38 | FEBRUARY 2 • 2023 

T

his summer, Chabad 
Jewish Center Troy will 
launch a new summer 
camp for families located east 
of Woodward, but 
it is generating 
interest from kids 
in other areas as 
well.
The two-week 
camp, which 
will announce 
its run dates and 
registration fees 
soon, is the first time that 
the center will offer summer 
camp programming to the 
local community. 

FILLING A VOID
The new summer camp will 
offer a unique experience for 

Jewish kids that will help fill 
a void in summer offerings 
around the Troy area, says 
Rabbi Menachem Caytak, 
who is co-founder of the 
center alongside his wife, 
Chana Caytak.
Last year, the Caytaks 
noticed an uptick in families 
that weren’t engaged or 
connected with any other 
Jewish organization coming to 
the center for programming.
These parents expressed 
a desire for their children 
to have a Jewish education, 
which Chabad Jewish Center 
Troy’s weekly Hebrew school 
helped fill, but these same 
parents also wanted a separate 
summer program that was 
less intensive than Hebrew 

school.
“Hebrew school is 
incredible for these kids,” 
Rabbi Caytak says, “but we’ve 
had other parents that weren’t 
ready to commit to send their 
children for Hebrew school in 
the summer.” 
On the contrary, there was 
one common request amongst 
parents: to create a summer 
camp where kids could have 
fun while learning about 
Judaism.
Therefore, turning that 
request into a reality was a 
“no-brainer,” Caytak explains.
“We’re very passionate 
about Jewish education, 
especially for children,” he 
says, “and the camp is going 
to connect with [that passion] 

and is going to do exactly 
that.”

JEWISH IMMERSION
Chabad Jewish Center Troy 
has already started taking 
names of families interested 
in its new summer camp 
program and expects some 
30-40 campers in its first 
season.
Over the course of two 
weeks, children enrolled in 
the Troy-based summer camp 
program will do all of the 
typical camp activities, like 
karate, arts and crafts, and 
even baking. Alongside those 
programs, they’ll also learn 
about Jewish life and culture, 
practice prayer, bake challah 
and paint their own menorahs 
for Chanukah.
“Kids will have an 
opportunity to learn all 
different types of projects in 
a fun way, alongside a mix 
of Jewish flavor and Jewish 
education,” Caytak says.
Chabad Jewish Center 
Troy will bring in specialized 
instructors to teach the 
different programs. In 

 Fun and Jewish 
 Immersion

CAMP GUIDE

Chabad Jewish Center Troy launches 
new two-week summer camp for kids.

Rabbi 
Menachem 
Caytak

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Jewish learning is made fun at Chabad 
Jewish Center Troy. LEFT: Chilldren enjoy 
a program at the Center last year.

