You ever read those advertisements in Chabad periodicals about the various camps, throughout the globe?
“Beautiful grounds…”, “Highly-trained staff…”, “Boating….”, “Advanced learning….”, Etc.
We all went to camp as campers. We were all, once upon a time, highly trained staff members. (After a 5 minute pep talk, from some yid with a grey beard, we were rendered highly qualified to become counselors and learning teachers.
We are all aware how that works/ed out. Generally speaking, of course.
And then there’s Morristown. (YSP)
The grounds are nice, they take the boys on great trips, and they learn a lot. Bochurim from many different backgrounds and education suddenly get ‘into it.’ Potentials are realized, troublemakers are curbed, wandering minds are stimulated while they’re having a good time.
What one can learn from the YSP program is, there is indeed a way to take most any child, regardless of their current spiritual matziv, and change them.
Boys who otherwise aren’t involved in learning or ‘chassidishkeit’, somehow put in the effort. They offer incentives which yield tremendous fruits.
One day they’re screaming while dropping on a roller coaster, and the next they’re doing tanya bal peh. Almost all of them.
I was there (twice, ’82 & ’83, don’t ask me how), my older son was there, and now my second son is there. When your son turns 13, as soon as you hire the caterer and music guy, sign him up to YSP. It’s the best summer your boy will ever have.
