summer

McGill calls for participants

Sun tans are actually a response to DNA damage. (photo from pexels.com)

Skin cancer is the most common cancer worldwide. To better understand sun safety behaviour and attitudes in the Jewish community, a research group from McGill is conducting a survey. And they are asking community members to take part.

More than 360 participants have responded so far, with the majority being from Quebec (60%) and

Ontario (35%). Most respondents identified as Jewish by both religion and ethnicity (80%), and many identified as Conservative (40%) or Orthodox (20%); 70% are of Ashkenazi background; and 55% are mothers.

Sun exposure and tanning

Ninety percent of participants reported experiencing a sunburn at some point in their lives, and nearly half have had a sunburn that blistered. Seventy percent of respondents travel to sunnier climates for more than one week each year, primarily to the United States (65%).

Seventy-five percent reported having a tan in the last 12 months, and 70% believe they look healthier or more attractive with a tan. Forty-five percent intentionally spend time in the sun on vacation or use tanning beds, while only 17% report never tanning.

A health concern

Six percent of respondents reported being previously diagnosed with skin cancer, while 30% reported having an immediate family member who has had skin cancer.

Only 6% of respondents always wear a sun protective hat, while nearly 50% rarely or never do. Despite moderate sun exposure, only a small percentage take consistent sun safety precautions. Additionally, 70% of participants report that skin cancer has never been discussed as a health concern within the Jewish community.

Why this matters

These findings highlight a critical gap in skin cancer awareness and prevention. Sunburns, especially those that blister, significantly increase the risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Given that 80% of respondents describe their natural skin colour as light, it is essential for the Jewish community to prioritize sun protection.

Skin cancer prevention should be part of ongoing conversations in our community. Encouraging discussions in synagogues, schools and community groups can help raise awareness. Daily sun protection, including the use of sunscreen, hats, sunglasses and shade should become routine practice. It is also important to challenge the misconception that a tan is a sign of good health, as tanning is actually a response to DNA damage.

How dangerous is melanoma?

In 2024, it is estimated that 11,300 Canadians were diagnosed with melanoma, and melanoma incidence in Canada is continuing to increase in men and women at a fast pace. It is often the sunburns in our 20s that lead to melanoma in our 60s and 70s. As people live longer, take more vacations in sunny destinations and are affected by climate change, we expect to see more cases of melanoma in the future unless we take action now.

To take the survey, go to portal.rimuhc.ca/cim/redcap/surveys, and use the code HA8CC7C9Y. By responding, you could win a $200 gift-card.

Any questions about the survey or the study can be emailed to medical student Raquel Lazarowitz at [email protected], dermatology resident Dr. Santina Conte at [email protected], or study director Dr. Ivan Litvinov, McGill University’s division of dermatology, at [email protected].

– Courtesy McGill University

Combining fun and learning

Campers and staff of this summer’s Camp Gan Israel Kelowna. (photo from Chabad Okanagan)

Camp Gan Israel (CGI) Kelowna campers experienced a summer packed with joy, adventure and Jewish education.

The first week of camp was filled with activities that combined fun with learning about Jewish holidays and traditions. The children baked challah for Shabbat, shaped honey jugs and played at the splash park with the shofar sound for Rosh Hashanah. They created stained glass art for Passover, made edible sukkot (huts) and enjoyed playing “Just 4 Fun” for the holiday of Sukkot. Campers also made candied apples for the High Holidays and dressed up for Purim with a photobooth and kosher hunt, all while receiving education about these special days.

In the second week, campers continued to explore and learn with a variety of activities. They went to Energyplex, enjoyed rock climbing, fruit picking, bowling, science experiments, beading, and visiting the aviation museum. Each activity was paired with lessons about Jewish heroes like Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Esther and Moses, allowing the children to connect their experiences to the teachings of Judaism’s greats.

Campers were provided freshly made, nutritious lunches every day, helping them stay energized and ready for all the adventures. The staff did a fantastic job ensuring every child had a safe, memorable, fun and enriching experience, while making new friends along the way.

