Climbing the wall: a student at a Nitzana summer camp relishes an outdoor challenge

Youth Aliyah’s villages held a series of summer camps in June and July which enabled students to enjoy treats their parents could never afford and better prepare for the coming school year. Both Ben Yakir and Kiryat Yearim received funding collected during Yom Tov, from the Keshet TV broadcasting company, through the Spirit of Israel.

At Ben Yakir these summer programs included computer, sports and horse-riding camps, which were attended by more than 80 of the village's pupils. In addition a preparatory camp was held for new students. At Kiryat Yearim special summer camps were held for students at Nitzana and Caesarea as well as within the framework of the Etgarim program, which is funded by the Greater Detroit Jewish Federation. There was also a summer camp for the village’s female students within the empowerment program funded by the Israeli Lion of Judah Women through the Spirit of Israel.

At Ramat Hadassah Szold activities were held throughout the summer for students who had no home support environment, while there were the young leadership camps and a preparation camp for 90 new students. At Hadassah Neurim there were also the full range of summer camps for current and future pupils including the annual program for disadvantaged children from Petach Tikvah’s Dado and Yoseftal neighborhoods with funding from the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston. Hadassah Neurim made a significant profit by renting out its seafront campus for Magen David Adom courses and launched a successful new venture by leasing dormitory buildings as summer lodges for the ultra-orthodox community.

Nitzana hosted a record 1,700 children and youth during the summer. These included 1,000 teenagers from development towns within the framework of its "Science in the Desert" programs. The SACTA-RASHI Foundation and Yom Tov contributed to these camps. In addition Nitzana hosted 100 teenagers from ORT Schools in a camp that had US Jewish counselors, and a multi-ethnic pluralistic camp that included yeshiva students, Bedouin and secular Israelis. Nitzana also hosted 400 youngsters from Sderot and Gush Katif for a week’s relaxation away from the "raketot" missiles being regularly launched by Palestinians towards their homes.

Kislev 5765 - November 2004