This year’s summer camp was between the 3rd to the 21st of July, 2022. The Ramle municipality provided the grounds of the YRF learning center and we could accept 80 participants to full capacity, ages 9 to 12.

The participants were from Ramle Lod the neighboring Kibbutzim, Neve Shalom/Wahat as Salaam and even from the North. The participants were divided into 3 groups according to age and each group had a Jewish and an Arab counselor together with 3 volunteers, veterans of our summer camps. The core group of counselors have been leading the camps for years and are very experienced with the complexities of the encounter, the sensitivities and the criticism that some Jewish children may get from their peers for participating in a Summercamp with Arabs, especially after the intercommunal hostilities last year.

The experience of the years has taught us the balance between indoor activities and trips away from camp. A special highlight was the trip to Jaffa with the beauty of the seashore, the fishing boats, the art galleries and the complex history of 1948. Today, Jaffa, like Ramle, is one of the ‘mixed towns’ with its center still being the ‘old city’, with the old clock and the flea market.

‘Survival’ in nature is also a big hit with our participants, especially cooking outdoors with Costa and climbing ropes over treetops.

 

New skills for artistic expression are taught by Ramle artist Dabit who does sculpture with wire, and art therapist Mary Manassa who creates a wholeness from different pieces of individual art.

The Ramle municipality gave us a special discount for the swimming pool, which was much appreciated.

The farewell party was at Open House with the parents. The children gave a performance, and everybody thanked everybody with flowers.

Lutfia, summercamp director with Dalia