Now that we saw the origins of Levi Shemtovs connection to Gan Yisroel let’s take a look at Mendel Azimov.

Mendel was a very active kid, from a young age people around him noticed that he was special, there was something about him that stood out.

When it came time for Mendel to go to camp, for whatever reason he was sent to other camps (as in not Gan Yisroel Detroit).

Mendel enjoyed camp immensely and was dubbed a “camp kid” from the start, on the outside, it seemed as if Mendel has found his place, his second home, his passion, but the truth was that deep down Mendel felt like an unlit match waiting to strike on the right matchbox and find his spark.

He didn’t understand it at the time but he felt like the Gan Yisroel he was in, simply didn’t give him that spark he so longed for.

All that changed when at the ripe age of 11 years old Mendel decided to try something new and applied to Gan Yisroel Detroit.

When Mendel took the first step on Admas Kodesh he felt an unusual sensation. His match was struck, he felt the spark.

As a young boy, Mendel didn’t know what this feeling meant.

Years later as Mendel spoke at the annual staff hiring convention in 5776, Mendel relived the story and explained that it was that moment when his foot touched Admas Kodesh for the first time that his life was complete.

From that day forward Mendel devoted his life to Gan Yisroel, he would come to return as a staff member in 5776 and quickly earned the title of “best counselor ever!”

Mendel stuck with Gan Yisroel through everything, in 5779 Mendels friends decided that they needed to ‘move up” the ranks in Gan Yisroel and went to BMD, Mendel didn’t know what to do, Gan Yisroel was his life source and spending a summer so close yet so far from the iconic A-Frame building, the source of his very life did not feel right, after speaking to Rabbi G, Mendels Mashpia, he decided to stay in Gan Yisroel away from his friends.

After that summer Mendel related in an interview with the Loop that it was the best summer of his life, it was then where Mendel said his now-famous line “Gan Yisroel is a vort, Gan Yisroel was a vort and Gan Yisroel will forever be a vort.”

Mendel’s love and passion towards Gan Yisroel is something that we should all strive to reach or at least get close to.

Now my Tayere launchers, We spoke about Levi Shemtovs connection to Gan Yisroel, we spoke about Mendel Azimovs, cab you guess who’s next?

Stay tuned for part three of this special series “hiring the head staff” to find out how your head staff were hired for the position that you were Zoche to see them in this summer.

Until next time! (Tuesday)