Across North America, nearly 200,000 young people are attending Jewish day or overnight camps this summer. Israel and Israelis play a crucial role in the camp experience: Dozens of camps, and nearly 1,000 teens, had planned trips to Israel this summer, and 2,050 Israeli shlichim (“emissaries”) were scheduled to work at Jewish camps.
The Israel-Iran war upended plans for hundreds of camps. And while the resumption of some flights and coordinated efforts by the Jewish Agency for Israeli (JAFI) mean that by now, most shlichim are at camp or will soon arrive, most camps who planned to travel to Israel have been forced to cancel their trips and scramble to find alternatives on short notice and at higher prices.
“The fact that we were able to raise $2 million in less than a week is a testament to the resilience and generosity of our community,” said Jamie Simon, acting CEO of Foundation for Jewish Camp. “While nothing can fully replace the experience of being in Israel with your fellow campers, this emergency funding will ensure that hundreds of Jewish teens still have powerful, identity-shaping Jewish experiences this summer.”
FJC anticipates disbursing this emergency funding to dozens of camps serving nearly 750 teens as part of this emergency funding. Other alternative travel programs in lieu of an Israel trip include a Jewish history and leadership development trip to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest that includes a stop at Camp Szarvas, an international Jewish camp in Hungary, as well as another camp that is traveling to Argentina.
“Earlier this month, 34 rising 12th-graders were scheduled to leave on a five-week trip to Israel,” said Jane-Rachel Schonbrun, director of Camp Yavneh. Despite a tremendous amount of disappointment, we are very happy that nearly all participants are joining us for an alternative leadership capstone experience at camp. We are grateful to FJC and the many members of our community who have made donations to offset our losses, allowing us to reimagine this core part of our campers’ Jewish journey.”
FJC has also facilitated stop-gap staffing options for camps facing a sudden shortfall because of the delay in shlichim arriving in North America. Some 1,250 shlichim were already at camps when the war broke out, but another 850 weren’t. That left camps that start later in the summer, especially those in the Midwest and Northeast, with a gap in their workforce.
In less than 72 hours, FJC rallied over 1,200 people who said they were willing to work or volunteer. Alums, typically loyal to their own camp, said they were willing to go wherever they’d be needed the most. Ultimately, FJC referred 400 highly qualified individuals to camps. These included people whose own travel to Israel was upended by the war—from a future lone soldier who was supposed to work for Magen David Adom this summer to a number of young people who were slated to compete in the canceled Maccabiah Games.
“FJC has been instrumental in helping us meet critical staffing needs this summer at a sensitive time,” said David Weiss, executive director of Habonim Dror Camp Galil.“Their quick mobilization of national support introduced us to passionate, capable young adults who have become invaluable members of our team. We’re incredibly grateful for FJC’s partnership and the positive impact it’s had on our Galil community.”
The foundation has also established partnerships with organizations like Maccabi USA and Birthright Israel to offer participants in their programs, which are facing widespread cancellations, the opportunity to work at camp this summer.