Jewish Youth Camp in India Builds Future Leaders

Integrating programs for welfare recipients into mainstream communal programming is a vital step that JDC has taken with the Jewish youth group in Bombay, India. When welfare recipients have their medical, financial, and nutritional needs filled, then they become more interested in recreational programs.

Almost 40 young Jews from different economic and educational backgrounds came together to learn about Jewish leadership and Jewish values. They attended a 7-day Jewish Adventure/Leadership Youth Camp in May 2003 at the Sajan Nature Reserve. Owing to different educational backgrounds and levels of English, the camp staff and returning campers had to figure out ways to communicate with the new campers.

They spent one week filled with Jewish learning, brainstorming sessions and communicating about how they could become involved in the Jewish community. They also had sport and trust-building activities like rock climbing and repelling. The new campers (all whom are welfare recipients) learned that they are the future of the Jewish world. During the course of the camp, the walls between young welfare recipients and the returning campers soon disappeared.

During the closing circle they tossed around a ball of yarn from one person to another that soon created an interconnected web of relationships. Each camper had to say a word of appreciation about another. Statements such as, "I really liked the session that Sharon taught on Ben-Gurion, I learned a lot" and "Elijah really impressed me with how agile he is as a rock climber!" reflected how the new relationships were beginning to form. They were simple statements, but the shared experience is something that all the campers will remember, as each walked away with memories that will last a lifetime.