Camp Blog

Tuesday June 17 – Opening Day

DATE: June 18, 2025

Tuesday, June 17

Welcome to Machane Stone 2025 Session 1: Moshevet Tnu’ot Yisrael where we will be studying Jewish history from 1492 – 1880’s. We are so thrilled to be here in Sugar Grove, offering our precious chanichim a Summer filled with happiness., friendship, learning and growth. Our hadracha and tzevet have been here a full week already, getting the camp and themselves ready for a wonderful Summer. Our thoughts and prayers are with Israel and the IDF, and we are grateful for the miracles we have been seeing. May Hashem continue to watch over our Homeland!

When all our chanichim arrived today, we began with the annual “Opening Tochnit”, a skit which serves as an introduction to this time period. Sammy Rosenberg and Hannah Solon, our Roshei Moshava, acted the parts of Queen Isabella and Don Isaac Abarbanel, as Queen Isabella proclaimed that all Jews must convert or leave.  Each eidah went around to various “stations” learning about a market place in Portugal where Jews went to live, Morannos living secret Jewish lives in Spain, and the reality of a Jew escaping. At each station there was a game, some fun, or a snack. One more stop was added  to this round robin, where the counselors and Roshei Eidah introduced themselves to the chanichim in their eidah (division).

This exciting first hour was followed by Mincha in the Outdoor Beit Knesset, a few minutes in the bunk and then dinner. Everyone spent their post-dinner time unpacking, making new friends and getting settled. More to come EACH day, in this blog, about what we learned each morning in shiur, some of the peulot (activities) different chanichim enjoyed, and any camp-wide shtick or shenanigans going on.

Kaytana has also kicked off its Summer for our youngest chanichim, and we will follow their adventures through the lives and lessons of our Avot and Imahot, our nation’s slavery and exodus, the long years in the desert, and eventually, our entry into Israel. They were settling in well tonight and were supported and greeted warmly by our Kaytana hadracha and their Rosh, Ephraim Helfgot.

This blog will follow Machal, as well, as they travel, camp out, canoe, hike and build community with common values and goals. Our Roshei Machal Didi Blau and Eliana Zaghi are excited to be leading these chanichim in their much-anticipated Machal experience.

Check back tomorrow. For now, signing off –

Your blogger in PA, 16350

Returning camper applications will open on 10/3, new campers will open on 11/3

Registration for summer 2025 opens 10/1/24 for returning families, 11/1/24 for new families.

Please contact Randi Mashmoor with any questions at:

randi@campstone.org

or 440-465-5486. Thank You!

Staff applications will open late November.

New camper application opens on 11/3. Returning campers can register now.

Returning Camper Registration

Registration for summer 2023 is now closed. There are a few select spots remaining.
Please contact Randi Mashmoor at:

randi@campstone.org

or 440-465-5486. Thank You!

About the Chanukah Raffle

Dear Camp Stone Community,

It is an incredible feeling to reconnect with everyone once again at the beginning of our 2021 camp season.

We are writing to you today, first and foremost, to express tremendous gratitude.

Hakarat HaTov, literally “recognizing the good”, is an important and fundamental principle in our community. We, at Camp Stone, want to express our Hakarat HaTov to everyone receiving this email for your unwavering support, especially this past summer. Whether you provided financial assistance through your donated tuition dollars, participated in Indoor World, or connected with the Camp Stone community in other ways, together we had an incredibly successful, albeit different, summer experience.

There is no substitute for being in Sugar Grove, Pennsylvania, and this summer, B’ezrat Hashem, we will be back at Camp Stone, in person, in full force.

To achieve that goal, we must continue to ensure the financial success of our home away from home that we all know and love so deeply. The logo on top, featuring the slogan “Stone. Forever.” also features a Ner Tamid, an “eternal flame.” The year 1969, etched into the logo, is the year camp was founded. Symbolically, the overall image represents the idea that Camp Stone began many years ago and must endure forever, always burning brightly, and always an integral part of our collective conscience.

On that note, we are excited to announce that our annual Chanukah Campaign will be a raffle taking place over all 8 nights of Chanukah with prizes for both campers and parents/alumni!!

Please go back to the web page  to purchase raffle tickets and help us achieve 100% participation from our entire camp community!

Looking forward to being in touch with all of you in the near future.

Sincerely,

Yakov & Estee, Co-Directors