With more than 20 campers and five staff, this has been the largest Camp Gan Israel Kelowna season yet! One parent shared in a video interview that his daughter told him it was the best camp she had ever attended. Another grandparent expressed regret for not having sent her granddaughter the year prior, as well, only hearing about the camp’s wonderful reputation afterward.

To keep the Camp Gan Israel spirit alive throughout the year, there will be JewQ sessions on Mondays, where the children will continue their Jewish learning journey with dinner, study and fun. For more information on this and other camp and Chabad Okanagan activities and events, visit jewishokanagan.com.

– Courtesy Chabad Okanagan

Tasty, tangy Shabbat salad

Micah Siva’s Pomegranate Lentil Tabbouleh, the recipe for which is in her book NOSH. (photo by Micah Siva)

This past weekend was hot, and the last thing I wanted to do was cook, so I turned to Micah Siva’s NOSH: Plant-Forward Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine (The Collective Book Studio), which I reviewed for the Passover issue (jewishindependent.ca/tasty-plant-forward-recipes). I made the salad portion of Siva’s suggested summer Shabbat dinner, and it was the perfect meal: fresh and tangy, healthy and filling.

Siva’s summer Shabbat dinner includes the tabbouleh, four variations of hummus, an everything bagel spiced Israeli-style pita (“[t]ypically thicker than other flatbreads or pitas … when made correctly, it contains a pocket”) and falafel balls. Of course, she has recipes for every part of the meal. Here is the one for the tabbouleh. Enjoy!

POMEGRANATE LENTIL TABBOULEH
(serves 4 to 6)

1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 medium tomato, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 english cucumber, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
salt
pepper
2 cups roughly chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup pomegranate arils
1/2 cup cooked brown or green lentils
1 tsp lemon zest
juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tbsp)
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 tsp za’atar

In a medium bowl, combine the chopped onion, tomato and cucumber. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. This helps remove excess water from the vegetables.

While the vegetables are salting, combine the parsley, mint, pomegranate arils and cooked lentils in a serving bowl.

Use a colander to drain the onion and tomato mixture, pressing out any excess liquid. Add the mixture to the serving bowl.

Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, sesame seeds and za’atar and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Note: Make this salad up to 3 days in advance by combining everything but the fresh herbs in an airtight container and refrigerating. Toss with the herbs just before serving.

Variations: Add 2 teaspoons of ground sumac to this recipe for a tangier variation. Omit the sesame seeds and add hemp seeds for added protein.

So many choices to be made

The late afternoon, right after school or summer camp, is go time for many parents. These are the moments where my twins have every kind of need, from taking off their outside gear and emptying lunch bags to signing permission forms, getting help on projects, and more. It is a period of chaos, usually with a desperate need for snacks as well as dinner preparation, all rolled up. There are days when things are calm, sure, but there are other times when I savour my last moments of quiet at 3:25 because from 3:35 until 6:30 or so, after dinner, I am a whirlwind doing Marathon Mom work.

Our public junior high this year presented us with Mega Options activities for the last few days of school. While the various options were hyped to students in advance, only whispers of this made it home. So, on an average Monday afternoon in June, my kids told me to be sure to open the special Mega email fast, as all the best activities would fill up. At 4:30 on the button, my inbox told me about the many Mega Options I would need to hurry to fill out to meet my twins’ expectations.

There were so many choices: Métis sash-weaving and historic cemetery trips, Inuit printmaking and Indigenous storytelling, Euro-style soccer tournaments, Pickleball, phone photography, kinesiology and nutrition lab field trips to a university, and more. There were bike treks, orienteering, the list went on. The selection was huge. Not every outing had a description or information. Some choices came with big fees. Others were free.

It was a huge rush to decide. We watched some activities fill up even as we tried to sign up – and, with twins, we had to sign up twice. In the end, my more social kid called one of his close friends. On the other end of the phone line, I heard his mom, a teacher I am friendly with, coaching him through. It was a great solace to know I was not alone in sorting through this!

Within moments, both my twins were signed up, with their friend, for one day of board games, outside games, and baking bannock and eating together. The other day was reserved for going to Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg’s version of New York City’s Central Park, and always a fan favourite. I emailed the other mom afterwards. “Sheesh!” she replied. “That was stressful – lol.” It was. She was completely right. The Mega Options format left me strung out and worried. Did we make the right choices? What does “A day at Assiniboine Park” mean? There was no description. What do we parents need to provide? Lunch? Money? Rides?

