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The original article is published at JNS.org

Julie Finkelstein of the Foundation for Jewish Camp says “there is lots of interest on the part of Israelis wanting to come, but they are still waiting,” due to the ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza.

When Jacob Cytryn, executive director of Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, was asked to share a story of the camp’s strong connections to Israel with the hundreds of delegates at the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s Leaders Assembly in Atlanta in December 2022, he recounted an emotional night in June 1967, just days after Israel’s stunning victory in the Six-Day War.

“Around midnight, the group of Israeli shlichim (‘emissaries’) descended from their rickety bus in the still, pitch-black Northwoods of Wisconsin after a trip that must have taken nearly 10 hours from the airport in Chicago and over a day since they departed from Israel. Exhausted, they walked into the auditorium, and the lights flicked on, and the entire camp erupted in cheers, song and dance. That June of 1967 changed the Jewish world. Many campers of that generation made aliyah and others felt forever connected to the promise of the modern Jewish state. And, 50 years later, their descendants in this room—in leadership and Jewish identity-building—still grapple with the miracle of Israel’s stunning victory and the thorny, complex and unresolved political and military morass it left in its wake.”

This summer, nearly 60 years after that war in Israel, Jewish summer-camp directors across North America are hoping that Israeli shlichim—an important source of inspiration, Israel education and experience, and labor—will show up this summer. If and when they do, the campers and counselors will be ready for them. After all, they, too, have had a challenging year. All three groups will arrive seeking the solace and sense of community that American Jewish summer camping has offered for generations.

Cytryn and fellow camp directors are hard at work preparing for a summer they hope will have Israelis on staff, as they have for decades.

Still, uncertainties remain due to Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip, “Operation Swords of Iron,” which started on Oct. 7—Shabbat and Simchat Torah morning—after the infiltration of Hamas terrorists across the border and into southern Jewish communities, murdering 1,200 men, women and children, and taking some 250 hostages (134 who still remain captive, with 32 confirmed dead).

At a summer camp run by the Union for Reform Judaism. Credit: URJ Camps.

And given the current realities in both Israel and North America, planning for this summer involves much more than recruiting Israelis, planning programs and outings, and purchasing food, basketballs and life jackets. Camps are also investing a great deal of time on staff training, camper and staff care, and security.

According to Julie Finkelstein, senior director of program strategy and innovation at the Foundation for Jewish Camp, “camps are moving full-steam ahead and want to hire Israelis, but they know the new shlichim are still up in the air due to the army/miluim [reservist service] and school. There is lots of interest on the part of Israelis wanting to come, but they are still waiting.”

The camps remain both optimistic and realistic, focusing on staffing since these issues affect operations.

“The camps are discussing how we responsibly tell the story of the past year with or without shlichim,” acknowledges Finkelstein.

The facilities are also bringing in security personnel to make sure that the grounds are as safe and secure as possible, and also working on an initiative with the Jewish Agency for Israel to bring 750 campers from areas near Gaza—along with staff and mental-health professionals—to Jewish camps this summer.

Still, Finkelstein notes, “there is less panic than you may think.”

FJC sees these unusual times as an opportunity. “It’s been a while since we’ve had to focus not on health and safety, but on what we are about—mission, vision and values.” As part of this process, FJC has planned two Israel trips for camp professionals so they can “bear witness and understand what is happening,” as well as show solidarity and help them “better talk about Israel at camp.”

Kids at Camp Ramah in the Rockies. Credit: Camp Ramah in the Rockies.

‘Grow, develop and not worry’

For some camps, talking about Israel will be natural and close to home.

Alan Silverman, who lives in Alon Shvut—a Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria—and has been serving as director of Camp Moshava in Honesdale, Pa., for 38 years, reports that his camp is filled with Israeli staff and kids, including families who live in Israel. This summer, he is also expecting to include two groups of 40 campers displaced from the communities near Gaza, accompanied by Israeli staff members.

