Camp HASC Event A Celebration of Bipartisanship and Positivity

There were enough backslapping, hugging, plaudits, and positive vibes during the fifth annual bipartisan reception and roundtable at Camp HASC on Monday, July 27 to last a year. HASC is an acronym for Hebrew Academy for Special Children. Not a negative word could be heard during the two-hour program.

Approximately 150 federal, state, and local elected officials from both parties, as well as political activists, advocates, many rabbis, and regular folks could be found in the pavilion area.

“I will tell you I would much rather be here playing with them [the campers] than spending time with my colleagues in Washington,” said Congressman Josh Riley (D - Ithaca, Tompkins County). “You’re the exception to that, Mike,” he added, addressing Mike Lawler, a Rockland County Republican. “I like you. Mike, I have learned a lot from you and the rest of Congress sure could too.

“I’m a Democrat. I come from a Republican family,” Riley continued. “As you’ve seen around here, people care a whole lot less about political parties than we do about getting stuff done. I look forward to finding even more ways for us to be able to work together to make healthcare more accessible across upstate New York.”

Riley is being challenged by State Senator Peter Oberacker (R - Schenevus, Otsego County), while Assemblyman Chris Tague (R - Schoharie, Schoharie County) is running for Oberacker’s open Senate seat. Oberacker and Tague were both in attendance at the roundtable. Riley opted to sit at Lawler’s table since both are federal elected officials.

Lawler is in the political battle of his life. And flipping his seat could mean the end of Republican control in the House of Representatives. He is trying to fend off being ousted by Army veteran Cait Conley (D - New Castle, Westchester County), a graduate of West Point, MIT, and Harvard. However, academic smarts do not always translate into a successful political campaign for Congress.

Lawler told The Jewish Press that his criticism of Conley includes “the fact is she has not stated on the record what she believes about a lot of things and frankly refuses to denounce the radical socialists that are taking over the Democratic Party. She seems to be supportive of open borders and sanctuary cities and raising taxes by $4 trillion. That’s not what the American people want, certainly not what the people of New York’s District 17 want.”

Lawler points to his many successes as a two-term Congressman. “I show up in every community and I engage voters across the political spectrum. We’ve delivered real results for the district – both legislatively, things like SALT, and bringing back billions of dollars to our healthcare system as well as service work,” he told The Jewish Press. “My staff and I have closed close to 10,000 cases. We’ve brought back more than $50 million in benefits due; we’ve brought back more than $70 million in community project funding. These are the things that matter to constituents on a daily basis, and we continue to deliver. I think my record speaks for itself.”

When asked to predict how big a margin of victory he thinks he could achieve, Lawler answered: “50 (percent) plus 1. That’s all that matters.”

As of June 30, 2026, Lawler had raised $8.17 million, Conley had raised $4.32 million, and Effie Phillips-Staley, running on the Working Families Party line, had raised $787,000. Conley won a five-way primary race on June 23 with 51.4 percent of the vote. The Congressional district includes the less populated areas of all or part of Rockland, Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess Counties.

Of the 435 House seats, Republicans have a 219-212 majority with four vacancies in the chamber.

Back to the annual bipartisan Camp HASC event. Borrowing a phrase from the folks who run Disneyland in California, “this place is called the happiest place on Earth,” said the emcee for the event, Chaskel Bennett. “Outside of these gates, we may disagree passionately, but not here. At HASC, there is no red, there is no blue, no left, no right. Partisanship stops at those gates because dignity isn’t political. Caring for a child isn’t political. Standing with a family isn’t political.” Paraphrasing the Three Musketeers, Bennett then said, “here we are all for one and one for all.”

Assemblywoman Paula Kay (D - Rock Hill, Sullivan County) relayed good news to the audience from Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, who could not attend the event but earlier this month visited Liberty with Town Supervisor Frank DeMeo and Kay.

“The Speaker and I walked throughout Hanofee Park [in Sullivan County]. By the end of the visit, he told me, ‘Frank, you’re getting a brand-new park and this will be for everybody in the community. The new park will feature basketball courts, new pools, new dock, new pickleball courts, new tennis courts.’ Frank and I were explaining to the Speaker how so many of the families don’t have a means of transportation to get to and from the park. Now the town of Liberty is going to have a van to take kids to and from the park.” Heastie did not specify when the funds for these improvements would be released.

Emcee Bennett pointed out that “Senator Sam Sutton (D - East Midwood, Brooklyn) is hiding in his very customary place in the back. We’re so happy to have you in Albany as our representative. I believe this is Sam’s first time at Camp HASC.”

New York’s senior United States Senator, Chuck Schumer (D - Prospect Park, Brooklyn), the Senate Minority Leader, did not attend the bipartisan event but phoned in a videotaped recorded message. His comments were brief and complimentary of the work Camp HASC has done for the past 54 years. He pledged to continue to help provide financial assistance from the federal government, as did Lawler and Riley.

Thomas Engels, Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, attended from Washington with two top staffers in tow, and also spoke at the event. HRSA gave a large grant to Camp HASC, and Engels said he came to the Parksville-based camp to see how the federal dollars were spent.

HASC’s programs were established in 1963 by Rabbi Max and Blanche Kahn to provide educational and clinical services to individuals with developmental delays. HASC branched out as a camp in 1972. It was a comparatively small camp, with 35 children and approximately 20 to 25 staff members. The HASC summer program has grown to serve 320 children and young adults with intellectual and physical disabilities. It gives them the opportunity to enjoy a seven-week sleepaway camp experience, just like many of their siblings and friends. Today, Camp HASC is run by Shmiel “Samuel” Kahn, the son of its founders.

With a staff of close to 600 counselors and support staff living with the campers 24 hours a day, Camp HASC is unique in its synthesis of academic and recreational programming. Besides a full range of clinical therapies, campers get computer instruction, adaptive physical education, adaptive aquatics, and more. There are also field trips, night activities, sports, carnivals, concerts, and Torah learning.

The infirmary provides care for those in need, campers and counselors alike. For seven weeks in the summer, newly qualified nurses work alongside the counselors, offering them valuable work experience.

Financial assistance is available through a scholarship program for families, and no child is turned away due to inability to pay, according to camp policy.