Byline: Camp Hatikvah

In the Okanagan

A typical day at camp is split between the waterfront, where campers learn to swim, ski, sail, canoe and kayak, and land, where campers participate in sports, drama, crafts and Jewish programming. (photo from Camp Hatikvah’s Facebook page)

Established in 1937, Camp Hatikvah in the Okanagan offers campers a summer experience that provides balanced emphasis on skill development and relationship building. Campers are immersed in a group setting where they must learn to live, cooperate with and embrace one another. In doing so, they learn a great deal about themselves and what it means to be a member of a community.

During any given summer, close to 400 campers attend Camp Hatikvah. While the bulk of participants are from the Greater Vancouver area, close to 30% come from cities such as Calgary, Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle, New York, Edmonton, Tel Aviv and Mexico City.

At Hatikvah, campers learn of their shared culture and values, and of their homeland in Israel. During a summer at Hatikvah, campers have an opportunity to participate in Jewish cultural experiences, such as Shabbat, Israeli dancing and Hebrew singing, as well as educational programs about the history and importance of the state of Israel. A typical day at camp is split between the waterfront, where campers learn to swim, ski, sail, canoe and kayak, and land, where campers participate in sports, drama, crafts and Jewish programming.

The camp staff are comprised of approximately 70 Jewish youth from across Canada, the United States and Israel. Most were campers with Hatikvah or its Young Judaea sister camps across Canada. Indeed, when current director and head of staff Liza Rozen-Delman was hired in 2007, she was completing a circle that began years before, when she was at Hatikvah for eight summers, and went from being a first-year staff at 17 to an assistant director at 24.

For more information about Camp Hatikvah, visit the camp’s website, camphatikvah.com, or contact Rozen-Delman at [email protected] or 604-263-1200.

 

Fun on water and land at Camp Hatikvah

Gardening is just one of the new activities keeping kids engaged on land at Camp Hatikvah. (photo from Camp Hatikvah)

Fun on water and land Located on a stunning peninsula in the Okanagan and surrounded by water on three of its four sides, Camp Hatikvah has always had the reputation of being a water-based activity camp. “Our natural surroundings allow us to offer a plethora of waterfront activities, including swimming, waterskiing, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding and more,” said camp director Liza Rozen-Delman.

Historically, the waterfront was the most popular place to be at Hatikvah, as a result of the numerous water activities offered, but that changed this summer when the camp unveiled a host of new land-based program options. While still taking advantage of the spectacular weather and waterfront, campers are now equally as engaged on land.

During summer 2014, Camp Hatikvah launched several new programs, including ceramics, drumming, gardening and nature, karate, outdoor adventure, self-defence and volleyball. Camp Hatikvah hired specialists to provide instruction in basketball, dance, fitness, tennis, yoga and various other sports.

Danna Marks, president of the Camp Hatikvah Foundation, explained, “The goal of the program change is to offer our campers a more well-balanced selection of activities to choose from. We are still offering all of the old camp favorites like arts and crafts and tzofiut (scouting), but have added additional options and improved old models to really engage our campers in a more meaningful and rewarding way.”

Hatikvah has also recently updated its program facilities, adding an archery field, a gaga pit, a baseball diamond and an outdoor garden. Additionally, the camp added a new water jungle gym, all new sailboats and eight new paddleboards.

When asked about the benefits of the new programming,

Rozen-Delman said, “The new program options are great and everyone was thrilled by the changes. The true value of the program, however, is not measured by what participants do all day but how they do it. The new programs encouraged campers to try new things and challenge themselves in meaningful ways. Through this, their confidence has grown and their feeling of accomplishment soared. This is what I am most excited about and proud of, because I believe that this is what a camp experience is really about.”

Registration for Hatikvah 2015 opens Oct. 1. For more information, visit camphatikvah.com.