28 | FEBRUARY 9 • 2023
O
ver 1,600 Israeli campers, 500 host
families and countless memories.
Since 2002, the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit,
Tamarack Camps and Michigan’s
Partnership2Gether region in Israel have
joined together to bring Israeli youth to
summer camp in our community for the
Israeli Camper Program — a cultural
exchange with the goal of strengthening
Jewish identity in both the Israeli and
American campers based on a shared Jewish
experience.
Critical to the program’s success are the
hosts who open their doors to ensure Israeli
youth can continue to be brought to camp
and Jewish Detroit.
The common sentiment from anyone
who’s been an Israeli camper host family is
that the experience was as life-changing for
them as for the campers themselves.
“Engaging with the Israelis that are look-
ing for a Jewish summer camp experience
and a part of the Detroit magic is often the
first time our community gets to connect
with authentic Israelis living there, specif-
ically from our partnership region,
” said
Allison Gutman, senior program associate of
Federation’s Israel & Overseas Department.
Host families are expected to attend the
host family welcome dinner, taking place
at Hillel Day School this year, along with
hosting two or three Israeli campers for two
nights (Friday and Saturday) following their
session at camp and before they return to
Israel.
Host families spend that weekend with
their Israeli campers however they choose,
often going to a Tigers game, Greenfield
Village or any other way to show what
makes Detroit special.
“The idea is when they’re with you that
weekend, not only are you providing them
some wonderful Jewish Detroit hospitali-
ty, but you get to show them a little bit of
Detroit and magic here,
” Gutman said. “
And
not only are families having lovely Shabbat
meals together and campers learning a little
bit about American life, in exchange, you’re
learning about your Israeli camper’s life.
”
The requirements for a host family
beyond that are pretty simple: Each camper
has to have their own bed, and “host par-
ents” should write to their camper while
they’re at camp, sending back and forth mail
and getting to know them and their camp
experience in the process.
Families with Tamarack campers often
serve as the host families, but empty nesters
take part as well. Israeli campers are often
paired with host families who have a child in
the same village as them, allowing them to
not only have a “host sibling” for the week-
end after camp, but at camp as well.
Multiple ShinShinim (young emissaries
from Israel) have returned to live with their
Israeli camper host families who they met
years ago. “It really speaks to the magic of
the program,
” Gutman said.
This year, not only will Israeli-born
campers be brought over, but a number
of Ukrainian and Russian Jewish children
whose families have made aliyah to Israel
due to the war will also be brought to
Tamarack for a very special experience.
“I feel like it really connects us to our
roots of how this program began,
” Gutman
said. “
And what a mitzvah and holy oppor-
tunity that we can bring these children who
have had a very hard year to camp with us.
”
Gutman says people overwhelmingly host
again after their first go around because it’s
such a positive experience.
“For many people, we don’t have close
OUR COMMUNITY
Israeli Camper Program host families create
connections which go far beyond one weekend.
Israeli Camper Program host families create
A Lifetime Bond
DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER
Israeli camper
Amit Halevi
with host
family Andrea,
Jeff, Casey and
Maya Belen
CLOCKWISE: Israeli camper Amit Halevi with
host sibling Casey Belen. Israeli campers Edo
and Daniel with host siblings Casey and Maya
Belen. Israeli camper Amit Halevi enjoying ice
cream with host siblings Casey and Maya Belen.