French immigrants
French immigrantsBnei Akiva Giv'at Shmuel

The massive aliyah of French Jews immigrating to Israel is at its peak, and in order to respond to the rapidly growing demand for child care during summer vacation Bnei Akiva has launched a chain of summer camps. Arutz Sheva visited to find out how the young new olim are acclimating.

Bnei Akiva, aided by the Immigrant Absorption Ministry and the AMI association for French olim, are holding a series of summer camps throughout the summer in cities where the new immigrants are expected to settle down.

Funds for the camps were raised by the camp counselors through a large public event, a car washing event and other initiatives. Camp guides have taken crash courses in French culture and even picked up several words of French.

Activities in the camps include Hebrew studies, social activities and field trips to various sites to get acquainted with Israel.

Bnei Akiva camp counselors are taking part in the project on a purely volunteer basis.

Bnei Akiva director Danny Hirschberg said the decision to launch the camps "stems from the great appreciation for the Zionist aliyah of French Jews to the state of Israel. The summer camps are part of wider activities of the (Bnei Akiva) movement for the quick integration of the olim into Israeli society throughout the year."