Campground Construction #4: What’s New at Machaneh Ohel Yitzchok Rachmastrivka

By Y.M. Lowy

Just ten years ago, a small camp, just for Kita 9, opened upstate on Weiner Road in Ellenville. It started with a single division and modest facilities. However, as demand continued to grow for boys in Kita 7 and 8, a major expansion plan began to take shape. Today, that plan has become a full new camp built from the ground up, right next to the original site.

The new campus, now named Ohel Yitzchok, was established in memory of the Rachmastrivka Rebbe, father of the current Rachmastrivka Rebbe. 

Phase one of construction, which includes five major buildings, has just been completed in time for this year’s summer season. Phase two is already being planned and is expected to be ready for the 2026 summer camp season.

The full cost of the project is estimated at $33 million. Unlike a renovation or rebuild, this was entirely new construction, from prepping the land to completing each building. The goal was to give all divisions their own full camp structures without compromising on space.

What began as a single-grade program a decade ago has now grown into a large, multi-division camp, with the latest addition marking a major investment in the next generation of campers.