They will naturally be able to share firsthand stories of the current realities of Israel; nonetheless, Silverman faces many uncertainties as he plans for June, July and August. “The adults who made aliyah and are not army-eligible, and their young kids who are too young to serve, they will come. For the others, we don’t know,” he says. “I have some excellent staff from the woodworking, education and ropes programs who were all called up for army service. And we started doing interviews—out of 50, 45 were women—most men are in the army now.”

Counselors at Ramah Day Camp in Nyack, N.Y. Credit: Ramah Day Camp in Nyack.

Silverman, who usually expects staff members to honor their commitments to camp, is prepared to be especially flexible this season: “Everybody has family, friends and boyfriends in the army. They may not want to come, or they may need to go back.”

He has a number of mental-health professionals on staff, including many who live and work in Israel, and “understand the Israeli psyche and speak Hebrew.” They include psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, social workers and those who have experience working with the army and with people grappling with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Silverman, who expects to have 1,600 people in camp for the first session—noting in the same breath that he almost never leaves camp during the summer—will also be concentrating on the Jewish state. “I have three boys in the army. If things heat up, I may have to fly back and forth. Luckily, I have wonderful staff.”

For now, he is focused on all things camp-related. He is recruiting staff, reviewing security protocols and shifting educational curricula. While educational programming usually follows a five-year cycle, this year they will move to their “Shevet Achim” curriculum, which incorporates knowledge of Israel and antisemitism.

Silverman and other camp directors have not lost sight of the goals and importance of camp, saying kids need it now more than ever. Still, he said, “we need it to be a safe environment so campers can learn about and practice Judaism, have a great time, grow, develop and not worry.”

Celebrating “Israel Day” at Camp Ramah in California. Credit: Camp Ramah in California.

‘Coming to get away from it all’

Helene Drobenare-Horwitz, executive director of the Young Judea Sprout Camps, agrees and is already planning a week where staff both “own” the current realities and put them aside so they can create a strong, sound environment for their campers.

“There’s never been a year like this,” she attests. “There has never been an Oct. 7 or a year like this in the United States with such an uptick in antisemitism.” While Drobenare-Horwitz is sensitive to and preparing for the needs of her Israeli staff and campers, she points out that “we are preparing to support all staff—not just Israelis. There has been trauma on both sides of the ocean.”

At camp, one full day will be devoted to MESH (Mental, Emotional and Social Health) training. Drobenare-Horwitz  is working closely with trauma specialists to help create a “space for staff to unpack it and actively work on how to move forward.”

She feels strongly about stating that “we, as a Jewish people, have been through trauma.”

Once staff members begin to understand that trauma and work through it, they will be prepared to offer campers the experience they are coming for. After all, “camp is a place for kids. Lots will happen over the summer. We don’t want staff stopping every 10 minutes to check the news. Parents are not sending their kids to camp for that. They are coming to get away from it all.”

Havdalah at a summer camp run by the Union for Reform Judaism. Credit: URJ Camps.

Drobenare-Horwitz shares the expectation that staff be “fully present” at the interview. “I tell them, ‘If you can’t do that, this may not be the camp for you.” In interviewing Israelis to work at camp, she asks more questions than in past years so she has a better understanding of where they have been this year and how they have been impacted by the situation in Israel. “Did they serve? If not, did they volunteer? How was their family affected?” And she is conducting all interviews in person.

She remains keenly aware of the responsibilities that she and her team face this summer—much different than in other years. Namely, she states, the issue is how do we take care of the Jewish people?

“There are lots of different traumas coming to camp this summer—Israeli kids coming to camp, Americans who spent the year in Israel and (American) kids with stories of antisemitism,” she notes.

In the Reform movement, Ruben Arquilevich, vice president for Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) camps, National Federation of Temple Youth (NIFTY) and Immersives is proud that thousands of Israeli participants have cultivated deep friendships, community and sacred Jewish learning at our camps over the decades.

“These connections are year-round and lifelong,” he says.

In preparing for the summer, Arquilevich expects that the numbers of shlichim will be lower than in past years due to army reserve duty but points to “the great interest in Israeli teens joining Jewish camps across North America this summer.”

Celebrating Israel pride at Camp Ramah in the Poconos. Credit: Courtesy of the Foundation for Jewish Camp.

