The Summer Camp at Szarvas – Where Just Being Jewish Transcends Borders

When 17-year-old Tesfay came to Szarvas with a group of 12 Ethiopian youth from JDC education programs in Israel, he made his first real connection with the Jewish people. At home, he and his friends struggle to find their place in Israeli society. At the camp though, they quickly mingled with the other participants, fortifying their self-esteem and giving them a feeling of belonging they had never known.

One morning, during a joint swimming session with a group of Russian campers, Tesfay met Inna, a 16-year-old from Russia. Despite the language barrier, they became the sweethearts of the camp. On the last day of the session, as they prepared to leave for their separate corners of the Jewish world, everyone – campers and staff – cried with abandon. Their friendship had broken down barriers, deeply impacting those around them.

"In Israel, we would never have had the opportunity to know one another because our two communities are so separate," Tesfay said. "Only at Szarvas, where being Jewish is all that really matters, could we have found each other."