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“Szarvas Spirit” and a Lifetime of Commitment
How did a summer camp in Central Europe, a region where nearly all Jewish expression was frozen for over a half a century, become an engine for a renewal for thousands of young Jews from the far corners of Serbia to the coast of India? Such is the inspirational tale of the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation/JDC Camp at Szarvas.
In 1990, a year after communism fell, the Lauder/JDC camp in Szarvas was established. Since then, the camp has been run by a talented group of Israel educators whose commitment and knowledge has inspired thousands of campers to bring the "spirit of Szarvas" back to their home communities. Now, sixteen years later, the success of the Israeli leadership can be seen with the current Deputy Director of Szarvas, a former Szarvas camper. Sasha, 23, was born in Ukraine and grew up in Hungary. Szarvas is where his Jewish identity was formed. Beyond his summers at camp, Sasha was also active in youth organizations in Budapest and at the JDC-sponsored Balint JCC, where his charismatic leadership helped in strengthening the outreach efforts of the Center. Sasha's rise to the coveted position of Szarvas Camp Director was not by chance. JDC identified Sasha's potential when he was just a 13 year-old camper and cultivated his leadership skills throughout the years creating positions for him from counselor to unit head, enabling him to rise through the ranks. Jorge, JDC's Director for Hungary is proud of Sasha's achievements. "Sasha is one among many talented young people from Europe who run today the Szarvas Camp. His commitment as well as that of others, is today a key factor in not just the success of the Camp, but the present and future development of Jewish Communities" Sasha's charisma and commitment made him an ideal candidate for JDC's Szarvas Empowerment Initiative, an exclusive, three-year training cycle for young leaders with a record of commitment to the camp as well as their communities. The Empowerment Initiative formalizes a continuum that alumni from Bulgaria to Kalinigrad call "the Szarvas life." Szarvas is "home base" for most of the seminar's programming, which is organized by JDC's community-building team together with a senior Jewish educator, a psychologist and the camp director. With each graduate, the Szarvas Empowerment Initiative is well-positioned to help create regional and worldwide networks that will strengthen global Jewry. Sasha is one of the many success stories of the initiative. His intelligence and charm could have easily led him into the direction of the private sector where more lucrative jobs abound as Hungary integrates into the European Union. "For me" —says Sasha- "becoming a Jewish communal worker was a natural choice. I became the person I am today thanks to the opportunities I was given at Szarvas, the Balint and other programs. I want to be in a position where I can give the same kind of opportunities to others." September 2006 |
