The Counterpoint Israel 2008 summer-camp - an educational program for both Israeli development town teenagers and US college students - has ended. The more than 20 American college students who ran it are returning to the U.S. with thoughts of how they can continue to help Israeli society in the future.
Taking place simultaneously in two Negev cities, Yerucham and Dimona, the three-week program was run for some 110 Israeli teenagers who otherwise had little to do. The local municipalities fully supported the camp, and especially the fact that it was run largely in English - improving the teens' chances of high school graduation and college acceptance.
The goal was two-fold, explained one of the head counselors, Deborah Anstandig, of Detroit, Michigan: "To build a summer camp for Israeli teenagers in development towns, and to enrich the college students themselves to better understand the nature of what they were doing."
Why Are We Here?
Asked to elaborate on the second goal, Deborah said, "We had a few days of seminar session both before and after the camp, in which we analyzed what we were doing here. What does it mean to be a privileged Jew who has the ability to give to others? What is the concept of tikkun olam (lit., repairing the world)? Are we engaged in tzedakah (charity) or tzedek (justice)? What exactly is our role here? What is our motivation? Why specifically in Israel, and not with underprivileged children in New York? We also discussed [the Talmudic debate on] the relative merits of one who is obligated vis-a-vis one who volunteers... These and others were important issues for us to explore."
The camp itself, said counselor Sahar Zaghi of Boca Raton, Florida, was designed "simply to establish ties with the youth here and teach English, with no ulterior motives such as bringing them closer to Judaism. We didn't exactly know what that meant at first, but we gradually came to understand the importance of 'just making connections...' We also learned much about the cultural divides that still separate the various groups - the Russian immigrants, and the Sephardim from Morocco, and those from Iran, etc. ... We were happy that the camp gave them a chance, to some extent, to realize what they had in common, such as when we took them on trips, and the like."
One of Sahar's highlights of the summer, she said, came precisely in the connections that she built up with some of the youths:
"There were some kids who we sometimes called the 'art-room terrorists.' It seemed that every day, they would just get wild and mess up the art room. One day, it was my job to clean up the art room, and by mistake I left the door open - and then I saw these two kids walk in. They were two with whom I had been working more closely with than some others, but still... I was quite apprehensive about what would happen, but I tried to take it calmly. They picked up some magic markers, and I quickly said, 'Oh, you want to write your names?' - and that seemed to work; they wrote their names and walked out. But as they left, they suddenly looked back at me, and in their broken English, said, "Help? You want help clean?" - and they proceeded to help me clean up the room. It was very special to see the change that had come over them, with just a little understanding, patience and appreciation."
Counterpoint Israel was designed by Yeshiva University's Center for the Jewish Future (CJF) in order to "empower and build the next generation of Israeli youth by providing them with important life skills." Run by religious college students, half of whom are from Yeshiva University in New York, the intent was to run "creative programming promoting positive self-image and self-esteem... based on Jewish values and identity."
The camp activities included music, arts, dance, sports, fashion and even driving safety classes. Known to the local residents as English-language camps, after the language of instruction, waiting lists of candidates were several months old.
Praise for the First Time
Asked to describe one of her high points of the camp, Deborah said it was when she saw a boy with behavioral problems suddenly discover a talent, receive praise, and truly blossom: "When you see a boy who has trouble sitting through the English-language class without making trouble, and then he starts doodling with his pencil and is 'discovered' to really have great drawing skill - and to see him finally get praised for something and realize that he is worth something - for me, that was truly an experience that made it all worth it."
During their several days of orientation before and after the camp began, the college students toured the Old City of Jerusalem, visited the Retorno facility for youth at risk, and met with various leading personages: Rabbi Daniel Tropper of the Gesher [Bridge] Institute, former refusenik and ex-Israeli government minister Natan Sharansky, representatives of Bema'aglei Tzedek (a youth-driven organization that strives to integrate Jewish values and social justice to effect meaningful change in Israeli society), a rabbi from the Tzohar Rabbis Organization, and more.
Counterpoint and Aliyah
Asked if the program had increased awareness and desire for Aliyah [immigration to Israel], Sahar answered affirmatively, "although for most of us, Aliyah is already on our agenda." Deborah said that the group is waking up early tomorrow morning to greet a Nefesh B'Nefesh flight of new immigrants - including the family of one of the counselors.
Both Deborah and Sahar said they came away with an increased understanding of the problems facing development towns, the issues involved in their formation in the first place, and the need for them to find their place in helping solve these and other problems in Israeli society.
The Yerucham Camp was funded by the Larry and Leonore Zusman Family, while the Dimona Camp's benefactors are the Charles and Lynne Schusterman Family Foundation.
For more information, click here. Read Arutz-7/IsraelNationalNews coverage of the program's opening days here.