Camp Gan Israel Parksville New York

Camp Gan Israel Parksville New York offers swimming, outdoor water play, and daily aquatic activities, including boating on the lake with canoes, kayaks, and paddle boats. Campers take part in arts and crafts, wood working, and a wide range of sports such as soccer, basketball, baseball, football, and indoor and outdoor hockey, with sports leagues for each division. The program also includes field trips to amusement parks, water parks, bowling, ice skating, and bounce/trampoline venues, as well as challah baking, in-house entertainment like magic shows, a mentalist, a ventriloquist, acrobatics, concerts, stunt shows, and a nature program with a special survival activity focused on plants and building a shelter in the wilderness, along with daily learning classes in Chumash, Mishnayos, Halacha, Gemara, Tanya, Sichos, and an optional cacao club.

• Ages: 8–16 years old
• Schedule: Camp Dates for Summer 2026 - 5786: First Session June 23 – July 20; Second Session July 20 – August 17; Full Session June 23 – August 17

Camp Gan Israel Parksville New York describes itself as a pioneer in Jewish camping and a vibrant Jewish overnight camp with 360 campers and 160 staff members for two months. It was established at the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s behest, and it is geared for Jewish boys from all backgrounds. The Rebbe explained the advantage of overnight camp as allowing the child to thrive in a 24-hour environment of yiddishkeit, and he left New York City limits three times, each time to visit Camp Gan Israel in the Catskill Mountains. The camp states that for over sixty years it has been devoted to enriching the lives of children from diverse Jewish backgrounds and that it provides children with a meaningful summer that promotes individual growth through a special educational program together with a mix of sports, trips, and fun activities, allowing every child to build character and long-lasting friendships.

The camp’s grounds include many buildings, state-of-the-art sports fields, a Shul, dining rooms, bunk houses, and outdoor or indoor pools, and it notes a yearly investment in renovating facilities to enhance their charm and functionality. All aquatic activities are under the supervision of experienced and certified Red Cross lifeguards, and campers are required to take a swimming ability test in order to enter the deep water. Classes are tailored to accommodate every camper to their level and capability, and children are encouraged to learn Tanya and Mishnayos by heart. The camp is described as a dynamic community where friendships flourish and every day brings a new adventure.

The leadership team includes Executive Director Rabbi Avraham Shemtov and Camp Director Rabbi Yossie Futerfas, with head counselors Mordechai Sperlin (NY), Mendy Rochester (NY), and Dovy Wilhelm (NY). Additional leadership includes NOD Mendel Heber (NY), Learning Directors Yaakov Potash (CA) and Yisroel Jacobson (NY), BMD head staff Tzvi Shusterman (CA), Yossi Lipskier (AZ), and Mendel Feigenson (NY), and Mechanchim such as Rabbi Sholom Baras.

Parent, staff, camper, and grandparent testimonials describe Chassidishe values, new friendships, exciting activities, warmth of the staff, a sense of camaraderie among staff, and a focus on personal and spiritual growth in a “good frum way that the Rebbe is proud of.” One camper’s testimonial highlights sports, arts and crafts, learning classes, making friends from all over the states, learning about being a chassidishe bochur, and enjoying Color War, and a parent notes an emphasis on both fun and learning, with a strong focus on learning classes and a smile that lasts all year.

Last updated May 27, 2026.