Therapeutic room is memorial to teen
New Jersey Jewish Standard

By: Abigail Klein Leichman
Steven Newman was just 17 1/2 when he died unexpectedly in his sleep last summer at Camp HASC, the Catskill Mountains summer program of the Hebrew Academy for Special Children. The disabled Teaneck resident had been a HASC camper for nine years
His parents, Susan and Danny, and brother D.J., 16, went to the camp July 5 to dedicate the Steven Newman Musical & Sensory Program
Susan Newman said they had visited Steven the morning before his death. "He went to an Uncle Moishy concert at camp that night and had a great time, and then he went to sleep and didn’t wake up," she added...

A Special Summer
Advance for Nurses- February 09

By: Avital Rosenbaum RN, Nisa Davidovics RN and Ricky Lieberman RN
As their first job out of school, nurses get a sweet taste of the profession at Camp HASC, Parksville, NY
Most students assume their first RN job after graduation will be in a hospital, probably on a med/surg floor, working three 12-hour marathons a week, and of course, on the night shift. Towards the end of our last semester in nursing school, we were offered our first job as nurses for 300 campers with special needs in a summer program called Camp HASC in Parksville NY...

A World Called HASC
Pillars of the Jewish World- Mishpacha Elul 5768 Supplement

By: Malky Lowinger
Yechiel was born normal and healthy, and matured beautifully. When he was eighteen months old, something began nagging at Yechiel’s mother. His speech was slightly delayed, and he was a bit restless. It was not a major concern, but it bothered her enough to get her son evaluated.
Yechiel’s evaluation indicated that he would benefi t from Early Intervention. If therapists would work with him a few times a week, chances were good that he would progress well and eventually catch up with his peers. Therapists began working with him in his home several times a week. When Yechiel turned three and was no longer eligible for Early Intervention services, Yechiel’s mother enrolled him in HASC’s pre-school, Gan Ezra...

Letter from the Rosh HaYeshiva, HaRav Aharon Bina, Shlit"a

Menachem Av 5768

Recently, I received a call from one of the alumni. He said, "Rav Bina, I want to thank you for spending a week with us at Camp HASC." Surprised by the phone call, I asked why my presence was so important to him. He explained that "while we work very hard here, literally 24/7, the campers, for the most part, are unable to thank us. Your words of appreciation gave us tremendous chizuk, not to mention the great amount of time you spent speaking with so many of us...

Camp HASC: A World of Chesed
Shining Rays of Light- Mispacha Elul 5767 Supplement

By: Rochel Weinstein
When Mountaindale, in upstate New York, was my home for more than a decade, the summer tourist explosion usually meant waiting a bit longer in lines and searching harder for parking spaces. I remember the general feeling of appreciation towards the entrepreneurs who establish restaurants and other conveniences that don’t normally exist in the area during the rest of the year.
But beyond the annual hustle and bustle, however, there is an entirely different dimension of purpose in the area in the form of summer camps. These oases of fun and friendship offer children (and adults) the opportunity to spend July and August...

A Special Camp for Special Kids -With Dovid and Nati

By: Seffie- Binah Magazine

“Mitzvah gedolah lihiyos besimchah, lihiyos besimchah …
Hi, Nati! I hope this won’t take too long. I don’t like depressing places.”
“Hi, Dovid! Camp HASC is one of the happiest places I know, and the staff psychologist, Dr. Pollak, is always cheerful. I know, ‘cause she’s Aunt Shaina’s friend. Why did you think it would be depressing?”
“Um, well, you know … All those kids in wheelchairs and with other disabilities. How could anyone be happy? Everyone there probably cries all day.”
“I’m really glad you’re coming, Dovid. You’re in for a surprise – and a happy surprise, at that!”...

Giving Special Needs Children a Summer of their own

By: Yakov- Spirit Magazine

Anyone who has done it knows that caring for a special needs child is more than a full time job. Whether you are that child’s parent or care-giver, a volunteer, family member or professional, tending to that child’s wants and needs is a responsibility like no other, both demanding and rewarding in ways that are often difficult to fully describe to someone who has never attempted it...