Coming off an incredible 2017 inaugural summer, Shoresh Sports Camp Director Rabbi Gary Beitler excitedly announced new initiatives for the coming summer—a brand new campus in Hawley, PA, a new Shoresh Kollel program providing high school talmidim the opportunity for inspirational learning and great athletics, as well as an affiliated day camp based out of the Teaneck Jewish Center and led by Rabbi Avi Epstein.
Shoresh is a unique boys camp that seeks to provide a summer of growth for its campers—growth in their middos and Torah learning, as well as in their athletic skills on the court and field. To do this, Rabbi Beitler, an acclaimed mechanech and longtime maggid shiur and director of athletics at MTA, has put together an incredible staff that serves as role models to the campers in all areas. For 2018, Rabbi Yosef Sonnenschein will serve as morah d’asra, Rabbi Shmuli Pollack as assistant director, Tzviki Liff as head counselor and Naftali Fagan as assistant head counselor. Additionally, former NCAA Division I and Israeli Basketball League star Zack Rosen serves as director of athletics. Rosen, who retired after last season, spends the academic year studying in yeshiva in Israel.
“The relaxed atmosphere of the camp setting provides us with the opportunity to really make an impact on each of our campers’ lives,” noted Rabbi Beitler. “Shoresh campers are provided with incredible Torah learning, true athletic skill building and an incredible summer of fun that includes weekly and monthly trips, catered food and more. This new campus allows us to expand and to provide the campers with an enhanced setting.”
The kollel, which will be housed on the Shoresh Sports campus in Hawley, PA, will provide a serious morning seder and features an impressive array of mechanchim on staff including Rabbi Aryeh Stechler, Rabbi Zev Senter, Rabbi Dovid Goldman and Rabbi Jonah Steinmetz. The kollel talmidim will enjoy athletic programming and activities in the afternoon and night seder most evenings. The kollel will also benefit from and leverage the many resources of Shoresh Sports Camp.
Rabbi Avi Epstein, who also serves as the program director for the sleepaway camp, will head up the affiliated Shoresh Day Camp based in Teaneck. The camp will utilize the facilities of both the Teaneck Jewish Center and neighboring Milton A. Votee Park and will leverage a variety of the sleepaway camp resources, including appearances by Zack Rosen. “Seeing how impactful the Shoresh experience was last summer, I’m excited to be able to provide younger boys in the New Jersey community who want to obtain the sleepaway experience, but are not yet ready or interested in going away for the summer,” said Epstein.
Shoresh will be hosting a Bergen County parlor meeting for the sleepaway, kollel and day camp at the Jacoby home on Sunday, December 3. The day camp will be discussed at 7:30 p.m., followed by the sleepaway and kollel camp at 8:15 p.m. To learn more and apply, visit shoreshsports.com.
