Reclaiming some of their time as teens

As a result of the war in Gaza and in the north, tens of thousands of families have been relocated to hotels around the country. For the past six months, these families have been living in cramped conditions, with no sign of an imminent return to their homes. While some communities such as Kibbutz Nir Oz–now partnered with JUF–have relocated in their entirety to apartments in big cities, other communities are still residing in hotels in Eilat, along the Dead Sea, and in Tel Aviv.

In addition to the physical hardship of sharing a small living space with one’s entire family for months, there are other impacts of living as an evacuee in your own country. Kids are away from their schools. Some study remotely via Zoom, in while some hotels have makeshift classrooms. Children, teens, and adults are torn away from their neighborhood, detached from friends and family. Homes and property are standing empty and allowed to become run-down. The psychological impact on entire families is far-reaching and will endure.

Kfar Galim (“Waves Village”) is an educational youth village by the Mediterranean coast, just south of Haifa. For years, it has served as a regional high school and boarding school, offering unique study programs for over a thousand students. Set in a sprawling space of lush green lawns and looking like a kibbutz, Waves Village is a beautiful setting for learning, working, and enjoying the outdoors.

The village boasts sports facilities, a wood workshop, an on-site dairy farm, even a boutique cheese factory. The dorms are spread out along the village paths, surrounded by green spaces overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

During the Gaza war, the village opened its doors to teens of evacuated families, offering them a five-day respite away from their hotels-and from their parents. The village partnered with Camp Kimama to provide with social activities, sports, and relaxation as well as on-site social workers and psychologists. The village offers an opportunity to “get away from it all” and, for five days, to focus on being a normal kid while processing their trauma.

JUF’s Israel Emergency Fund provided Kfar Galim with a grant enabling youth to visit the village. Each cohort includes 40 to 50 teens, age 12 to 18, from families dealing with the loss of a loved one, or an immediate family member who was kidnapped. 

At the village, the youth receive a respite from their turmoil with full room and board and therapeutic sessions. Activities include cooking, dog training, ninja obstacle courses, surfing, arts and crafts, music lessons, and more. The teens return home with a sense of support, community, and tools to help them deal with the days to come.

Through JUF’s Israel Emergency Fund, thanks to our Chicago community, eight cohorts totaling over 350 children have enjoyed a five-day respite at Kfar Galim.

The head of informal education at Kibbutz Dafna wrote: “The timing of the respite camp allowed our children to feel real freedom. It allowed them to go back to being children within their peer group and to focus on themselves. The children disconnected from their cell phones- and the war- and got out of their comfort zones. They were so happy with this opportunity, and had such a great time! Both parents and communities felt the ‘high’ that our children experienced upon their return. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, for your important and meaningful generosity.”

This is how our Chicago community is helping thousands of Israelis as they recover from the trauma of October 7. This is how we make a difference.

Ofer Bavly is a JUF Vice President and the Director General of the JUF Israel Office.