Chabad Summer Camps Cultivate Jewish Youth in Eastern Ukraine

600 Jewish children in Eastern Ukraine will not soon forget their summer retreats on the picturesque Sea of Asov. As participants in the Chabad Summer Camps program, these youth from the Dnepropetrovsk and Donetsk regions had the unique opportunity to both learn and play among Jewish friends in a healthy, outdoor environment.

Now in their third year, the "Gan Israel" retreats help shape the Jewish identities of boys and girls by providing a place for them to study Torah, eat kosher meals, take part in religious traditions, creative workshops, and share rewarding interactions with other campers. The goal is that the weeks' experiences will inspire these children to become active members of their local Jewish communities.

Different camps were held for girls and boys. 165 girls from the Dnepropetrovsk region spent 20 days on beautiful grounds beside the Sea of Asov, supervised by the Rebbetzin Channa Kaminetskaya and 12 madrichim (counselors) from the United States. Simultaneously, 100 boys from the same region explored the mountains and lakes of Crimea, as well as the landscape of Jewish culture. These activities were led by Shmuel Kaminetsky, the Chief Rabbi of Dnepropetrovsk, and counselors recruited from the U.S. and the Dnepropetrovsk yeshiva.

A separate two-week retreat took place in August for students of Dnepropetrovsk Girls’ Teacher College "Beit Hanna". Against the backdrop of the Black Sea, young women prepared for their first year in university by becoming acquainted with their future classmates and the Jewish way of life.

The Chabad Summer Camps provide a warm, beautiful environment to nurture the physical and spiritual development of Jewish boys and girls. By creating the sensation of a big Jewish family for these youngsters, the retreats have become an invaluable part of the revival of the Jewish community in Eastern Ukraine.