This summer was a very special one at Jewish camps across North America, including Greater MetroWest partner camps NJY Camps, Camp Moshava I.O., Tel Yehudah, Camp Zeke, and others, where 1,000+ children and teens from Israel who were affected by the war and displaced from their homes were hosted. We’re proud that our Federation allocated $120,000 of Emergency Funds for Israel plus $75,000 in grants by our Jewish Camp Enterprise to help bring these young people to camp through the Campers2Gether initiative (organized by JAFI, Mosaic, and the Foundation for Jewish Camp) and other camp-specific efforts.
One of these amazing programs, NJY Camps’ Machane Am Echad (Camp One People), brought 100 displaced Israeli teens, in conjunction with the Tzofim (Israel Scouts), to their camp in Pennsylvania for a much-needed two-week respite.
Numerous Greater MetroWest community leaders were there to welcome the group on August 15. The teens were elated to be reunited with friends (some they hadn’t seen since October 7) and appreciative of the chance to safely enjoy outdoor fun and activities. A special highlight was a trip to New York City where all 100 campers were treated to a night in NYC to see Hamilton – a dream come true for them, magically put together by our own Steve Levy!
To add a special element to their stay in the U.S., the NJY Camps team reached out to Levy, a long-time Greater MetroWest leader who has been involved with NJY Camps. Levy is an investor in Broadway shows, including the hit Hamilton. Through his connections and with the help of his wife, Beena, they were able to procure more than100 tickets for Hamilton for the Israeli teens.
“Being able to bring any joy to this group of kids who have suffered so much in the past year was so gratifying. To expose them an amazing show and an inspiring story from American history only made it that much more exciting,” said Levy, who is immediate past president of the Jewish Community Foundation and a member of the Executive Board of Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ.
“It’s like a dream,” was the overriding sentiment among the 110 Israeli teens from Israel’s war-torn northern and southern borders. All the campers and counsellors were Tzofim chapter members from as far north as Kiryat Shmona down to the southern Israeli towns of Sderot, Okafim, and Ashkelon.
“These children have been living in constant uncertainty for almost a year,” said Yaniv Biran, CEO of Tzofim North America. “We have kids who lost loved ones in the tragic events of October 7, and most of them have friends and family still fighting in this war, and this is very present, even while in camp. They are all still waiting for our hostages who are held by Hamas in Gaza to come home. This camp is their opportunity – after almost a year – to be children again and forget, even for a brief moment, about their fears and trauma.”
“While the challenge of war still persists, we believe that by bringing children together for an immersive educational camping experience, we can help them thrive, build resilience, and introduce them to new activities they can learn from and enjoy,” said Michael Schlank, CEO of NJY Camps. “Through the power of Jewish camping, we aimed to provide respite and strengthen the bond between Israel and global Jewry as Am Echad/One People. In November 2023, we approached our Israeli partners with a plan and as a result more than 1,000 Israeli children partook in similar camp experiences throughout the U.S., with the NJY Camps program being the largest.”
Liza, a 17-year-old camper from Kirya Shmona who has been living in a hotel in Tel Aviv with her family for ten months, noted, “We will all carry back the amazing feeling of caring that we experienced in the United States wherever we went. I would like to say thank you to the Jewish community for the opportunity to do and see things we would never be able to without camp.”
Philanthropic support to cover the cost of the NJY Camp program was provided by the Jeffrey H. and Shari L. Aronson Foundation, the Russell Berrie Foundation, the Wilf Family Foundations, the Arie and Eva Halpern Foundation, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, the Marion and Norman Tanzman Foundation, and the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest.