Israeli campers enjoy a Maritimes summer

BARSS CORNER, N.S.— Thirty-one Israeli have had a Nova Scotia camp adventure at Camp Kadimah this summer, and along the way, they’ve learned about a new country and their counterparts in it.

Thirty-one youngsters from various areas in Israel enjoyed camping
life at Camp  Kadimah in Nova Scotia this year. They were supported by
funding from Jewish agencies and Kadimah alumni. Among those going home
with fond memories are, back left and right, Noy Hemon and Maya
Kahalani, and front, from left, Shon El-Yam, Eli Arliuk and Tom
Talsmith.

BARSS CORNER, N.S.— Thirty-one
Israeli have had a Nova Scotia camp adventure at Camp Kadimah this
summer, and along the way, they’ve learned about a new country and their
counterparts in it.

The 2010 camp season was a little more than two weeks old in mid-July when five of those campers gathered to discuss life in their new surroundings and talk about people they had never met before who have quickly become lifelong friends.

“I made friends the first day,” said Noy Hemon, 16, a counsellor-in-training from Yesod Hermaala in the Upper Galilee. “I found everyone so very friendly and open.”

Camp Kadimah is located 100 kilometres from Halifax, in Barss Corner, N.S. Now in its 67th year, Kadimah has more than 225 campers, plus 90 counsellors, programming and administrative staff. It draws children from the Atlantic provinces, across Canada and throughout the United States.

There are six Israelis in the counsellor-in-training program (ages 16-17), 18  in Kadimah’s Machar group (14-15 years of age) and seven in Kochot (12-13). There are also three staff members, one a chaperone who travelled with the young people from Israel and is a CIT, and two on head staff – one as head of song and dance and the other leading drama programs.

The Israelis were partially funded by a scholarship program supported by Canadian alumni of Camp Kadimah. Six children received backing from the P2K partnership between northern Israeli communities and Canadian cities.

Camp director Joanna Wexler said donations are still being accepted to offset the campers’ expenses, estimated to be about $6,500 per camper, including airfare.

“The benefit of [bringing Israelis to camp] is the relationship it creates between the Israelis and Canadians. The Canadians can leave camp with Israel being alive to them – not just propaganda, but having met real people. And the Israelis leave knowing they are not alone and isolated, that there are kids their age who know of them and care about them.”

Tom Talsmith, 13, from Gadot, in the Upper Galilee, said each Canadian is different but he’s found that all the kids love Israel. “I didn’t know it would be like that.”

Hemon nodded his head in agreement. “Many kids now want to go to Israel, or, if they’ve been there, want to go back.”

Hemon and the other CITs had just returned from Halifax a day before (July 15), where they attended a Halifax Jazz Festival concert featuring Israeli guitar-tuba trio Boom Pam. “Everyone loved it. It was a lot of fun, especially when they did Hebrew songs.”

One of the goals of the Israelis is to improve their English.

“I try to speak English all the time,” Talsmith said, although others admitted they speak Hebrew to each other when they’re together.

Maya Kahalani, 16, of Kiryat Shmona, in the Upper Galilee, said the Israelis “have to speak English if we’re going to learn. Some of the Canadians try to speak Hebrew to us, and we encourage that so they can learn, but our aim is to improve our English.”

Shon El-Yam, 15, of Kibbutz Urin, near Sderot, 15, has enjoyed new activities he’d never experienced in Israel. “Water skiing is a lot of fun.

Eli Arliuk, 16, of Kibbutz Ayelet Hashachar in the Upper Galilee, has taken to softball, while Noy enjoys canoeing and social nights.

Wexler, in her fifth and final year as director, has seen Israeli children attend camp for several years.

“We’re lucky with this group,” she said. “They’ve integrated so well. They’ve said they feel like they’ve been here for years and want to come back,” although, with the demand and desire to create exposure for different youngsters, the program doesn’t allow return visits.

Wexler said some programming has been geared to making the Israelis feel at home. “At our Oneg Shabbats, we have more contemporary Israeli music. We’re even doing an immigration project focusing on Pier 21 [in Halifax], and the Israelis have been contributing.”

Assistant director Jared Goldlust, who will become director next summer, said Israelis arrive at Kadimah with the misconception that young people around the world don’t support them.

“When they leave here, they’ve met 300 new people who care about them,” he said.