How US Jewish summer camps are preparing to welcome Israeli staff — many fresh from war

• Published date: 10 April 2024
• Author: JACOB GURVIS/JTA
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

Then came Oct. 7, when one of Vaknin's cousins was killed in the Nova music festival massacre. He returned home immediately, stepping away from his job as a long-term emissary at the Richmond, Virginia, Jewish federation to be with his family

After he landed in Israel, he began hearing from his campers — around 20 of whom called, emailed or sent videos to check in. They said, "We love you and we miss you," he recalled. "We hope to see you this summer," some wrote.

"First of all, it made me cry," Vaknin told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. "Because I realized that — pardon my French — but it made me realize that, 'F—, I love those kids so much. So much. I miss them so much.'"

Now, Vaknin plans to return to Sprout Lake. He's looking forward to being in a "known familiar place." But he also realizes that his time at camp will not be an escape from the war.

"Coming and talking about it as if it's something that's in the past because now we're at summer camp — no," Vaknin said. "And telling us, 'Put it aside, you're in a summer camp' — no. I don't want to, and I will not, put it aside."

That mix of feelings is common to the estimated 1,500 Israelis — most ages 20 to 23 — who will work at Jewish camps across North America this year, according to those tasked with placing and training the emissaries, known in Hebrew as shlichim. While the number of roles has remained steady, the Jewish Agency for Israel, which runs emissary placement, says more Israelis applied to work at camps this summer than in any previous year.

Those who are hired will arrive at camp after months of living under fire — and in some cases after fighting in Gaza. Once there, they will contend not only with their own mental and emotional burdens, but also with the challenge of explaining the war to campers and American staff. That's in addition to the linguistic and cultural barriers emissaries face every year.

"The conversations I'm having with camps are mostly about, how are we going to take care of the shlichim? What do we need to know and how can we be more sensitive?" Gal Atia, who runs the shlichim program for the Jewish Agency, told JTA.

"A lot of them are coming right out of the army and from an intense experience, for everyone in Israel, but especially for that age group," Atia added. "They aren't experienced educators, or experienced people, that they can handle, necessarily, to hear everything."

Atia is in the midst of a series of seminars for American camp directors, many of whom...