Forty children from Dnipro recently enjoyed 10 days of fun, relaxation, adventures, and connecting with their Jewish heritage and values. The experience was more important than ever to help kids escape the daily stress and trauma of war and enjoy a bit of normalcy.
The theme for this year’s camp centered around the book "Pirkei Avot" ("The teachings of the fathers"), and featured an exciting journey where campers discovered real treasures- knowledge, wisdom, thinking, the ability to make good choices, teamwork, self-worth, and responsibility for self and others. Lessons centered around the story of a mysterious island, and a hidden cave filled with the world’s most important items- not gold and jewels, but knowledge and meaning, which makes a person stronger and wiser.
Each day of camp was filled with workshops and activities for children to not only learn new things and express themselves in new ways, interacting with peers, and fostering relationships. For many kids, the sports and field activities were the most exciting, while others really enjoyed the trips to the rope park, the cinema, and the zoo! Not a day went by that didn’t include a variety of fun summer adventures.
In addition to the participants, the camp offered wonderful opportunities for high school students to intern and gain experience working with children; serving as role models and mentors; and helping create a warm, safe and inspiring atmosphere for children.
"This is not the first year in our community that the J-Summer camp is held with great success, implemented with support from Jewish Relief Network Ukraine," says the head of J-Summer in Dnipro Adina Seldina. “We tried to give children ten days of a wonderful Jewish atmosphere, combining fun with learning, games and important moral values,” she continued.
It is a privilege to help provide the children of Ukraine with an opportunity to enjoy their summer break from school and escape the daily challenges of the ongoing crisis.
Together we save lives and restore hope.
