http://ejewishphilanthropy.com/the-importance-of-jewish-summer-camp/ Connect. Educate. Innovate. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:13:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://ejewishphilanthropy.com/the-importance-of-jewish-summer-camp/comment-page-1/#comment-50001 Beth Steinberg Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:04:37 +0000 http://ejewishphilanthropy.com/?p=5502#comment-50001 Camp is the place where values are taught and lifetime impressions are made. As the founder of an inclusion camp in Israel for kids and teens with special needs, Shutaf, I have reconnected with my Jewish camping roots in the US - Massad, and Ramah - bringing to Israeli children that same attention to quality, informal education that was so important in the camps of my youth. Israeli kids need camp and they need good programs which are so lacking here. Most kids attend sub par programs that get them out of Mom and Dad's hair but do very little to educate them and affect their thinking and understanding of the world, let alone their Jewishness or their Israeliness. What Israeli kids need - both special needs and typically developing - is camp. In the post Zionist generation growing up today, new educational ideas are need of that offer what Israeli schools aren't. Camp is the place where values are taught and lifetime impressions are made. As the founder of an inclusion camp in Israel for kids and teens with special needs, Shutaf, I have reconnected with my Jewish camping roots in the US – Massad, and Ramah – bringing to Israeli children that same attention to quality, informal education that was so important in the camps of my youth. Israeli kids need camp and they need good programs which are so lacking here. Most kids attend sub par programs that get them out of Mom and Dad’s hair but do very little to educate them and affect their thinking and understanding of the world, let alone their Jewishness or their Israeliness. What Israeli kids need – both special needs and typically developing – is camp. In the post Zionist generation growing up today, new educational ideas are need of that offer what Israeli schools aren’t.

]]>