other way around?), and some quality time with out counselors.
No participant of the weekend was allowed to even THINK of staying in his/her
wheelchair/stroller, dancing was MANDATORY.
This
year's coordinators were my counselor Talia Hershkowitz along with Yudit Gluck, Jeffrey Goldgrab and Liz Sinnreich.
Simchaton
this year was a true success. People came upstate (we were almost near camp!)
by car or van like me, but most came on the three huge Pocono Express buses
that left from Monsey and Brooklyn Friday afternoon. I hear people even flew in
from Israel, England, Canada
and across the U.S.!
Upon arrival, the best kind of chaos erupted- everyone was hugging, saying
hello, running around, chasing their campers (if we let you catch us, what
would challenge you to come back next summer?), eating lunch, unpacking, and
getting all ready for YomTov. Davening was really nice, the food at dinner was
great, and finally after an exhausting day of travel, greeting friends and
accepting compliments on my brand new razzleberry-purple wheelchair, I was
ready to go to sleep. Counselors busily reminded themselves about nighttime
medications, bedtime routines, and of course, the ever important OD schedules,
so they could go downstairs, hock, and eat the really good nosh (knowing Talia,
she ate all of the chocolate).
The
highlights of Shmini Atzeres were the good-bye to the sukkah Kiddush, the HASC
Bingo game with Rayzel and Ronn Yaish and of course a shiur by Effie Richmond.
On Simchat
Torah night and morning we had crazy hakafot that caught even the attention and
admiration of the other hotel guests. Because in HASC, when we have
shtick, we go crazy, and when we sing, we sing loud, and when we dance...well,
you've been to the camp's gym during a concert, haven't you? Daytime brought
another creative gamecalled "HASCopoly with Rayzel and Ronn", in
which the campers moved around a life-size monopoly board and visited
properties such as Isolation! (its okay, in the summer you don't really want to
go there, but on Simchaton, it was just pretend), shiurim with Rabbi and
Melissa Schenker, and then of course, with a quickness that sneaked up on all
of us, came the end of the chag. We packed up quickly, and got onto our buses,
vans and cars once again, with lost voices, fantastic memories, renewed and
strengthened relationships with our fellow campers and counselors. Aside from
the highlights I shared with you, there were birthdays, including of course,
Avi Sacks' and Meir Silberberg's Bar-Mitzva, zmirot, snack and meals nearly
every hour on the hour, and loads of good hock that you just had to be there
for. Maybe you should, next year. I know people- I can help you get in.
With much gratitude to our parents, who let us
spend YomTov with our other family, Shmiel and Devora Kahn, Avi and Alyssa
Sacks, Dr. and Camp Mommy Silberberg, Rabbi and Melissa Schenker, Ronn and Rayzel Yaish, the Simchaton Coordinators, and
everyone who volunteered, came and otherwise made Simchaton amazing, I hope to
see you again next year, at Simchaton 5771 in Yerushalayim!
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Alumni Profile
Rabbi Shimon & Melissa Shenker 
If
you saw two little boys playing baseball together with the help of another
young man, most of us wouldn't look twice. However, in Camp HASC
on an average day there is something unique about this game. In this game
you would see a young Moshe Schenker playing and teaching baseball with the
help of a counselor to a few campers with Down Syndrome who have never really
played baseball before. Last summer, our daughter Leah Ahuvah along with
the other staff girls her age spent their "down" time after camp as
assistant teachers in the HASC preschool class. These are but two of the
many reasons our family has spent the last seven years in Camp HASC.
People always ask us, how can you still go back to Camp HASC
after so many years? And we always respond with the same response (first we
look at them in bewilderment that they could ask us such a question and then we
respond simply), "It is the most amazing place in the world and we all
walk out of the summer better people". We grow from working with the
campers, as well as working with the amazing staff that give their lives to
their fellow human beings. For us it is not just another summer job like
many other Rabbeim get for the summer, for us it is a year long event.
Everytime we have a birthday we sing "Today we have a birthday..." ,
when I got to shul my boys sing "M-I-N-C-H-A T-I-M-E...", and I don't
think we could ever go back to Simchas Torah in a "regular" shul
again, but most importantly my family gets to experience and be surrounded by
kedusha and chessed during the summer that could never be duplicated anywhere
else on earth.
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Thank You To all those who have participated so far!!!
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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Kosher.com is the World's Largest Online Kosher Supermarket! Featuring more
than 15,000 strictly kosher products, they offer Free Next Day Delivery by
refrigerated truck to a growing number of tri-state neighborhoods, and FedEx
shipping nationwide.
And now, you can support HASC with every order you place, and get
20% off your first order! To learn more about this great opportunity, visit Kosher.com & HASC, call us at 1-866-KOSHER-9 or
send us an email to info@kosher.com.
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Special Ed Teacher with preschool experience preferred. Appropriate NYS certification required.
