Camp Simcha children create mural in solidarity with Surfside community

The campers, who are fighting severe illness like cancer, arranged for an activity of graffiti painting to produce a mural in unity with the community affected by last week's condominium collapse.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Camp Simcha children created a mural for the Surfside community (photo credit: MICAH WEINMAN)
Camp Simcha children created a mural for the Surfside community
(photo credit: MICAH WEINMAN)
Staff and campers at "Camp Simcha Without Borders," a summer program run by Chai Lifeline in Miami, were eager to help as soon as they learned of the deadly building collapse in the neighboring town Surfside. 
The campers, who are fighting severe illnesses like cancer, arranged for an activity of graffiti painting to produce a tribute mural in solidarity with the community affected by last week's condominium collapse, which has claimed the lives of at least 12 residents, with 150 still unaccounted for. 
Matthew Weisbaum, Southeast Regional Director for Chai Lifeline, said that the children used their perseverance and strength to create the mural and bring hope to Surfside's reeling community. 
“Chai Lifeline kids know a thing or two about adversity and overcoming trauma and crisis as they’ve encountered personal challenges like medical diagnoses and the loss of loved ones and overcome traumas like chemotherapy,” Weisbaum said. 
The campers, with assistance from Sprays and Strokes, a local mural artist company, produced the mural with a theme of “Strong Together” that will now be displayed in Surfside for rescue crews and families of the victims. 
 
Camp Simcha Without Borders, which runs throughout several communities across the United States and Israel, is providing 1,200 campers with an action-packed summer. It was created in 2020 as a spin-off of Camp Simcha, Chai Lifeline's camp in New York, because of travel limitations during the coronavirus pandemic. 


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