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.

