FEBRUARY 2 • 2023 | 39

addition, while the summer 
camp is geared for kids ages 
3-12 (with programming 
broken down by age group), 
they’ll hire local Jewish 
teenagers as camp counselors 
to help Jewish youth of all 
ages experience the benefits 
of summer camp.
“This is also an 
opportunity for teens to 
be immersed into Jewish 
environments,” Caytak 
explains. “It’s impacting not 
only the campers, but the 
counselors as well.”

BUILDING IDENTITY
Caytak believes the positive 
effects of summer camp will 
be long-lasting.
“In a way, this will be 
more impactful than just 
Hebrew school,” Caytak says. 
“Hebrew school is once-
per-week for an hour-and-
a-half, so it’s not a very long 
time. We have two weeks to 
completely immerse these 
kids in developing a sense of 
Jewish pride.”
Caytak hopes children 

enrolled in the center’s 
summer camp will walk away 
with a better understanding 
of what it means to be a Jew, 
a sense of Jewish community 
and a cherished memory that 
they can carry with them for 
the rest of their lives.
“Camp has a tremendous 
ability to shape a child’s 
Jewish identity,” he says.
While Chabad Jewish 
Center Troy focuses on 
the region just east of 
Woodward, Caytak says their 
programming is open to 
any and all Jewish families 
interested in participating, 
regardless of affiliation, level 
of knowledge or observance.
“We’re close to 
Birmingham; we’re close 
to Bloomfield Township,” 
he says. “If any family has 
Jewish children and are 
looking to give their kids a 
productive, fun and creative 
Jewish summer, this is the 
place.” 

For more information, visit http://

jewishtroy.com/cgi.

Children will learn how to bake 
challah at the summer camp.

