Connecting Israeli and Jewish Teens: Lessons From Campers2Gether

Picture this: An Israeli teenager who has never shaken hands with a Jewish peer from beyond their borders, and an American Jewish teen who knows Israel only through headlines and hashtags. Two crucial pieces of our shared future, part of the same ancient story, yet strangers to each other’s dreams.

This isn’t a hypothetical scenario—it’s the reality that has defined the past five years. Global crises have woven a web of separation between Israelis and Jews worldwide. First COVID-19 locked us behind closed borders, then October 7th made travel to Israel impossible for many. The result? Young people in Jewish communities abroad now learn about Israel through the cold glow of screens, through social media noise—but may never feel the warmth of an Israeli’s handshake.

Meanwhile, Israeli teens face their own isolated view of world Jewry. Do they truly understand that Jewish communities around the world care about them? Do they understand what part Israel plays in Jewish life around the world? Each day this gap widens, the very fabric of Jewish peoplehood begins to fray.

But there is one solution: the immersive, transformative environment of Jewish summer camps. These remain sanctuaries where connection blooms naturally, where artificial barriers of distance and difference melt away. When teens step away from notifications and screens to share meals and sing around campfires, something profound happens. They look into each other’s eyes during conversations. They discover they’re part of something greater than themselves—perhaps greater than they ever imagined.

For Israeli teens especially, there comes that breathtaking moment of recognition: These people, thousands of miles away, they really do care about me. My story is their story. My future is bound to theirs.

Campers2Gether, now in its second year, demonstrates exactly how powerful this connection can be—and why every Jewish institution should pay attention. This Jewish Agency for Israel’s program doesn’t simply bring hundreds of Israeli teenagers from war-affected regions to North American camps; it weaves them into the very fabric of camp life. The results speak for themselves: Israeli teens carry the weight of trauma on their shoulders, but for two to three precious weeks, they remember what it feels like to simply be teenagers among peers and acquire a perspective on Jewish life they haven’t considered before. Simultaneously, North American teens discover authentically, for themselves, who Israelis really are— through shared stories, fears, hopes, and dreams.

Implementing Campers2Gether logistics seemed impossible particularly this past summer. Just days after a ceasefire with Iran was declared, hundreds of teenagers began boarding flights to America. Security restrictions shifted overnight, flight plans changed dramatically, yet The Jewish Agency’s experience made the seemingly impossible happen. Jewish federations and foundations across North America rallied with fierce determination, while camps opened their hearts and bunks, rearranging schedules and enhancing security to make these encounters possible.

Here’s the crucial insight: The Campers2Gether model shouldn’t remain confined to summer camps. This approach can transform synagogues and youth programs, Israel trips, and community centers. Every institution serving Jewish life can learn from this blueprint: create quiet, unbiased environments; bring Israel through Israelis themselves; prioritize shared experience as core programming; create spaces where hearts speak to hearts; allow assumptions to give way to human connection.

Summer camps have always been more than recreation—they’re where young people remember who they are and who they’re meant to become. In a world determined to pull us apart, camps show us how to pull together, where resilience grows in the soil of community and identity blooms in the garden of belonging. But camps alone cannot shoulder this responsibility. Synagogues, schools, youth organizations, and community centers must all become hubs for connection. They must create their own versions of Campers2Gether—programs that cultivate relationships outlasting headlines, and strengthen identities resilient to any storm.

Every Israeli teen deserves to discover they are beloved across continents and that their story impact Jews everywhere. Every Jewish teen abroad deserves to meet Israel not as a news story, but as a friend with a face, a name, and stories to share. The bonds between them are our lifeline to the future. The Campers2Gether model has shown us the way. Now, every Jewish institution must answer the call and we at the Jewish Agency are eager to partner with you.

Together—by connecting Israelis and Jews around the world—we can ensure that the next generation of Jews doesn’t just know about Israel and each other, but carry each other in their hearts.