‘Boundaries, guidelines, tools, resources’

He explains that Campers2Gether (C2G)—a new partnership between the Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC), the Jewish Agency for Israel and Mosaic United—aims to bring 75 groups of 20 Israeli teens (a total of 1,500) entering grades nine and 10, along with two group leaders and one MESSH support specialist per group, into second-session or post-camp environments for two-week visits to Jewish overnight camps across North America.

This program is designed specifically for teens who have been displaced from the Gaza Envelope in Israel’s south and the border with Lebanon in the north. In addition, the URJ Camps are continuing their longstanding partnership with the Israel Movement for Progressive and Reform Judaism (IMPJ), thanks to a generous anonymous donor, Reform and Progressive communities and congregations across Israel to URJ Camps for four-week camp experiences.

Passing around challah at a summer camp run by the Union for Reform Judaism Credit: URJ Camps.

Arquilevich says that “in preparation for the summer, we are developing culture and skills-building opportunities to create communities of belonging, including safety around diverse perspectives.” He stresses the need to provide a safe, educational environment for discussing Israel “while also setting clear boundaries, guidelines, tools, resources for staff in the camp environment.”

Back at Ramah Wisconsin, 57 years after those Israeli heroes of the Six-Day War arrived at camp, Jacob Cytryn is preparing for his Israeli delegation. Like his colleagues across the Jewish camping world, he acknowledges that he may not know until just before camp starts just how many Israelis will arrive.

Cytryn and his team are also preparing their “curricular response” to recent events in both Israel and North America. “I know cabin-age staff may want a break from the onslaught of the year, but I feel as an educator, we have a mandate to our parents to respond educationally.” While the details have not been fully worked out, he is clear about one thing: “We will adopt the theme of Kol Yisrael areivim zeh bah zeh—“All Jews are responsible for each other!”

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The original article is published at JPost.com

Broza performed Monday evening at a benefit at City Winery for Israel ParaSport Center, an organization he has been connected to since age seven.

David Broza has been performing for weeks in Israel and Spain, but he made sure to be back to New York in time to receive an award and play a very special acoustic show for an organization that has been dear to him from the days of his childhood in Tel Aviv.

Broza performed Monday evening at a benefit at City Winery for Israel ParaSport Center, an organization he has been connected to since age seven, when his father, who helped establish the center, regularly brought young David to hang out with Israelis with disabilities.

“I am still in touch with some of them until today,” Broza, 68, tells The Jerusalem Post minutes after landing in the US from Spain, three days ahead of his New York private show.

Thanks to his childhood experiences, the internationally renowned singer-songwriter, who has recorded over 40 albums and is best known for his 1977 song “Yihye Tov,” is as comfortable with people with disabilities as he is writing and performing songs for audiences around the world.

(credit: HADAS PARUSH)

Broza’s biography

BROZA WAS born in Haifa and grew up in Tel Aviv and Madrid, while also spending one year in England. His father, Arthur Broza, had a sister in England with cerebral palsy. This inspired his work with Moshe Rashkes, a close friend who was seriously wounded in the War of Independence. Rashkes went on to found and remain active with the center (known until 2021 as Israel Sport Center for the Disabled) for over 50 years, until his death six years ago at age 90.

David Broza reflects on how his father came to be involved with the Israel ParaSport Center in Ramat Gan, where 3,000 people with physical disabilities annually attend and compete in such competitive parasports as basketball, tennis, swimming and archery.

“He thought, if they [his sister and family members] ever came to Israel to live, they should have a club.”

Rashkes’s son, Arik, who with his wife, Orly, served as cochairmen of the New York event, recalls hearing stories of Arthur bringing his sister to the pool and “falling in love with the center.”

Arthur Broza regularly helped in many areas of the center, including fundraising and assisting with the yearly swim across the Sea of Galilee.

For young David, spending days and summers with people with disabilities “seemed natural and was fun.” He notes that “people with disabilities don’t feel sorry for themselves” and that they “fight to be active.”

He recalls pitching in at the club wherever he could be helpful. “I pushed and carried wheelchairs, picked up balls… there is no end to what a sports club needs people to do.”

