Fiery start to 'out of the box' summer camp in Lakewood Ranch

Six-year-old Samson Cramer, who attends Hebrew School of the Arts at Chabad of Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch, sat captivated in the back of his mother Ashley Cramer's SUV July 6.

He, his mother and brother, 8-year-old Maximus Cramer, opened the tailgate of their SUV to socially distance while watching Richard Deane and Tabitha Windle, of "Trick Fire," roll poles with flames on either end across their bodies. The show opened Chabad's Camp Gan Israel Out of the Box.

Samson Cramer said he especially liked when Deane blew fire more than 15 feet high.

"I liked it when he balanced it on his head, too," Samson Cramer said. "I was afraid he was going to burn himself."

Although Camp Gan Israel normally is held at Chabad's campus on Lorraine Road, this year, camp is being offered in an "out of the box" format. Camp begins each week with an in-person, outdoor experience from 10-11 a.m. Mondays and families take a kit of supplies home so they can do camp activities, such as Judiac crafts, baking activities, games, stories and Zoom opportunities, throughout the week.