The powerful experience of welcoming Israelis to young adult summer camp

On October 2nd, 2023, against the backdrop of Ojai’s earthy mountains and lush vineyards, 140 Jewish young adults swayed in a circle at the close of Trybal SoCal camp. Ten Israelis stood among them, indistinguishable from and interspersed with their American peers. Revealed only by their accents, they spoke alongside newfound friends about what they would bring home from camp. American participants spoke, as well, about the bonds they formed with Israeli campers.

Five days later, the cataclysmic events of October 7th changed the world as we know it, and the powerful connections that were made took on an even greater significance. Our camp WhatsApp group became inundated with messages of panic and concern as the Israelis shared updates of getting called to the reserves, rockets hitting their families’ homes, and loved ones gone missing. Without skipping a beat, the American campers organized fundraisers, attended rallies and vigils together, and even hosted displaced Israelis in their homes. I came to realize that our closing circle symbolized more than just the end of camp; it marked the beginning of a new chapter for Israel education.

For eight years, thousands of North American Jewish young adults have found meaning in Trybal Gatherings’ multi-day overnight camp experiences. The participants have different backgrounds, levels of engagement and Jewish knowledge, and perspectives on life. Yet they build friendships and often create new ways to experience and express what being Jewish means to them.

In the aftermath of October 7th, we recognized an opportunity to leverage Trybal’s platform of immersive experiences to foster bridge-building and connections to Israel. While 73% of Trybal alumni went on Birthright, their trips took place an average 10-11 years ago. With the widening gap since their last touchpoint with Israel and more young people experiencing antisemitism than ever in their lifetime, a critical and timely intervention was needed to offer young them new, relevant, and authentic connections with Israel.

Image courtesy of Jason Belsky.

So, last summer, we welcomed 33 Israelis at four overnight camps, joining with hundreds of North American young adults. They lived in the cabins together, led programs with and for their peers — including Krav Maga, Dead Sea mud mask making, a Moroccan Henna workshop, an IDF Basic Training Boot Camp — and some even served as color war captains. They also facilitated discussions ranging from what it’s like being a female commander in the army to coming out as secular to your Orthodox family to the situation in Israel today.

Each Friday, the Israelis shared stories about the hostages, and their friends and family members impacted by the events on October 7. One of the Israelis, Maayan Snapir, had both of her grandparents kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz: her grandfather, Oded Lifshitz, a peace activist and journalist, was held in Gaza for 502 days and murdered there, and her grandmother Yocheved Lifshitz, was released after 17 days.

Maayan stood in front of hundreds of peers and shared the story of her grandparents’ horrific kidnapping, their house being burned to the ground, the importance of holding onto hope, and of embracing Jewish community. Other Israelis shared stories about their fallen comrades in Gaza, friends lost at the Nova Festival, and even of their unit’s role in developing technologies to find the hostages. Through tears and a magnanimous sense of personal connection, each Friday we lit a candle for Oded and for all the hostages. Maayan shared with us after camp, “I thought I was coming for camp, but found a home. I thought I was coming for fun, but found healing. I thought it’s a little crazy to bring Israelis all the way to America for a short experience, until I saw the impact with my own eyes on the Jewish American participants and the Israelis.”

The timing of one of our camps coincided with the murder of six hostages, including Hersh Goldberg-Polin. To the background of a dance party and mechanical bull, we saw the Israelis and Americans comforting each other in grief and pain. Even if our American participants haven’t visited Israel in years, or ever, they developed a closeness to Israel and Israelis, especially at this moment, and the Israelis took comfort in their new friends.

Other Israelis shared similar experiences.

“As an Israeli visiting the US and meeting American Jews, this experience was enlightening for me, especially given the challenging year we’ve all endured,” shared Alma Smith, 29, from Tel Aviv.  “I not only connected with others, but I also came to realize that our shared experiences transcend borders. We cried together, laughed together, competed against and with one another, and ultimately fostered a family-like bond that I will carry with me always.”

Scores of American campers have shared with us that October 7th has made them feel isolated and afraid to publicly be Jewish. Interacting with the Israelis at camp has been the highlight of their year for many.

“Having Israeli campers at Trybal this summer was particularly important, because it made what is going on in Israel very personal. These are now our friends,” continued Shay Frey of New York, who shared a cabin with Yuval Cohen, 25, of Jerusalem, who instantly became like a little sister to her and her cabin mates.

When we learned about the murder of Oded and the Bibas family, our collective hearts shattered. We had learned so much from the Israeli campers on the power of hope, resilience, and community. The pain felt as if we were losing loved ones of our own, and the outpour of love was even greater than 502 days prior, for now our campers had a personal connection.

In an era of a loneliness epidemic, technology addiction, decreased travel to Israel, and the highest rates of antisemitism seen since the Holocaust, these camp experiences offer a sense of Jewish joy, nostalgia, and rejuvenation. Importantly, they also strengthen connections to Israel and provide a successful model from which to learn: authentic interactions between Americans and Israelis can happen in any environment when we offer a safe space for people to share personal narratives, ask vulnerable questions, and build shared experiences. That means there’s a vast potential to continue strengthening relationships among Jewish young adults around the world, making it possible for more people to feel supported and loved at a time when many of us are yearning for that.