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Israeli camper program at Tamarack
marks 13 years of uniting kids, families.

Keri Guten Cohen
Story Development Editor

I

n celebration of its 13th or bar mitzvah year,
Federation's Israeli Camper Program held a celebra-
tion at Camp Maas in Ortonville to mark the occasion
in style.
Not only did Israeli campers from Session I and Session
II attend, but also the mayors of the Jezreel Valley and
Migdal HaEmek as well as 21 Israeli members of the
Partnership2Gether (P2G) steering committee.
Add in camper host families over the years and their
children, plus local P2G supporters, and the gala celebra-
tion numbered more than 650 people — all enjoyed the
feeling of family, some Israel-related activities, dinner and
a traditional bar mitzvah candlelighting ceremony.
"The candlelighting honored those important to the
program here and in Israel:' said Karen Kaplan, associate
director of the Israel & Overseas Department at the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. "We are two commu-
nities, but really one family:'
The Israeli Camper Program was initiated in 2002
during the intifada in Israel to give respite to children in
Federation's P2G region in the Central Galilee. Detroit
teens could not go there, so community leaders decided to
bring Israeli youth to Michigan to participate in a Jewish
summer camp experience. Today, the annual program,
in partnership with Tamarack Camps, continues to be an
extremely positive experience for the approximately 85
Israeli campers and local host families alike. To date, the
program has involved 1,400 Israeli campers and 600 host
families.
Competition is stiff to get into the program. This year,
84 were chosen from a pool of 400 young people. They
are selected based on their English skills, social skills and
community leadership.

Cost to bring the campers here, including airfare,
insurance and reduced camp fees, is about $500,000 a
year. At the July 20 event, more than $20,000 was raised
for scholarships, Kaplan said.
"We are the only community worldwide that does this
program on this level:' Kaplan said. "We get calls about
it all the time. We've continued because of the tangible
one-on-one relationships created:'
A "then-and-now video" was produced by Scott
Wasserman, an intern from Wayne State University,
showing campers, Teen Service Staff (TSS) and coun-
selors through the years, contrasting their earlier years
with what they are doing now.
Also, a mosaic creating a camp scene made from
thousands of tiny camper photos from all 13 years of the
program was commissioned and will be weather-proofed
and installed at camp as a reminder of the strong ties the
program has forged.
"I was proud to be a TSS at a special moment like this,
surrounded with all the people who gave me the oppor-
tunity to be a camper three years ago and to came back
now as a TSS," said Adi Golan, 16, of Nazareth Illit. "I'm
thankful for all the things I got from the program and
from being a camper in camp. I know it will stay with
me forever:'
Eviatar Baksis, 27, is head of the Israeli Camper
Program. Baksis is from Migdal HaEmek, but now lives
in Ann Arbor. He said, "What a magical moment seeing
all the campers together from first and second sessions,
and seeing all the host families from over the years. All
camp people who made this all possible made us under-
stand that we are doing something right, and how lucky
we are to be a part of a program connecting two com-
munities, from different parts of the world, and making
them one big happy family:' ❑

Above: After the traditional candle lighting, it was
time for jubilant singing.

Susan Kay of Farmington Hills hugs her Israeli
camper, Hila Rechtman of the Jezreel Valley.

Event chairs Margo and Steve Goodman of Bloomfield
Hills

Mitzvah Year on page 30

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August 28 • 2014