How the Rebbe’s Vision Gave a Jewish Kid from Rural Georgia the Summer of a Lifetime

Lilly Summerville lives in the tiny town of Union Point, Georgia, and until recently she thought that she and her family were the only Jewish people in the area. “I come from a Jewish family, but especially since I moved out here to rural Georgia, I haven’t really done much Jewish observance, so my kids also didn’t really have much background.”

Browsing Facebook one day, Summerville came across a post from Chabad of Rural Georgia’s Rabbi Chaim Markovits, announcing a pop-up Chabad house on Lake Oconee, not far from where she lives. “I reached out and said, ‘I’ve been living here for years, and I thought I was the only Jewish person.”

The rabbi, she said, became “the catalyst for everything.”

One Wednesday morning, Rabbi Markovits invited Summerville to Shabbat dinner. “I have to see,” she said. “I might need to drop off my son then.”

“You have a son?” Rabbi Markovits replied. “There’s a camp I know that has a scholarship available. Let me put you in touch!”

Rabbi Markovits connected Summerville with Rabbi Levi Plotkin, who — together with his wife Chaya — founded and directs CKids Gan Israel Florida, a unique sleepaway camp designed to welcome Jewish kids from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Kids like Summerville’s son Stone, who’d grown up far from any organized Jewish community.

In 1976, the Lubavitcher Rebbe called on all Jewish overnight camps to offer full scholarships for 10% of their slots for campers whose family could not afford the camp fees. Plotkin has kept to that standard, raising funds to give one tenth of campers a summer experience regardless of financial status. “Every year we do this, and every year we see that the Rebbe wanted these souls in camp,” Plotkin said.

Days before the second session of camp was about to begin, Plotkin still had several scholarship spots available. He announced the availability on a group chat, and Rabbi Markovits made the connection.

There was just one problem. It was Wednesday, and camp would begin that Friday in Orlando, Florida. “I was overwhelmed with the timing, and I had ended up texting the rabbi and said, ‘Thanks for the opportunity but no thanks.’” Summerville said. 

But Rabbi Plotkin kept the door open. “Even after I said thanks but no thanks, he kept the door open. ‘We can do this, we can make it happen, whatever you guys need.’”

With encouragement from the camp and support from her son’s father, who offered to take him to the camp, Summerville decided to go ahead with it. “We scrambled. We went shopping Thursday morning for everything Stone would need, we stayed up till late at night packing, and Friday morning Stone was off to camp.”

In camp, Stone’s counselor taught him the Shema prayer for the first time. He learned Hebrew reading and became familiar with Jewish traditions and mitzvot.   

 Now Summerville and her family are in touch with the nearest Chabad center to their home, an hour away in Augusta, Georgia.

“that was Stone’s first time being exposed to the religion, the culture, and the people,” Summerville said. “He really loved it and he had an amazing time. He seemed to really be interested in everything he was learning.” Perhaps, she added, he will begin attending Hebrew school with Chabad to continue his Jewish education.