Camp Malka has encountered significant difficulties in commencing its summer program this year and has now announced that it will only be opening for a limited number of campers.
Initially, the camp’s new campus was under preparation, but failed to be ready in time for the scheduled start date.
In an effort to manage the delay, the camp postponed the start time by a week and temporarily placed campers in a hotel in the Poconos. However, this arrangement proved unsuccessful, with many girls having to sleep in their clothes and on the floor. Subsequently, the site was shut down by police for safety reasons.
This afternoon, the camp administration announced that they have “exhausted every avenue” to provide the campers with a summer experience.
“It is with a heavy heart that we are writing this email. We have exhausted every avenue possible to provide your daughters with the summer they deserve. We recognize that we have let down our parents, campers, and staff, and have caused tremendous aggravation. We are deeply sorry,” stated a letter signed by camp owner Rabbi Shmuel Hiller.
The letter further explained that the camp had received a temporary certificate of occupancy to host 450 campers and staff at the camp’s Scotland location. However, the facility can only accommodate the CITs, TCs, and some other staff members, but not the sophies, juniors, seniors, and remaining staff.
The camp administration is currently in the process of arranging proper transportation to bring the affected campers home this evening.
{Matzav.com}
One of my daughters went there the very first year it opened and the following year as well. She had a good time and no complaints. The drive from Brooklyn to the camp on visiting day and back, was an endless shlep, however. I don’t know what happened here. I feel bad for all parties involved. I’m sure nothing was done intentionally. I’m not a Rav to say what the message from shomayim is. At least it’s not as bad as a Pesach program shutting down in the Catskills back in the 90’s by a real lowlife crook gangster, less than 24 hours before Yom Tov. Or the same person abandoning a Pesach program in middle of chal hamoed in Miami Beach.
Following up:
1. They knew for months the site wouldn’t be ready camp and still took everyone’s money ( even worse is they destroyed these kids summer plans )
2. why bus 600 kids up morning of when you know your camp isn’t ready ?!
3. some of the kids haven’t had change of clothes since wed because one of luggage trucks hasn’t even arrived yet
4. whoever owns this camp should never be allowed to operate again
5. all these parents deserve a full refund and the owners really have cheshban on their head for destroying these kids summer plans and putting them through this disaster
6. I saw an article in lakewood website about didn’t get a co and askanim are asking for ideas on comment section of article etc . Total garbage they knew for weeks and maybe even months they were not going get a co for amount of kids they had coming up some of buildings were done but lot were not and pool isn’t up and running etc
7. what askanim?
8. people shouldn’t have to dispute their credit cards they should be sent a refund. People shouldn’t have to dispute their credit cards they should be sent a full refund by Monday ( no credit for next year garbage because there won’t be/ shouldn’t be a next year )
Yes there was a massive effort to help once it happened by lot of volunteers but it should have never happened in the first place .
I don’t send my girls there and people asking me why I posted so much about it and the answer is because that’s what I do , I also put out info without fact checking. I have no boundaries. I deal with issues that no one else wants to talk about or deal with
There are camp grounds available right now for this camp to rent for these girls and I’m not sure why that hasn’t been done and yes they were made aware of them (CBN)
AL PI HASHEM YACHANU V’AL PI HASHEM YISAU
Hi, I’m a girl.
A girl who was supposed to be a camper in Camp Malka this summer.
A girl who currently has no summer plans.
But also,
A girl who believes in Hashem.
A girl who believes that He runs the velt.
Not R’ Hiller or R’ Perlstein. And I don’t know why the world seems to have forgotten that.
What happened frustrating and sad. But we as a nation need to realize that the world is run by Hashem and that everything that happens is from Him and is good.
I’ve been to 3 other camps besides Malka. Every camp has its Maalos and Chisronos. Camp Malka’s biggest Maalah, according to my comparisons, is its Head staff. The head staff have been putting their all into Camp Malka since the day that they went home last August to make this summer the best it can be.
But Hashem had other plans.
And we need to just accept them.