By Lior Zisser-Yogev, Community Shlicha
Amid the war raging in Gaza and our family and friends in Israel dealing with all that our beloved country is going through, it might seem there are few positives to hold onto. But here is one we can all be proud of.
Twenty-two years ago, as waves of terror washed over Israel in the second intifada, kids and teens from Michigan who we’re getting ready to go to Israel for summer camp had to cancel their plans. Not wanting the campers from both here and Israel to miss out on meeting and getting to know each other Federation decided to bring the Israeli campers here, and so our Israeli Camper Program began. And just like then, our community brought some light from the darkness this past summer by providing our largest number of Israeli kids and teens a respite here in Michigan at Tamarack Camps.
Together we brought 136 Israeli campers for a once in a lifetime adventure. 100 campers from the partnership region enjoyed all of the great things that camp has to offer – hiking and canoeing in the incredible Michigan outdoors, swimming, playing sports, creating art, singing and dancing, and coming together for Shabbat services and Havdalah. Plus, one of the highlights of every summer… the weekends campers get to spend with the amazing host families that go out of their way to show them a great time while making them a part of their homes and Mishpacha (family).
In addition to our campers from the partnership region municipalities of the Jazreel Valley, Nof HaGalil and Migdal HaEmek, we were also privileged to host campers from two kibbutzim in the Gaza Envelope, as part of our partnership with the Jewish Agency’s “Campers Together ” program.
The 18 campers from Kibbutz Gevim spent seven months living in a hotel in Kibbutz Mizra in our partnership region while they were evacuated from their homes. They had an incredible summer connecting and bonding with new friends in Ruach Village.
In the second session, we hosted 18 campers from Kibbutz Be’eri who experienced firsthand the horrors of October 7 and are still dealing with the painful loss of family, friends and community members. These teens have been scattered around Israel for the past year, most of them living in hotels in the Dead Sea area, with no place to call home.
There are no words to describe the experience our campers went through this past summer. They were able to disconnect from all the bad news that surrounds them in Israel, and go back to being kids, enjoying the simple things, and being surrounded by a warm and embracing community. This made the last summer an unforgettable experience for the campers, but also for us – the professionals who had the privilege of working with the delegation.
The Israeli Camper Program that has been going strong for the past 22 years gave our Israeli campers a healing and empowering summer in the best place on earth, and I was honored to be a part of the success.
