The Gan Israel summer camp for girls has begun. As in previous years, the camp is being held in the resort village of Koktebel, located in the Crimea peninsula on the southeastern coast of the Crimea. The camp is being attended by more than 120 girls from Dnepropetrovsk and other cities of Ukraine.
“This year, the composition of campers in Gan Israel Dnepropetrovsk is different from the past. Previously, most campers were enrolled in Jewish schools. But this year, a third of the campers are for the first time becoming acquainted with their Jewish roots,” explained Chaya Mushka Kaminetsky, one of two Head Counselors at the camp (the second is Tamara Levitina). “One of the main themes of this summer is Israel, with the team/bunk names locations in Israel: Jerusalem, Hebron, Safed, Tiberias, Bethlehem, Meron and Kotel. Learning about Israel will take place in the form of lessons and games, quizzes and evening activities.”
This year, ten counselors hail from Dnepropetrovsk and five counselors have come from the U.S.A. The highly-trained and hand-picked staff excels in creativity and responsibility. The American counselors bring a special atmosphere of overseas camps and campers are always excited to communicate with them – it is also a great opportunity for the girls to improve their knowledge of English.
The program is rich and varied and includes field trips to places like the Dolphin Aquarium, boat trips and much more. “We have very interesting and unique sessions planned, which are interactive and use cutting-edge approaches,” stated Ms. Kaminetsky. A series of activities and events, organized as part of the Tzivos Hashem program, are also being offered, in addition to “Jewish Education Day” to provide information to those girls who have not yet enrolled in a Jewish day school about the importance and necessity of a Jewish education and just how fun and healthy it can be to study at a Jewish school.