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This CKids Gan Israel Florida Camper is Making WAVES in Pittsburgh—Two Years Ago He Didn't Even Know What Tefillin Was!
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Who is this CKids Gan Israel FL camper everyone in Pittsburgh is talking about?
Every Friday, a 15-year-old boy stands outside his local kosher store in Pittsburgh, helping strangers put on tefillin. Just two years earlier, he didn't know what tefillin was.
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This is Abi's story.
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A couple of years ago, I (Rabbi Levi Plotkin) got a call from Rabbi Yitzi and Rebbetzin Miriam Goldwasser in Pittsburgh. “We have a child who would be an amazing fit for your camp,” they told me.
At the time, this kid had no real connection to yiddishkeit. But he had a glow of potential that Rabbi and Rebbetzin Goldwasser clearly saw. The problem? Although camp seemed like a perfect fit for him...​​​
His family couldn’t afford the tuition, so we did our best to help him.​​​​​
And that's when the generous support from our donors changed everything. Because thanks to them, Abi received the scholarship he needed!
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Fast forward to the first day of Summer Camp 2023, and electricity is in the air.
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Day one’s always exciting, however something was extra special this day. There was one camper in particular—the kid from Rabbi Yitzi and Rebbetzin Miriam—who was on another level.
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From the second Abi arrived, he was BUZZING!
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He was singing at the top of his lungs, busting out explosive dance moves during rikkudim, and davening with such focus and enthusiasm it was like he’d discovered his life’s purpose. Every couple of minutes my WhatsApp would ping with a new update from the counselors...
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“Check out this kid!!”
“He’s drinking in the Yiddishkeit!”
“Unbelievable energy!”​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Abi and the campers dancing during rikkudim.
Every update included a picture or video of Abi having the time of his life. He was in his element and it seemed like nothing could take the smile off his face.
Not until…
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The first camp session ended, and Abi’s radiant smile faded.
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Abi was only booked in for one session and had to go home on the last night. He desperately wanted to stay for the second session. The counselors heard him plead to his parents over the phone to let him stay, but it wasn’t possible.
Abi was heartbroken.
But this wasn’t the end of Abi’s story because...
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​CKids Gan Israel FL Summer Camp sparked a fire in him!
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Over the next year, Abi did everything he could to get back into camp AND go to both sessions. Once again, receiving a scholarship made everything possible for him.
Summer Camp 2024 rolled around and Abi dived straight in all over again;
He learned torah.. how to do mitzvahs.. sang, danced, and davened like there was no tomorrow! And he shone even brighter during outings when he and the other campers got other Jews to put on tefillin.
Abi singing at CKids Gan Israel Florida Summer Camp, 2024
​​This was the start of something special because after CKids Gan Israel FL Summer Camp 2024, Abi's transformation didn't just continue, it accelerated, and...
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Abi started making a name for himself!
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"Did you have a 8th grade kid from pgh in camp this summer?” said a text message from my brother-in-law, a few months after our 2024 summer camp.
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“Yep,” I replied. “Why?”
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“This kid's making WAVES!" my brother-in-law replied. What followed were a bunch of pictures of Abi standing outside his local kosher store with a group of his mates.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Pictures from my brother-in-law in Pittsburgh after CKids Gan Israel FL Summer Camp 2024, featuring... Abi!?
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"This kid got all his chayus from Ckids Gan Israel FL and is now taking his friends on mivtzoim!"
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Get this:
After going to CKid Gan Israel Florida Summer camp Abi got really inspired...
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He joined a Jewish high school, his mother koshered their family kitchen, and what's truly remarkable was...
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He started taking his friends out with tefillin to help other Jews connect to their faith!
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That’s why my brother-in-law's picture showed Abi outside his local kosher store! Every Friday, you'll find Abi teaching other students from his Jewish high school how to put on, and help other Jews put on tefillin.​
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Making waves: Abi Zablow was even featured in his local paper for helping other Jews connect to yiddishkeit!
Following Abi’s incredible transformation, he was even honored in Times Square earlier in March 2025 at the largest Jewish teen summit—the CTeen Shabbaton—where he was given a pair of tefillin in recognition of the work he’s done to spark Jewish pride.
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The event's theme?
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'Becoming an influencer and leader,' and who better to be a face of this message than Abi.​​
Click the video below to watch the featured clip of Abi at CTeen, Times Square (starting at 00:35 seconds):
Every year, it blows my mind how powerful summer camp is. Every year we're devoted to reaching more Jewish kids to give them the most exciting, fulfilling and transformative Jewish experience possible, so they can celebrate their Jewish identity with pride, feel a true sense of belonging, and build a lifelong connection to G-d and their Jewish heritage.
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I hope Abi’s story brings you great joy.
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All the best,
Levi​​
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