It was a beautiful, sunny day filled with Achdus and friendship as State Senator Simcha Felder, Councilman Kalman Yager & Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein arrived in Upstate New York for an inspiring visit to Camp HASC. Each of the respective elected officials are dear friends of HASC Center and it’s affiliate, Camp HASC in their own right, and together, are tireless advocates on behalf of individuals with special needs and their families.
The historic visit was coordinated by Mr. Abe Eisner, noted askan and president of the board at HASC Center. The representatives spent the day on an interactive tour led by Camp Director Shmiel Kahn, meeting with special campers, staff and seeing the extraordinary program first hand.
For Senator Felder, a longtime friend of Camp HASC and parent of staff alumn, the return visit has become an annual rite, and helped lead the way. For Assemblyman Eichenstein, the interaction with campers and counselors was particularly moving. Reflecting on his first time visiting camp, Councilman Yager heaped praise on the staff, noting that being at Camp HASC on Motzai Tisha B’Av, where children and adults with special needs from all parts of the Jewish community are all together was particularly meaningful: “There is a real sense of Achdus here… Mi K’Amecha Yisrael”.
For close to 50 years, Camp HASC – The Hebrew Academy for Special Children – has been the Jewish community’s flagship summer program for individuals with special needs, intellectual, and physical disabilities. Camp HASC is a unique fusion of world-class academic, therapeutic and recreational programming which enables the development of each individual’s potential in a magical summer camp environment often called “the happiest place on earth”.
Camp HASC Executive Director, Rav Judah Mischel, praised the delegation and expressed appreciation for the visit:
“Knowing we have such dedicated advocates for individuals with special needs and their families doing their best to enable the appropriate services for HASC is encouraging; The visit today was such chizuk, and a powerful message of support. Ashreinu that these fine men are our representatives in State and City government”.
