Kefiada immerses Israeli campers in English–and Americans in Israel
Abbey Finn
This past summer, I was a counselor for Kefiada, an English-immersion summer camp in Kiryat Gat, Israel, which is part of JUF’s Partnership Together region.
The Kefiada counselors, both Chicago-area college students and Israeli high school students, work with 4 th to 6 th graders to strengthen their English-language skills. My campers were on the youngest in the program, rising fourth graders.
Each day had a different theme–like color wars or zoo day–and we planned activities and fieldtrips accordingly to engage the campers, helping them practice speaking English. From making their own costumes and staging a fashion show, to a lip synch battle performed for the whole camp, there was never a dull moment.
Learning to communicate with them–through gestures, Google translate, and my broken Hebrew–was fun, and helping them grow their English skills was rewarding. My campers will stay in my heart forever.
One of the beautiful components about Kefiada is the opportunity for the American counselors to live with host families in Kiryat Gat. I was able to see what it was like to live with–and become part of–an Israeli family. My host mom, Liah, had been a Kefiada camper herself as a child, and her two children also went through the program.
We also forged strong connections with our Israeli co-counselors. We spent a weekend hanging out in Tel Aviv, visited a moshav, volunteered at an immigration absorption center, took a theater class, and indulged in a chocolate-making workshop. I loved hearing about the lives of my Israeli peers, and gaining a deeper understanding of the complexities of living in Israel. By the end of the program, we felt like a family.
When I return to Israel some day, I will have lots of family in Kiryat Gat waiting for me.
To learn more about Kefiada, visit juf.org/kefiada , email [email protected] , or check it out on Facebook or Instagram at @jufskefiada. Rolling application deadline for the summer of 2023 is April 14.
Abbey Finn is a junior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign studying special education. Originally from Arlington Heights, she has been active JUF since high school.