Competitive salary and benefits. Send resume with salary requirements to
location of your choice:
For more information, please contact:
Brooklyn: jobsrem@hasc.net
or fax to 718-495-0012
Woodmere:
jobswd@hasc.net or fax to: 516-295-1180.
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 On behalf of the entire administration we would like to wish a special Mazel Tov to :
Elana Goldmintz ('02,'03,'04) on her engagement to Jonathan Gotfried!
Aliza (Strassman, '03, '04,'05) and Yaacov Apfelbaum on the birth of a daughter!
Jessica Roffel ('07,'08) on her engagement to Reuven Lebovitz!
Dani Kolat ('07,'08) and Sarah Deneroff on their engagement!
Avi Stern ('06) and Huvie Jacobsohn on their engagement!
Darren Levin ('01, '02) and Avital Nyer on their engagement!
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May we continue to share simchas together! ********************************************************************* Boruch Dayan Emes
It is with a broken heart that we regret to inform you the passing of the Father of camper Zeesy (Margolite) Geiger.
The family will be sitting Shiva at their home until this Monday, November 2nd:
1019 47th Street
Brooklyn, NY
If you would like to visit or help the family while they are sitting shiva, please call: (718) 972-5443
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You can now follow HASC Alumni Affairs on Twitter...
HASCAlumAffairs
&
The Official Camp HASC Group
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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 Lech Lecha- Lifestyles of the
Rich and Famous
With
great power comes great responsibility. This motto can certainly be applied to
monetary wealth, a very powerful and useful, yet dangerous asset. We all know
that money doesn't buy happiness. The more vast riches that one amasses, the
more burdensome it becomes upon him.
In
this week's Parsha, Avram Avinu, in his unyielding and nonpareil Emunah in
HaKadosh Baruch Hu, leaves his homeland according to Hashem's instructions to
travel to an unknown destination. He proceeds to travel to Canaan, but then
descends to sojourn in Egypt,
as there is a famine in Canaan. Avram goes
down to Mitzraim a poor man, but when he leaves Mitzraim, he comes out with an
abundance of wealth, as the pasuk states (13:2) "V'Avram Kaved M'od Ba'miknei
Ba'kesef U'VaZahav"- "Now Avram was very heavy with livestock, silver, and
gold." The pasuk uses a very strikingly unique and unusual lashon, wording, of "Kaved"- heavy. Seemingly, there are many words
that would seem to fit the context better!? Perhaps "Avram was very abundant in
his livestock..." but how are we supposed to understand the wording of "heavy"?
When was the last time you heard someone say, "Man, Flek's wallet is really heavy
with money" (Haha, I wish) or "Donald Trump's bank account is very heavy"?
It doesn't seem to make sense! What is the Torah trying to tell us here?
I
was thinking about this for a while when I came across the pasuk earlier in the
week, and in my humble opinion, I think the answer can be explained as follows:
As I alluded to in the first paragraph, wealth is a heavy burden. The more
materialism a person has, the more he has to worry about, because the more he
has, the more he has to lose. This is especially applicable to our lives today,
with the economy and stock market crises going on. The person who up until now
has lived a very simple and humble life can certainly sleep much more soundly
at night than the person who invested billions in the stock market. For that
reason it is a burden. But allow me to mention another reason why wealth is a
burden, and a heavy one, at that. The problem is that people who revolve
their lives around materialism are always looking at what others have. They are
always comparing their car to their friend's car. If they have the nicest car
on the block, they are happy. But when the Smith's from next door come home one
day with an even more luxurious car, their car is no longer good enough. A
humongous mansion all of sudden looks like a tiny shack in the eyes of its
owner when his best friend buys a brand new summer home in the Caribbean. When
people base their happiness in relative to other people, they will never be
happy. They will never be satisfied. This is the heavy burden of wealth-
to overcome the difficult temptation of being "sucked in"! I always hear
stories of people who say that they only want a lot of money in order to live
comfortably, or to be able to learn more, etc. Unfortunately, all these stories
usually have the same ending- these people make it big, either in the stock
market, or in the lottery, and they get caught up in the gashmius. Originally, their goal was to make 10 million dollars,
and then retire. And when they reached that milestone, they decided that they
really needed 15 million so that they could afford a new boat, and then they
would stop. And it never ends. Before they know it, they have spent their
entire lives amassing more and more STUFF and have totally lost focus on why
they wanted to earn all that money in the first place. The more hours of
learning they wanted to put in? Never happened. All the various charitable
organizations they wanted to donate to? Still waiting for a check. That is the
danger, the heavy burden, of wealth.
So
now let us return back to our Parsha. What does it mean when the pasuk says
"V'Avram Kaved M'od Ba'miknei
Ba'kesef U'VaZahav"- "Now Avram was very heavy
with livestock, silver, and gold"? It means that Avram was heavy with the
burdensome task of dealing with his newly acquired wealth properly! Avram, just
like anyone else, was at risk of allowing the money get to his head. That was
the heavy burden that he had to overcome. We see in the very next pasuk that
Avram did in fact, overcome this challenge. The pasuk states (13:3) "Vayeilech
L'Masa'av"- "He (Avram) proceeded on his journeys". Rashi comments ever so
beautifully on this pasuk that when Avram returned from Mitzraim to Canaan, he went and lodged by the same inns and motels
that he stayed at on his way down to Mitzraim.
