He’s the menahel of Bais Yaakov Ateres Miriam in Far Rockaway, New York, but come summer, and it’s camp for RABBI NOSSON NEUMAN
I’m an old soul. In my early years in camp, we had the Rabbis’ Sons and Simchatone records. Some of the songs on the first JEP record, like “Dear Nikolai,” come from Camp Torah Vodaath. If I had to pick one, it might be my all-time favorite, Simchatone’s “Vehareinu,” composed by Yona Weinrib, or maybe “Al Tirah Ki Yaashir Ish,” from the first Toronto Pirchei album.
In Camp Torah Vodaath, the mashgiach, Rav Moshe Wolfson shlita, used to lead a tish on Friday night. The zemiros were unforgettable — Rabbi Goldfinger a”h, the baker, would sing the Bobover Kah Ribbon, and you closed your eyes and were transported elsewhere.
In Camp Ahuvah, I’m obviously not there for the zemiros — I eat with the camp then go out while the girls sing. I know that kids today don’t have the zitzfleisch anymore for a long seudah, so when singing zemiros with them nowadays, you need to pick the niggunim that are impactful, that have harmonies and that the kids can get involved in. Our program director, Mrs. Devorah Krawiecz, daughter of the tzaddik Rav Dovid Trenk a”h, says that the girls sing Simchas Torah songs every Shabbos, and also make sure to sing “Kadsheinu Bemitzvosecha,” a traditional song in Bais Yaakov since the days of Sarah Schenirer.
The Dveykus albums. Timeless and classic, with many songs that are still sung today. Dveykus speaks to my heart and brings me back 50 years.
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