We just completed session three, along with a network-wide camp for 200 kids from non-Sderot AMIT schools that are part of 24/7. By the end of summer we will have had 900 students participate in an amazing summer camp experience.
Camp takes place in Kfar Galim near Haifa, and last week Dr. Amnon Eldar, AMIT Director General, Ofer Hahn, Deputy Director, Innovation and Partnerships, and Limor Friedman, Director of Strategic Overseas Relationships, visited the Sderot kids at camp, alongside Ministry of Education and Goodman Foundation representatives. They encountered happy, engaged, and relaxed students who, ironically, were very nervous about going up north due to the security situation there.
The kids said this was their first time ever surfing which is not only a wonderful opportunity to do something fun, but also develops confidence, responsibility, and teamwork. Camp offers a wide variety of activities, including hiking, jeeping, leadership training, music, and much more.
Sderot 12th graders serve as counselors for their younger counterparts, and for most of our participating students, it is their first time away from home and their parents. It’s a great opportunity for all to work on their independence. Camp is a “phone-free zone,” and a challenge for them. The kids said the first 24 hours were tough, but they slowly acclimated to not being glued to screens and were enjoying opportunities interacting in person with friends, not thinking or worrying about the outside world.
We did not plan on having this year’s camp program for non-Sderot students. Most of the 24/7 employees spent months on reserve duty, and some of them are still serving. With decreased staff, we were not sure we could pull it off. However, the demand was so high from students across the Reshet we knew we needed to offer something, even if it was scaled back programming.
Due to the war, instead of providing a typical summer program, we decided to have camp fit the needs of the hour and focus on agricultural volunteerism. Through the Shomer HaChadash organization, who we partner with throughout the year through the 24/7 coalition, we paired the summer camp with a local farmer and our students spent long days working the land, contributing to the national war efforts, learning about responsibility and hard work, all the while developing a stronger connection to the land of Israel. The kids who participated in the camp, most of whom came from our schools on the periphery, enjoyed the experience so much that they opened a WhatsApp group to continue finding joint agriculture opportunities.
At the end of such a challenging year it’s gratifying to see our students, particularly those from Sderot, flourishing at our summer camp, knowing we provide them with an experience filled with joy and fun.
May we be able to continue helping these kids and building up their fortitude and resilience.