This teaches us a lesson in derech
eretz, that one should be consistent with staying in the same inns during
his travels, and not change places. My Rebbe, Rav Shmuelewitz, Shlita, asks a
very simple question on Rashi- what does staying in the same motels have
anything to do with derech eretz? The
answer that he gave, quoting his uncle, the great Masgiach of the Mirrer
Yeshiva Rav Chaim Shmuelewitz, Zt"l, is that the derech eretz was that Avram stayed true to himself. He didn't let
the money get to his head. On his way down to Egypt, Avram had no money and
therefore had to ask the innkeepers to let him stay there for free, and that he
would repay them on the way back. Avram was poor at that point! Surely he was
not residing in any fancy hotel. He lodged in simple places, places that were
substantial for him. When Avram left Mitzraim, he was a rich man. He had the
option of staying at the Waldorf Astoria or the Ritz Carlton! But we see that
Avram returned to the same, simple, Motel 6 and Days Inn places. Not because he
couldn't afford it. But because Avram didn't let the wealth get to his head.
The Motel 6 was enough for him before, why shouldn't it be enough for him now?
That is the lesson in derech eretz
that Avram Avinu teaches us. Do not let money change who you are! You are the
one controlling your money, not the other way around. I heard a wonderful story
that illustrates this point: There was once a Shtetel where they had a big lottery once a year. The man in charge
of selling the tickets, Berel, approached a pious and humble man named Reb
Yankel to sell him a ticket. "I am sorry", said Yankel, "but I cannot afford to
buy a ticket". "No problem!" said Berel. "I will make you a deal- since you do
not have the money to pay for the ticket up front, I will allow you to pay me
in small, weekly increments. By the time the lottery drawing comes, you will
have paid for your ticket in full!" Reb Yankel graciously accepted the offer.
Months later, the lottery was drawn, and sure enough, Reb Yankel won! Berel was
so excited to tell Reb Yankel the good news that he walked all the way across
town in the freezing winter in the middle of the night, just to tell him the
good news. Berel started knocking on his door. "Reb Yankel wake up! I have good
news!" Berel knocked again and again. Finally, Reb Yankel opened up the door
with a very irritated look on his face. "Berel, what in the world are you
waking me up for that's so important?!" Berel replied "Reb Yankel I have good
news. You won the lottery! You are a millionaire!" Reb Yankel frowned at Berel
and said "And you have the CHUTZPAH to come knocking on the door of an
important millionaire in the middle of the night!?" A cute story, but it gets
the point across. Don't let money change who you are. Don't let it get to your
head.
Hashem
provides us with what we need. How we choose to spend what He gives us is up to
us. We must do our best not to abuse it. It is a challenge, but Avram Avinu shows
us that it is one that is possible to overcome. The trick is to remind
ourselves how satisfied we were before the wealth came along. Ironically, the
more wealth one has, the less one is satisfied. Ideally, it should be the other
way around.
In
regards to the economy crisis, those that are more anxious and stressed than
others are those who base their happiness on how big their bank accounts are.
Their money created stress and burden way before any economic problem occurred.
But those that strive to base their happiness on spiritual means, on Ruchnius, and on their relationship with
Hashem, tend not to worry as much. Their internal simcha is built on a strong,
unfailing foundation. Nothing can compare to emesdik simcha. My Masgiach, Rav
Bamberger, Shlita, told me that an old chavrusa of his recently purchased a
very expensive convertible. However, the chavrusa told Rav Bamberger that "as geshmak as it is to drive this car, it
does not even come close to the geshmak
of learning P'nei Yehoshua!" On the other
hand, those who base happiness on money are in a sense relying on a structure
that is resting on a shifting foundation. I recently read an interesting
article that stated "I always found it ironic to call those financial vehicles-
which are inherently temporal and fraught with risk- with the name...
"securities." How can we expect to find security in transient things such as
material and money? "The rule is that
anything that brings you anxiety can never relieve your anxiety." This
line, in a nutshell, sums up the lesson of this week's Parsha. Of course with
wealth comes anxiety. That is the burden. That is the meaning of "Kaved M'od".
Having
money is certainly important. Being concerned with what is happening to our
savings is a very crucial apprehension. However, in the end of the day, it is
important that I remind myself that Hashem is in charge. Ain Od Milvado! Hashem will provide for me exactly what I need. The
important thing to remember is that whatever money Hashem does bless us with,
we must not make it a burden upon ourselves. We must strive to emulate the ways
of Avram Avinu, and use the money properly and wisely, and not let it change
who we are. What happens to the economy is pretty much out of our hands. But
there is no need to fear. Because the economy is in great hands. Hands much
safer and much more reliable than ours. It is in the hands of our Father in
Heaven!
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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