MAKANDA, Ill. – For the past month, 18 Israeli children have explored the ins and outs of something foreign to them: Jewish sleepaway summer camp.
“I was nervous but more happy because I [knew] that I was going to meet tons of friends,” said Orr Ambar, a 12-year-old from Kibbutz Ein Zivan, which is located in the northern Golan Heights near the Lebanon border.
Orr is one of the Israeli campers spending a month this summer at Camp Ben Frankel, located in Makanda, Ill., about two hours south of St. Louis. He and his Israeli cohorts, ranging in age from 10-17, were given the opportunity to attend their first sleepaway summer camp in the United States.
In late May, Camp Ben Frankel’s staff launched an emergency fundraising campaign to make this possible. The campaign received support from more than 130 donors who gave more than $130,000.
On June 20 and 21, four camp host families greeted the Israeli campers in Chicago. There, they recovered from jet lag before arriving at camp on June 23 and staying until July 20.
As the newcomers socialized with their fellow campers, they adjusted to the environment that would be their home for the next month.
“The first few days there was an adjustment as they were getting used to what it’s like to live in a place without sirens,” said Aaron Hadley, director of Camp Ben Frankel. “There was a noticeable adjustment to being in a place that was safe and calm.”
All 18 Israeli campers were either displaced from their homes as a result of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel or live on the Lebanon border. At home, these children and teens were exposed to daily security threats.
“In my home, we have rockets every day,” said Lior Shavtielli, a 17-year-old from Kibbutz HaGoshrim. “I felt like I needed to get [away] from reality in Israel. I’m grateful being here for now.”
While at Camp Ben Frankel, Shavtielli assumed a counselor-in-training (CIT) position. As a CIT, Lior shadowed counselors while he explored more than 100 activities that Camp Ben Frankel offers.
Given her love for the water, Hadar Gutner-Hoch, a 12-year-old camper from Kfar Saba, found joy in exploring waterfront activities including stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking.
“There’s always something to do,” Hadar said. “You’re never going to be alone [and] never going to be bored.”
Throughout their month-long stay, Hadar and the other Israeli youngsters fostered deep connections with their fellow campers.
Evie LeCointre, a rising seventh grader at Ladue Middle School, has spent the past four summers at Camp Ben Frankel. This summer, Evie and Hadar were introduced to each other as cabinmates. From braiding hair to performing dances, the pair found several ways to bond with each other.
“[Hadar] was pretty quiet at first,” Evie said. “After she slept in our cabin, she really started opening up. It’s been really fun having her in the cabin.”
While the Israeli campers established friendships with their American counterparts, they also formed relationships with each other.
Thirteen-year-old Zoe Beit-On credited Hadley with playing a crucial role in forming these relationships. Zoe traveled from her home in Kibbutz Ein Zivan, near the Lebanon border, to attend the camp.
“Without [Hadley], I would have never met all of these people,” Zoe said. “I thank him every day for having me and the Israelis [who] I’ve gained as a family. I feel like I’m really connecting to all of them.”
Campers also connected with Israeli counselors, including 19-year-old Or Garti. She left her home in Kfar Tavor last August to spend the year working as a shinshimim (Israeli teen ambassador) at Congregation Kol Rinah. After completing her volunteer work in June, Garti arrived at Camp Ben Frankel where she was responsible for a group of American and Israeli teenage girls.
“I felt like it was my opportunity to form a relationship [as] a counselor but also a friendship,” Garti said.
In addition to unique relationships, Camp Ben Frankel offered Garti something of which she had only ever dreamed.
“It’s like an American dream to be in a summer camp, and I’m so happy I got to do it,” Garti said.
In anticipation of leaving camp to return to Israel, campers said they will bring with them memories of a place that served as a safe haven. With hopes of continuing this dream for more Israeli children and teens, Camp Ben Frankel is “actively looking at ways to continue this program,” said Hadley.
“If they want to come back, then we want to find a way to bring them back, because it’s just that powerful and that important,” Hadley said.
