What does it take to make this the best summer camp in Israel and a place where kids find a sense of community and make friends that will last for life?
That’s the very question that inspired the creation of Camp Dror and motivates the camp’s staff ahead of each and every summer. A OU in Israel program, Camp Dror was founded 21 years ago with the idea that the model of incredible, memorable Jewish summer camps of North America built around Torah-oriented communities can both succeed and thrive here in Israel.
Eyal Tenenbaum, who grew up as a camper at Camp Dror before joining the staff as a counselor, said, “I’m looking forward to going back and all the trips like rafting and aqua kef, hikes, and meeting new people, shabbat, all the camp songs, the funny bunk names, and capture the flag on Motzei Shabbat. But camp itself is just the beginning. What’s really great are the friends that last for life."
The camp’s new director, Rabbi Kenny Pollak, previously served as founding director of Camp Moshava Malibu (now Moshava Alevy) and Sephardic Adventure Camp. Having made Aliyah with his family in 2019, Rabbi Pollack is inspired to bring that vision of what makes summer camp amazing to Camp Dror. He’s gathered an all-new team of staff members focused on a summer that creates a sense of community and proves that kids can remain active, motivated, and inspired even far away from their ‘devices.’
“My goal is to bring the excitement and experience I have been blessed to build up over many years in the Modern Orthodox camping world in the USA here to Israel. I look forward to building a camp where olim and kids from Anglo families can feel truly engaged and connected to the spirit of camp in Israel, inspired by Torah values, and realize that the very same summer-camp dream we grew up with is very much attainable here. We’re looking forward to an incredible summer."
With separate campuses for the boys and girls camps, the 2026 session of Camp Dror will be taking place in two new sites in northern Israel. Camp Head Staff have spent the entire year preparing new programming and itineraries focused on adventure, community, and ruach.
“We believe that summer camp experiences - the fun, the friends, and the adventures - create formative memories that last a lifetime. Giving our children the opportunity to create their own camp memories in the Land of Israel, together with hundreds of others who have made aliyaי over the years, reinforces the pride in where they have come from, and the inspiration for what comes next," says Rabbi Pollack.
"In recent years, the OU has increased its investment and commitment to ensure that Camp Dror fulfills its important role in Israeli society: providing youth from Anglo, religious families with a place to connect, grow spiritually, feel comfortable, and celebrate the lives they are building in Israel - all while enjoying an incredible summer experience," says Esti Moskovitz- Kalman, Director of Anglo Engagement and Programming at OU Israel.
With the 2026 session beginning on July 9th, a few spots still remain. For more information and to register, visit https://campdror.com/
