No Rain Is This Camp’s Blessing

By Rena Zingmond Gray, Chabad.org

Rabbi Shlomo and Aliza Menkes—Chabad-Lubavitch Shluchim in S. Monica, and founders of the camp—couldn’t be happier with the new location of Gan Yisroel West in North Fork, California.

Situated at the geographical midpoint of California, it’s about equidistant from the state’s two major cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles.

“It’s a beautiful, beautiful place,” the rabbi says about the camp’s location which boasts waterfront access to Manzanita Lake and some 95-plus acres of lush scenery, including two magnificent Sequoia trees.

“We’re close to an area that sees about 1.5 to 2 million tourists a year because we’re near Yosemite,” notes the rabbi—one of the most popular U.S. national parks in the country.

Aliza Menkes says the location works in their favor. “I believe that when you don’t have rain on a regular basis, it makes a difference,” she says. Many camps in the country have to compete with inconvenient summer weather—rain and storms, and even extreme heat—relegating activities to the indoors.

The lake affords numerous opportunities for sports and entertainment, including fishing, kayaking, and of course, swimming, complete with a new rope swing that lands campers in the water with a splash.

Speaking of water, the camp had an experience around the search for a self-sustaining water source.

After drilling for an expensive number of hours, the couple was faced with the decision to continue or quit. That day, which just so happened to be the anniversary of the Rebbe‘s birth on the 11th of Nissan, Rabbi Menkes offered up a prayer for success in his venture.

About a half-hour later, they discovered enough water to supply the camp with what it needs—and then some. “I really, truly believe that we were directed to this location for a reason,” attests the rabbi, “and we are taking full advantage of that and hope to continue to grow.

On the ground, there’s Frisbee golf, a climbing wall, an archery range, fire pits, an outdoor amphitheater and plenty of hiking trails. There are animals, too: two each of free-range goats and alpacas, as well as a stable full of horses.

Their first summer at the newly acquired grounds—dubbed the Siderman Family Camp & Conference Center, dedicated by Carlos Siderman, president of Property ID Corporation— had 26 girls in the first session and 46 boys in the second.

This year, the girls’ session is sold out (at their maximum capacity of 52), with the boys’ numbers close behind. With eager children on the waiting list, the Menkes hope that their additional accommodations for 70 campers will be completed on time for the start of camp.

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