Friends of the IDF is hosting their annual legacy summer camp trip, which reached record enrollment numbers this year. The entire program consists of 340 participants in total, made up of 250 campers, 70 counselors and IDF commanders.
32 Israeli youth who lost family members on or since October 7 will arrive to the US on Thursday for a 10-day experience, either immersed in a classic American summer camp, or traveling on a road trip.
FIDF Legacy camp hopes to foster community
This specialized initiative offers these children the opportunity to find friendship, support, and a sense of community with fellow campers and counselors who have experienced similar traumas and experiences.
“FIDF supports thousands of bereaved families who have suffered the devastating loss of a loved one killed during military service," said Steve Weil, FIDF's chief executive officer. "It is a sacred honor for us to offer support and open our homes and hearts to the Legacy campers.”
The camp’s goal is for participants to appreciate moments of happiness separated from the grief that has enveloped their families while also providing them with the support and community that can assist them in the healing process and coping with their loss.
IDF Casualty Unit officers to join campers
Officers from the IDF’s Casualty Unit accompany the campers throughout their 10-day stay, and the counselors themselves are graduates of the program.
Because of the October 7 attacks by Hamas and the subsequent war, this year's initiative is significantly larger than the previous ones. This year’s program has an influx of children who’ve suffered the traumatic loss of a loved one.
Some of these children have lost multiple family members from the kibbutzim where massacres took place, having witnessed the atrocities firsthand and lost their community, homes, and belongings.
“The program provides these youth with a transformative opportunity to bond with peers who understand their loss," said Weil. "They’ll make friends with other bereaved children, finding joy and support amidst shared experiences of grief."
FIDF program increases age eligibility for camp
While the program was previously designed for b’nei mitzvah-aged children, this year, for the first time, the program has added three road trips across the East and West coasts for 15–16-year-olds on top of the three camp delegations.
After landing, this week’s campers will go to Capital Camps, a Jewish facility in Waynesboro, Penn., where American campers will welcome them. They will spend 10 days participating in a range of camp activities, including a visit to Washington, D.C., where they will tour and spend Shabbat with members of the Jewish community, and a day at the Six Flags amusement park and a day traveling to New York City to sightsee and watch a Broadway show.
"For the children and siblings of fallen soldiers, carrying such grief can be incredibly isolating, but through camp activities and travel, participants find solace and moments of normalcy in their journeys of healing," said Weil.