With the support of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Supporting Foundation, the Jewish Agency for Israel is continuing its Campers2Gether program. The initiative cultivates a sense of peoplehood and connectedness for Israeli and North American Jewish youth, with that closeness bridging the distance that separates them across the Atlantic.
For the second year running, Campers2Gether will bring 700 Israeli teenagers from the country’s southern and northern confrontation lines to Jewish overnight camps throughout North America this summer.
It begins a three-year, $2.5 million annual matching commitment from the Mandel Foundation, ensuring that thousands of Israeli and North American teens will have the chance to connect in an authentic and lasting way. The program is made possible through partnerships with local Jewish federations and summer camps throughout North America.
Campers2Gether embodies the Jewish Agency’s mission and work for more than 95 years to ensure that every Jew feels connected to the Jewish people, has a strong sense of Jewish identity, and feels a living connection to the Jewish state; and that all of Israel’s citizens are cared for and empowered.
Additionally, Campers2Gether plays a key educational role in helping younger Jews worldwide discover the real Israel, as opposed to the content and messages they encounter on social media. The program is filling a major void as young North American Jews are currently missing out on critical face-to-face interactions with everyday Israelis because trips to the country have been scarce during the Swords of Iron War.
At the same time, Campers2Gether enables Israeli teens to momentarily step away from trauma and to build resilience amid the current war by offering them the opportunity to connect with their peers from North America in a deeply personal way.
“Campers2Gether is the ultimate mifgash (‘cultural exchange’), taking place in the most natural setting possible: Jewish summer camp. We saw the tremendous impact of this immersive experience on youth from Israel and North America alike last summer,” said Yehuda Setton, CEO of the Jewish Agency. “Simultaneously, the continuation of this program means that it is poised to make a deep and enduring impact on Israeli society. With more than 2,000 Israeli teenagers expected to participate during the next three years, Campers2Gether will play a major role in building the Israeli people’s long-term resilience.”
Israeli campers ages 14 to 15 will travel in cohorts of up to 20, accompanied by trained madrichim (‘counselors’) and mental-health professionals to ensure a safe and supportive environment. Over two weeks, they will fully integrate into camp life, experiencing outdoor adventures, cultural programming, and communal moments that deepen their connection to their North American peers. Pre- and post-camp sessions will extend the program’s impact.
“We are gratified to support Campers2Gether, the Jewish Agency’s critically important initiative that enables Jewish youth in Israel and North America to flourish in the most challenging of times,” said Jehuda Reinharz, president and CEO of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation. “Campers2Gether leverages the power of the immersive Jewish summer camp experience to ensure that members of the young generation in our community—representing our next generation of leaders—form meaningful relationships that will last a lifetime.”
The Mandel Foundation’s investment enables the Jewish Agency to oversee recruitment, staffing, training, travel and mental-health support for Israeli participants. Meanwhile, the Jewish Agency is calling on Jewish overnight camps across North America to open their bunks to Israeli teens and urging Federations to join this effort by partnering with local camps. Interested summer camps can still apply for the program.
“Campers2Gether represents an essential collaboration with our core partner, the Jewish Agency, that advances our goal to strengthen both Israeli society and North American Jewish communities following the Oct. 7 attacks,” said Eric Fingerhut, president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America. “We are proud and grateful that 700 Israeli teens will once again receive a much-needed respite from the war while they build relationships with thousands of their North American peers at one of our community’s hallmarks: Jewish camp.”
According to research from Mosaic United, Campers2Gether had a profound impact on teens from North America last summer—inspiring them to want to visit Israel; significantly increasing their feelings of connection to Israel; and expanding their knowledge of Israeli culture, traditions, and society.