I’m back and only now beginning to process and reflect on the nearly three weeks I spent in Israel.
We brought 80 kids from Sderot - a town on the Gaza border, deeply and personally affected by the October 7th massacre - to a sleepaway camp run by us. Many of these kids are living with PTSD and fears that most of us can’t imagine. Kids who were afraid to fall asleep unless their counselor stayed beside them until they drifted off (just ask my daughter), kids who don't know routine because their schooling and lives are too disrupted by falling rockets.

Our American counselors gave these Israeli kids something even more meaningful than a summer camp. They gave them the knowledge that someone cares. That someone sees them. That someone is willing to DO something. They bonded deeply with the Israeli kids, with their Israeli counterpart counselors, and with each other.

After camp, we had the incredible opportunity to experience Jerusalem and Tel Aviv together as a group - to laugh, explore, and create some very special memories after a very intense few weeks.

I am endlessly proud of these kids. Just unbelievably proud and so honored to have witnessed them like this.

Thank you to our incredible community. Thank you for your generosity, your encouragement, and for following along with us throughout this journey. And an enormous thank you to RJCF for its endless support and commitment to making this connection between our people possible.

And a huge thank you to my co-chaperone and new favorite travel partner, Natasha, who helped me stay somewhat sane, worry just a little less, and laugh so much more.

Am Yisrael Chai❤️🇮🇱 🇺🇸