Campground Construction #1: What's New at Machne Bnei Belz

By Y.M. Lowy

Welcome to our new column, offering a closer look at camps that quietly transformed over the winter. Tucked between the mountains and woods of the Catskills, they underwent major construction and are now preparing for an exciting summer season.

At 405 East Pond Road in Woodridge, a long-standing camp is seeing its biggest development in decades. Known for many years as Machnei Bnei Belz, the camp has recently been renamed Machne Bnei Yechezkel D’chasidei Belz, named for R’ Chezkel Samuel, who has served as head counselor for over thirty years. 

The camp was first purchased more than sixty years ago. At the time, just three acres of the 187-acre property were in use. About 25 years ago, that number grew to eleven, but over time, even that proved too small. Today, the camp serves over 1000 boys and staff families. To keep up with its growth, another 22 acres were recently cleared from the surrounding woods, bringing the total developed space to 33 acres.

Construction began this past December, starting with excavation and underground piping. Phase one of the project is now nearing completion and includes a new Bais Medrash, dormitory, mikvah, mechanical building, 32 family units, and three underground pools. Roads have been paved, and landscaping is underway. This expansion allows for 300 more bochurim and staff members, many of whom were previously housed in rented facilities.

The full project is expected to cost around $45 million, with phase one alone accounting for $16 million, mostly covered by fundraising. Despite its scale, the work is progressing quickly. The goal is to have everything ready in time for the start of this summer’s season.