Jewish Camping Builds Community Across Europe, Israel and the FSU
Source: eJewish Philanthropy
eJewish Philanthropy is giving coverage to Jewish camping activities across Europe, Israel and the countries of the Former Soviet Union. This piece tells of more than 130 family and youth retreats and Shabbat weekends across 20 countries in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union that provide summer excursions focused on Jewish learning and outdoor adventures for nearly 15,000 Jewish children and their families provided with the help of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee’s (JDC).
JDC summer programs are based in Europe in Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and the Balkans. Across the Former Soviet Union, retreats take place in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
Among other things, JDC summer programs offer toddlers, teenagers, and their families Jewish educational experiences combined with art, drama, English language studies, computers, sports, dancing and music. Children from the full spectrum of Jewish affiliation, from large cities and remote villages, experience a renewed commitment to their Jewish heritage.
eJewish Philanthropy covers other summer camp programs geared to the Russian-Jewish community here.