Broza is proud of what the center offers people with disabilities and notes that “given the right environment, people can become successful.”

He fondly recalls participating in the yearly swim across the Sea of Galilee with participants from the center. “From the time I was seven or eight, I would swim across with them. My father and the executives were in a speedboat. It was a thrill and great fun to swim across with everyone!”

Broza also enjoyed attending summer camp with his sister, Talia, and with participants from the center. He emphasized that while neighborhood children attended camps with nondisabled children, he and Talia spent their summers with children with disabilities. “It was natural. It was a no-brainer!”

While spending so much time with people with disabilities was comfortable and natural for Broza, he notes that “society doesn’t look at it as natural.

“There is a lot of work to be done. The Israeli government needs to continue to work to bring awareness to what they [people with disabilities] need and to treat them as equals.” He emphasizes the need to “bring in funds” and “speak for them” and stresses that he will continue doing his part until he is no longer able to.

Each year, Broza returns to “Spivak” to perform for participants and their families. Many continue to refer to the Israel ParaSport Center as Spivak, a tribute to an early donor after whom a building is named. Broza notes that while the army has its own system of supporting soldiers who become disabled, there will likely be a 30% increase in people coming to the center for services and programs.

LORI KOMISAR, national president of Israel ParaSport Center, strongly believes that “David Broza is part of the center family.” She notes his father’s role as one of the center’s founders, that David has been coming to the center since age seven, and is pleased that he “has continued coming every year since.”

Komisar captures Broza’s active role during his visits. “David sits with the children on opening day, plays guitar, and sings with them. He is a source of inspiration and hope. He would probably say they are his source of inspiration and hope. David opens his heart and devotes his time and energy, and helps build awareness and support for us. But it goes beyond this and beyond the music. It’s all about the love for the children.”

Arik Rashkes, son of the center’s founder and a current board member, recalls also growing up at the center and receiving David Broza music CDs from his father, Arthur. Arik and David are now friends, and Arik stresses what “an integral part of the heart and soul of the center” Broza continues to be.

At the City Winery event, guests learned of the center’s impact from two elite wheelchair tennis players – Amit Vigoda and Ibrahim Baho. Israeli reservist Shalom Zoor, who recently returned to Tel Aviv after serving four months in Gaza, spoke of the important bond between Diaspora and Israeli Jews, and he thanked the audience for its continued support.

Rashkes then presented Broza with a piece of art as the Moshe Rashkes Heroes of Life Recipient. Broza then shared stories and performed a 10-song acoustic set, which included “Ha’isha She’iti,” “Bedouin Love Song,” and “Yihye Tov,” with an additional verse to reflect hope for the future in Israel.

Broza had planned to spend this past fall touring to mark the 40th anniversary of his album Ha’isha She’iti, but canceled the tour when the war broke out.

He has performed more than 200 shows in Israel since the start of the October 7 war. He similarly mobilized to entertain soldiers and others during previous times of difficulty in Israel, including the First Lebanon War (1982).

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The original article was published at Jpost.com

While there was some uncertainty several months ago as to whether Friday’s events would take place, Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion issued a statement strongly encouraging the event to proceed.

When Israel was attacked on October 7, and all of Israel subsequently joined the war effort, the participants of Tsad Kadima, a program with branches throughout Israel serving people with cerebral palsy, knew they needed to get involved.

“Since the war started, they saw people doing things for soldiers, for evacuees and for families of the hostages, explained Tsad Kadima CEO Guy Solomon. “They felt like they wanted to be part of the volunteer movement. They can’t join the army or raise funds, so they came up with some of their own ideas.”

Program participants started by making packages at home for soldiers – much like they had done during the COVID-19 pandemic when they gave out candies to medical staff at Hadassah hospital. And they movingly paid tribute to brewer Netta Epstein, 22, who was killed when he jumped on a grenade to save his fiancée at Kfar Aza on October 7. The participants at the Jerusalem branch of Tsad Kadima, who proudly run the Bira Kadima microbrewery, are using Epstein’s special beer recipe to honor his memory.

