Many of the joys of a youth without responsibility or care have been stripped from children in Israel who have been touched by terrorism. After facing life-altering tragedies, some children are left emotionally scarred and have additional family burdens placed upon them.In an effort to give children directly affected by terrorism some of the experiences of a childhood away from fear and anguish, B’nai B’rith International created Camp Passport in 2003, which this year will bring 12 children to the United States for a fully subsidized stay at a summer camp. The children will have the opportunity to recapture a bit of their childhood at either B’nai B’rith’s Perlman Camp in Pennsylvania or its Beber Camp in Wisconsin.
“This kind of activity is very important to [my son] in specific and to the goal of bring[ing] hearts together,” said Orly of Modi’in, whose 15-year-old son Nitzan is attending Beber Camp.
The children will enjoy time playing with American children their age, taking part in overnight camp – one of the rites of passage for many kids in the United States. In addition to experiencing a foreign culture and partaking in fun and games outdoors, Camp Passport participants get to escape what can sometimes be a difficult situation at home.
“It is more to me than just fun,” said Sderot resident David, 14, who will also be attending Beber Camp. “It is also a way of getting away for awhile from the reality that I live in every day.”
To ease the transition for the campers who are so far from home, an Israeli counselor travels with them and helps them adjust to camp. The Israeli campers are integrated into the regular camp activities, and share cabins with the American kids. These American campers learn from their Israeli cohorts as well, reflecting upon differences between their cultures and societies.
The generosity of donors makes Camp Passport possible. Donations can be made to Camp Passport at: https://secure.ga1.org/05/camp_passport_donations.
