A Singular Graduation Ceremony

July 4, 2007 / 18 Tammuz 5767

 Being a youth counselor in the Gaza perimeter communities is about more than just supervising or befriending children- it’s about helping them cope with a constant fear resulting from their region’s volatile security situation.  To help equip counselors with these skills, the Jewish Agency funded special seminars that trained 30 of the region’s youths to serve as assistant counselors at camps this summer.  Throughout the program, the counselors were taught how to respond to the needs of their charges, and participants were awarded counselor badges upon completion of the program, to verify their preparedness for the challenges ahead.  In this picture, the newly-inducted counselors exhibit their enthusiasm and excitement about using the Jewish Agency’s training to make a meaningful contribution to the lives of their young charges.