This week, Tsad Kadima – which hopes to soon break ground on a three-floor community center in the Talpiot neighborhood of Jerusalem – was participating in the 13th International Jerusalem Winner Marathon. The 10 Tsad Kadima participants planned to cover the course in wheelchairs, crutches and walkers.

“It will take us a while,” Solomon noted affectionately – but that is hardly the point. “For us, it is to raise awareness, and to run in memory of soldiers.”

AMONG THE thousands of participants in Friday’s 13th annual Jerusalem Marathon were groups representing noteworthy charitable and care organizations such as Tsad Kadima. (credit: Courtesy)

A record showing

A record number of 5,000 participants were expected to run in Friday’s community race. A total of 30,000 runners were slated to participate in the event, which according to the Jerusalem Municipality was held this year as a tribute to the IDF, security forces and rescue teams. Registration to the marathon was offered free for IDF soldiers, security forces and rescue teams, including reservists who served or are currently serving. Spouses and children of reservists who served or are currently serving received a 50% discount on registration fees.

A large team of visually impaired runners who also have cognitive, developmental and/or physical disabilities – as well as staff members from the Keren Or Jerusalem Center for Blind Children with Multiple Disabilities – were also participating in the marathon to show support and solidarity for soldiers and to raise awareness about blindness and visual impairments.

Participants from Keren Or, which was founded in 1975 and has been part of Jerusalem’s Ramot neighborhood since 1991, are running for the second consecutive year.

According to Keren Or’s director, Shira Reifman, her organization participates simply “to be part of this amazing Jerusalem event – with all of Jerusalem and all of our families.”

She noted that very often, siblings of people with disabilities are left out of community events (geared for people with disabilities) due to the extra preparation and attention the disabled person needs.

“We felt that there should be a group to make participation of parents and siblings – as well as the person with a disability – possible.”

Reifman explained that people who are blind rely on other senses to experience the world, and the Jerusalem Marathon experience provides that.

“Our students love action and can sense movements. Many love fast movements and being at the heart of lots of activity. They love being part of a noisy, lebedik [lively, warm and enthusiastic] event!”

Coordinating a delegation of blind runners who will be participating in races at each distance requires attention to details.

“Some runners rely on music and other auditory signals to orient them on the route. One person is running using a donated wheelchair, and some require special foods, which we will have at our tent.”

For Reifman and her team, it is all worth it.

“It is important for us to be part of the community race alongside other families who participate in the community race.”

An additional benefit is helping raise awareness about Keren Or for the community.

“When we bring people with disabilities to the mainstream, people get to know their strengths and challenges. And they see that we are part of the community. People should see us and know what we do. That way, they will know where to turn.”

Training for the marathon has been another important part of the marathon experience. Reifman noted that it has provided an outlet and a distraction for many staff members who have spouses and children serving in Gaza. The staff members, along with Keren Or participants and volunteers from the Shalom Hartman Institute Hevruta Gap-Year Program, have been training for months for the races at each distance today.

While there was some uncertainty several months ago as to whether Friday’s events would take place, Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion issued a statement strongly encouraging the event to proceed.

“The strength of a society is measured by its ability to continue daily life in the face of challenges, alongside support for our dedicated soldiers fighting on the front lines. We all hope that peace, security, and tranquility will return to our beloved country quickly. Am Yisrael Chai, and we will not stop running.”

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The Original Article is posted at JPost.com

Adeena Sussman’s career has continued to take off since arriving in Israel. To date, she has authored or co-authored 15 cookbooks.

From the way Adeena Sussman sits in Café Tamati just outside the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv, ordering coffee for herself and guests, comfortably bantering with owner Miki Peretz and other customers in Hebrew, one might think she has been in Israel for decades. “She is like a dayeret [tenant]!” jokes Peretz.

Piled around the café are copies of her new book, Shabbat: Recipes and Rituals from My Table to Yours (released September 2023), which customers can purchase or peruse while drinking coffee. The author of 15 cookbooks is a fairly recent arrival in Tel Aviv, though she is very comfortable in her adopted home, where she is contributing to the food scene while also mentoring young women with aspirations in the food world.

