Summer camps in the shadow of the war: No longer fly far and pay a lot

In a summer as complex as this, the summer of 2024, which is taking place in the shadow of war, parents are afraid to send their children to summer camps far from home, and yet, this year, there is an increase in demand for informal educational settings for children and youth, apparently as a real need to disconnect from the situation, to change atmosphere, to remember that there is Life and hope is great to make friends and collect good experiences. One of the main goals of the Israel Summer Camps Forum is to provide opportunities for quality and professional informal education for Israeli children and youth, and to convey to them values such as respect for others, tolerance, empowerment and personal and social development.

According to the forum's guiding principles, you don't need to fly far and pay a lot to enjoy an unforgettable, safe and enveloping experience. The Summer Camps Israel forum, which leads over 40 summer camps throughout the country, offers the experience in a wide range of prices to suit every budget.

Among the summer camps presented by the forum, we found for example: 

"Youth to give" - a summer camp that will cost NIS 950 per camper for a period of 5 days (NIS 121 per day).

The summer camps of "Israeli Journey" - summer camps that will be held in cooperation with the local authorities and will cost NIS 1,500 for a period of 10 days (NIS 150 per day).

One Team Camp - a summer camp that will cost NIS 500 per camper for a period of 10 days (NIS 50 per day). and more...

Values of solidarity and social unity

The summer camps operated by the Summer Camps Israel Forum engrave on their flag the values of solidarity and social unity, among the camps is a camp that combines populations of children and youth at risk together with children with special needs, a camp that connects religious and secular youth through volunteering and joint activities, a volunteering camp for the community together with my sons and teenage girls from all sectors - Muslims, Jews, Christians and more.

The camps give boys and girls a meaningful and enriching experience, attractions and shared experiences, volunteering and meeting new friends from populations they have never met. The summer camps last about 10 days, which include accommodation and disconnection from the mobile phones. The disconnection, according to research by the forum, allows children to have a deep experience, to create strong friendships and connections to open up to opinions different from their own, which raises their feelings of ability and self-esteem and helps to connect different populations.

Camps for the evacuated communities

This year the forum did not operate only in the format of a summer setting for children, but mobilized to create unique camps that would be a safe place for the youth from the displaced communities. Out of the complex situation and distress that the displaced communities from the Gaza Strip and the north found themselves in, the need arose for an informal educational framework that would bring the displaced youth together with their peer group with whom they could process the emotions from the difficult period, have good and shared experiences with their friends and get a break from the situation.

The camps were a great success, 22 courses were implemented in which over 2,000 young men and women from the evacuated communities participated. And these camps will continue to operate throughout the coming summer alongside many other camps, with the aim of enabling all the youth in Israel to have an unforgettable summer and a positive experience in a complex reality. "You gave our children days of sanity in such a dark time," said one of the mothers. Forum Summer Camp and the local authorities donated over NIS 15 million to send thousands of evacuee youth to summer camps, so that the evacuee children could somehow experience a "normal" summer. 

For example, from a collaboration between Forum Summer Camp Israel and the Municipality of Sderot, over 700 youth went to summer camps at a cost of three million shekels, with 500 children joining the "Kimama" camp and 200 joining the "Masa Israeli" camp.

Going out for a break

Alon Davidi, Mayor of Sderot: "We thank the Israel Summer Camps Forum for the cooperation and the opportunity to take our children to summer camps after a difficult period and give them a special summer experience and a respite from the situation." Other summer camps for evacuee youth subsidized by the Forum and the authorities were at Shaar Hanegev, Hof Ashkelon, Kiryat Shmona. In addition, the forum mobilized to take thousands of reserve children to summer camps as well, at a cost of NIS 2,490 instead of NIS 5,000, when those who register will receive a refund of NIS 1,500."

Shona Goodman Son, founder of the organization: "Summer Camps are an amazing opportunity to empower children and lay strong foundations for their development." "This respite of a few days that disconnects them from the harsh reality allows them to open up, to change the atmosphere a little, to connect with friends they haven't seen and a little for themselves." For more details and to register for the summer camps