CGI Parksville Releases Song for 70th Anniversary
This summer, Camp Gan Yisroel is marking a major milestone — seventy years since the Rebbe established what has become one of the most iconic Jewish summer camps in the world. To mark the occasion in a fitting way, CGI Parksville has released an original song titled Seventy Years Strong, set to the well-known tune of B’cho Hashem Chosisi, which was composed for the Rebbe’s 70th birthday in 1972.
The song tells the story of Gan Yisroel, tracing the camp’s journey from its very first summer in Ellenville, NY, through its years in Swan Lake, and finally to the current grounds in Parksville, where camp has been home for over fifty years. The lyrics capture both the fun and spirit of camp life — the sports, the trips, the friendships — and the deeper mission that the Rebbe had in mind: Torah above all.
For many alumni, those memories remain vivid decades later. Among them is renowned singer Avraham Fried, who recalls looking forward to Camp Gan Yisroel all year long. One of his favorite memories was performing in an acrobatic show on Visiting Day under the direction of a talented staff member, Yontil Lison. The highlight was a diving routine in which each boy leaped over a row of campers. By the time his turn came, more than a dozen boys were lined up, and after one mishap during practice, he successfully made the longest jump of them all.
Avremel also remembers singing during Color War a song composed by Rabbi Mendel Lipsker, today the head Shliach to South Africa. “Whether my team won or lost, I no longer remember,” Avremel recalls. “What I do remember is the joy and excitement that made Camp Gan Yisroel — the Rebbe’s camp — such a special place.”
Seventy years is no small thing. A camp that the Rebbe personally visited, named, and called his own “reshus,” Gan Yisroel has grown into something truly extraordinary. Thousands of campers have passed through these grounds over the decades, and the fruits of those summers are felt throughout the world to this day. As the Rebbe explained, a Gan is a place where beautiful fruit grows. That is Gan Yisroel — the garden where Jewish children grow, and have grown — for seventy years, and many more to come.
The song was written and developed by Shmuly Wudowsky, Leibel Kahan, Avrohom Goldberg, and Rabbi Mendel Denburg. A special thank you goes to Yoel Weiss for going above and beyond to produce the track. Thank you to CGI alumni — Avraham Fried, Benny Friedman, Bentzi Marcus, Boruch Sholom Blesofsky, and Eli Marcus who joined together to help Gan Yisroel celebrate this special moment in its history.
None of this would have happened without the vision and investment of camp directors Rabbi Avrohom Shemtov and Rabbi Yossie Futerfas, who made the project a reality from start to finish.
Now available on all major streaming platforms!
The lyrics of the song are presented below:
Seventy Years Strong — Shivim Shana Theme Song (T.T.T.O. B’cho Hashem Chosisi)
In Ellenville the seeds were sown / The Rebbe’s camp created / Then Swan Lake became its home / The grounds of Gan Yisroel
In Parksville now the garden grows / Its mission clearly stated / With all the sports and trips we know / It’s Torah above all
Chorus (x2): Kiryas Gan Yisroel / Where each child does belong / The Rebbe’s garden blossoming / For seventy years strong!
Kiryas Gan Yisroel / Let the celebration start / Shivim Shana / Ashreinu we’re a part
Like the branches of a tree / Camp expanded globally / A dirah for Hashem’s the goal / Each camper playing an important role
I gaze up at our flag so tall / Reminding me to heed its call / I’ll make sure to show what grew here / Its perois tovois all throughout the year