Sussman and her family were always deeply connected to Israel and Jewish life. She playfully notes that she was “almost born in Israel” while her father was doing a post-doc in physics. Growing up in Palo Alto, California, the Sussmans were Sabbath observant and helped found the Orthodox synagogue there. Sussman attended the South Peninsula Hebrew Day School and participated in the Orthodox Jewish youth movement Bnei Akiva.

She still remembers her first trip to Israel in 1979, at age nine, where Esther Rosenzweig, the mother of a family friend, graciously hosted the family in her Jerusalem home. Sussman recalls sleeping on the couch and waking up each morning to the sounds of a muezzin calling Muslims to prayer. “I learned that there are all kinds of people in Israel.”

Sussman also attributes her first Israel food memory to Rosenzweig, who lived through the siege of Jerusalem. Rosenzweig shared stories of smuggling eggs in and out of the siege area to make Irish cream liqueur, which required a large number of eggs.

Adeena Sussman (credit: LISA RISCH)

Sussman returned to Israel on a Bnei Akiva teen tour. She came to Israel again for a gap year at Machon Gold, a seminary for Orthodox girls founded in 1958 that closed in 2008. She returned to the US to attend Boston University. She graduated in 1993 with a degree in communications and decided to move to Israel without a job lined up. The resourceful Sussman went to the alumni office and jotted down the names of all the graduates who lived in Israel.

Fortunately for Sussman, one alumna passed her contact information along to her husband, who was managing director of Channel 2 TV. “I got a job!” reports Sussman, who worked in the international department buying TV shows from the US.

AFTER LIVING in Jerusalem for five years, she decided to move to New York to pursue a career in the food industry. She worked as a freelancer for such publications as Time Out New York and The Jewish Week, and later as an account executive before landing a job as special projects manager at Gourmet magazine from 2001-2004.

Sussman furthered her education in the food world by attending the Institute for Culinary Education in New York from 2005 to 2006. She received her culinary certificate and interned at Kittichai, a restaurant that subsequently closed.

She continued developing recipes and writing freelance articles for such publications as Martha Stewart Living and the Off Duty section of The Wall Street Journal. She also continued following the Israel food scene. “Israeli food became a thing when I was in New York. My career progressed as Israeli food was (developing).”

An important career break, which led to enhanced exposure, took place when Sussman co-authored the cookbook Cravings in 2016 (and its sequel, Cravings: Hungry for More) with model and TV personality Chrissy Teigen.

Another important life event occurred when Sussman was set up on a blind date by a dear friend with longtime oleh and Tel Aviv resident Jay Shofet. He has lived in Israel for over 35 years and is the director of partnerships and development for the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel. He previously worked for Shatil: The New Israel Fund, the Jewish Agency for Israel, and other organizations.

They married in 2017, and Sussman came on aliyah in 2018. She notes playfully, “I moved back to Israel for love and stayed for the food,” though she adds, “From an aliyah perspective, I had concerns. You hear how hard it is to transfer careers.” She reminded herself that she had been working for herself for 10 years, she was used to working independently, and that location was not very important.

A career taking off after moving to Israel

Sussman’s career has continued to take off since arriving in Israel. To date, she has authored or co-authored 15 cookbooks, including her highly acclaimed 2019 Sababa: Fresh, Sunny Flavors from My Israeli Kitchen, and her recently released cookbook on Shabbat recipes and rituals.

Despite her popularity and success (three books have been New York Times bestsellers), Sussman is accessible and generous with her time. “One of the best parts of my job is working with young women in Israel interested in working in food – many I find through Instagram as followers. I have met the most incredible people – that is the inspiration.”

Many of these young women have become like family to Sussman. “I work from home – they become housemates!” They also provide needed technical assistance in the complex undertaking of developing recipes and writing a cookbook. “Writing a cookbook is a massive organizational project. They help with flow, spreadsheets, and cross-testing without outside people – all my weaknesses!”

Sussman loves Israel and is proud of her career trajectory here. “The world is so amazing. My career flourished in Israel. It took off here. It is such an incredible gift to do what I want in a place I love. To share it with the world is amazing.”

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