Camp Bnos Ruach Chaim Celebrates Visiting Day By Cancelling It

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Camp Bnos Ruach Chaim was founded l’ilui nishmas R’ Chaim Perlstein z”l to provide Bais Yaakov girls with superior camping at an affordable price. Bnos Ruach Chaim is located in Livingston Manor, off exit 96 on Route 17. The tremendous hatzlocha the camp has seen is testament to the siyata diShmaya that it has been zoche to.

Yesterday, visiting day at Bnos Ruach Chaim was cancelled.

The camp director explained the reason to Matzav.com: “Although visiting day is typically a wonderful opportunity for us to shep nachas and meet our beautiful parent body in person, we are pleased to assist our parents in avoiding the hassle and expense of the trip to the mountains on the busiest day of the season.”

The truth is that times have changed since the days when children were sent to sleep-away camp at age 6 or 7 for eight weeks at a time. With limited to no communication home, it was understandably necessary for children to see their parents at some point during the camp season to keep them going.

In today’s day and age, when the typical camper is older and goes to camp for one month of the summer, with daily communication via phone, emails, and faxes, visiting day is no longer necessary.

The camp office said that the parents are extremely grateful: “The number of emails and phone calls we received to thank us for this wonderful breakthrough is overwhelming! Our parents appreciate the fact that they will be spared the obligatory trip up to camp, and have sent their daughters heartfelt messages, and, of course, their tips in the mail.”

The staff prepared a fun-filled, incredible program, complete with “mock visitors” and an elaborate buffet for their enjoyment. The smiling faces and upbeat atmosphere were a testament to the success of this latest trend in camping.

{Andy Heller – Matzav.com}


12 COMMENTS

  1. I’ve never heard of this camp. Why do you feel it’s necessary to give a free plug to this camp. Yes it took us more than 4 hours to get back from the Catskill’s. Yes, I had a problem with some of the taaruvos on the camp ground. But I was happy to see our son and I was happy to meet his councilor, a very fine Ben torah. I can’t promise I will go every year but nu nu, we’ll see. Live & let live.

  2. Yup, as a parent of a Ruach Chaim camper it was great not having to shlep to the mountains yesterday. (even if it was only from Monsey)

  3. My sentiments exactly (but with a TWIST)…Yes it took us more than 4 hours to get back from the Catskill’s. Yes, I had a problem with some of the taaruvos on the camp ground. Yes I was happy to see my son and I was happy to meet his counselor. But I would love to CANCEL visiting day. It is not like I can’t send him money and it is not like we don’t speak once or twice a week. But have RACHMONUS. ONE visiting day a summer would suffice. The next one is in middle of the 9 days…GEVALD not a time to make parents drive 200 miles. Someone please hear my plea!!

  4. As a parent of one of BRC`s Five Star Summer campers , I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.
    My daughter is having the time of her life !!!!!
    We do not go to the “country” for the summer and have always found the trip up for visiting day quite strenuous and superfluous.
    My kids enjoyed seeing me but they didn`t need me to be there other than the fact that other kids parents were coming.
    BRC has the Ruach that keeps the kids and parents excited throughout the year!
    In past years kids were sent to overnight camps at much younger ages perhaps it was needed but with unlimited long distance phone calls emails to our daughter letters and packages “visiting day” is unwarranted .
    Thank you BRC !

  5. As a BRC parent it was great visiting with my daughters yesterday. Being that most parents were afraid of the threatening email sent out last Thursday by the camp. Which essentially said “don’t you dare visit with your loved ones, and if you try, we will turn you away” (disgusting) There was room in the parking lot for us and the fifty sixty normal parents who had a very nice visit. It was a nice quiet serene atmosphere. I pity the parents who wanted to see their children, but followed the email like sheep.

  6. Wow!! Abreath of fresh air!!
    I commend Bnos Ruach Chaim for taking such a stand. I was just commenting yesterday that I hope all camps follow suit as I agree with the reason(s) camp decided to cancel visiting day. Yes, I was happy to see my son, and yes, I was very happy to meet his Rebbe, and counselor(s) but is it really necessary to waste a day and shlep in the traffic? It is probably better for my son NOT to see his parents and better for his character building to be able to go a month or even two without seeing his parents! There are many maalos in that. Of course there are those where it is important for parents to come see their children but let that be the minority and let parents visit if necessary. When you make an official visiting day and parents don’t come, that makes the child feel as though the parents don’t care….when you cancel visiting day it makes it easier on EVERYONE.

  7. If visiting your child is a shlep then your child is probably better off without seeing you. For the rest of us its a pleasureI. hope no other camp learns from them.

  8. Did anyone consider that maybe now the parents have no real way of knowing if their child is happy? Maybe the parents should be allowed the opportunity to speak to their child’s counselor/rebbe in to see if there are issues that need to be dealt with. How about if their child is perhaps being bullied or chad vshalom worse. Children tend not to open up on the phone (especially when around others). It’s not only about schlepping a few hours to see your child. Some food for thought

  9. If your child needs to see you on visiting day that child does not belong in overnight camp
    Camps based in the Midwest have proven visiting day is a holdover from when 90% of families went to the mountains for the summer children were in camp at a much younger age and collect calls were very expensive for those who would even entertain the idea.
    Kudos to BRC for taking camping to the 21st century

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