The Jewish Agency, with funding from the Israel Emergency Fund of the United Jewish Communities, is taking the entire population of 8,000 children ages 6 to 17 who live in the Sderot area out of the range of attack and letting kids do what they like best. From amusement parks to nature reserves, from water parks to concerts, and from touring the country to enjoying recreation with friends, kids from Sderot are having a great summer. (More about the program's funding.)

But why not hear it from them? Come back to this blog frequently to check out blog entries from different camps thoughout the summer.

Going Underground

The Jewish Agency Kibbutz Saad summer camp for Sderot and Gaza perimeter youth staged an “underground day” to familiarize the campers with the contribution of the pre-state undergrounds: the Palmach, the Irgun and the Freedom Fighters for Israel.

The day was marked by competitions and missions, with the “national headquarters” of the undergrounds awarding points to the participants.

A Visit by the Director of the Israel Region

Yehuda Scharf, the director of the Israel region of the Jewish Agency, visited the camps in Sderot in the Gaza perimeter.  He directs and coordinates all camp activities.

Yehuda was joined by Eli Carmeli – a Jewish Agency representative and director of the Jewish Agency Fund for Victims of Terror, Ohad Drori, a social worker for the S.O.S. Emergency Foundation, Shimon Gav -- director of camps for the Israel Experience, Yossi Druk -- who operates the camps for the Migdal Ohr Foundation, and the camp directors Sonia Bouskila, Batsheva Izilov and the director of the Sderot Negev educational branch.
 
At the end of the day everybody got together at Ofer Schmerling’s bar. Schmerling, a local entrepreneur, established a bar serving meat dishes at Kibbutz Meflasim.

This blog entry was written by Ofer Baram, JAFI's Director of Community Relations, Israel Southern Region