Home / See, Read & Share / Federation News

Sep 4, 2024

Israeli Teens from Gaza Border Communities Attended US Camps, Thanks to Campers2Gether

This summer, hundreds of Israeli teens from Gaza border communities attended summer camp in the US, thanks to Campers2Gether, a program of Federation overseas partner The Jewish Agency for Israel. Many of the participants, which included 10 groups from the Eshkol region, one of the hardest-hit communities on October 7, are facing severe trauma and anxiety due to the war. Thus, the Israelis were placed in one of 30 Jewish summer camps together with their classmates. Each cohort also included a mental health professional from their region. The Campers2Gether program has two primary goals: to remove teens from the war zone and provide them with a happy summer, and to create a sense of peoplehood between Israeli and Diaspora teens, so both groups know they are not alone. “Spending time with these kids … was gratifying in a way that is almost indescribable,” said Michael Schlank, CEO of New Jersey Y Camps. “I’ll never forget sitting next to a young boy outside an event because the music was too loud. Tears streamed down his face … It’s both happy and sad at the same time.”

Healing a Traumatized Nation and its People

Healing a Traumatized Nation and its People

Since the barbaric attacks of October 7, providing mental health services and rebuilding individual, communal and national resilience have been priorities.

Read More

Bringing Israelis Together

Bringing Israelis Together

Demonstrating the power of connection, Federation’s longtime partnership city of Yerucham recently hosted a visit from residents of Kibbutz Or HaNer, a community on the Gaza border hit hard on October 7.

Read More

Subscribe to PJ Library for Free Books


Subscribe to PJ Library for Free Books


With a free subscription to PJ Library, children from birth to eight years old receive Jewish storybooks and activities that spark conversations around Judaism and inspire the whole family to celebrate what they love about Jewish life.

Read More

Nominate an Outstanding Teen

Nominate an Outstanding Teen

Do you know an extraordinary Jewish teen who is a true changemaker? Each year, the Helen Diller Family Foundation awards 15 Jewish teens with $36,000 in recognition of their exceptional leadership and engagement in service projects that embody the value of tikkun olam (repairing the world).

Read More

Stay in Touch

Receive news about Greater Miami Jewish Federation events and more.