After the decisions were made and the activities secured, I was relieved. The fun warm weather choices our boys made were free, easy and uncomplicated. Sure, it wasn’t going to be a big learning experience, but the decisions were made. We no longer had to dwell on the choices themselves.

After stepping back, I realized that these late afternoon blitzes are so hard because they can be unpredictable and disorderly. There are multiple tasks thrown at parents at once, when we’re not necessarily at our best energy-wise. Both flexibility and preparedness are necessary. There’s no telling if today I’ll have to be a math whiz, an event planner, or a custodian, cleaning up after a kid is sick in the hallway. (Hey, it happens.)

The skills required to manage the late afternoon rush aren’t just relevant to kids. As adults, and as Jewish people, we are often offered “Mega Options” when it comes to making choices. We don’t have one specific menu item at restaurants, nor do we have a single kind of Jewish ritual, religious life or home observance. We face tons of choices every day. Further, while the pandemic narrowed some options, the post-pandemic world has vastly increased them. When our usual routines are disrupted, we’re forced to evaluate what we’ve done all along. Is streaming a religious service easiest? Are we healthy enough to attend in person? What is the COVID protocol (or non-protocol) these days, even as the virus still circulates? Sometimes, we crave situations where the decisions are just made for us, even as we know it would be better to make up our own minds instead.

This was our world before Oct. 7. Afterwards, the choices became even larger. Now, questions of safety and freedom from harassment also come into play. We choose whether to wear anything identifiably Jewish when out on the street. We question if we’ll feel safe attending this Jewish venue. Is attending this graduation/parade/campus/event going to force us to deal with protesters or hate speech? Then there’s: Are we still safe, wherever we live? Should we be considering a move to someplace safer? Is there somewhere safer?

We could pretend that all these choices are a part of the modern age, but we know from Torah study, the many debates of the Talmud and Jewish history that the act of making choices is an essential part of what it means to be Jewish. From the first, we were shown hard choices and real consequences: from Leviticus 10’s Nadav and Abihu, who chose to sacrifice “strange fire” and were struck down for it (a bad choice, apparently), to Deuteronomy 30:19, which summarizes a long list of choices we can make, concluding, “I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life….”

The Mega Options presented to celebrate the end of school is nothing when compared to big decisions in life. One could just shrug it off as no big deal – but life is a series of little choices, one after another, that can affect everything. Survivors of major disasters often explain how they “just missed” the accident because they felt sick, woke up late or forgot to make their lunch. Historically, Jewish refugees described how they left at a moment’s notice, with only a suitcase, or just the clothes on their backs.

We don’t always know which choices are the big ones, or the good ones. Some of the best choices result in happy, long-lasting results, like meeting one’s life partner, discovering a passion or skill, or experiencing an amazing natural event like a meteor shower or the Northern Lights. Here’s to hoping our choices are easy and small ones, and that these options lead to all positive things. Here’s to celebrations, miracles and good deeds this summer – may we all have more “mega” pleasant choices ahead.

Joanne Seiff has written regularly for the Winnipeg Free Press and various Jewish publications. She is the author of three books, including From the Outside In: Jewish Post Columns 2015-2016, a collection of essays available for digital download or as a paperback from Amazon. Check her out on Instagram @yrnspinner or at joanneseiff.blogspot.com.

About the 2024 Summer JI cover

Vancouver Jewish Community Garden coordinator Maggie Wilson took the photo that graces this year’s cover of the Jewish Independent Summer issue. According to the garden’s newsletter, “A few strawberry plants opted to try their luck in the gravel and managed to produce the season’s first strawberries!”

The garden was established in 2020 by Vancouver Talmud Torah, Congregation Beth Israel and Jewish Family Services. It was made possible by the Diamond Foundation, which secured a long-term lease of the land for future development and is allowing the land to be used on a temporary basis, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, Jewish Community Foundation and Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation, who provided significant financial seed gifts.

The recent newsletter shared, “We have already harvested a crop of vibrant radishes, arugula, kale and herbs. Children and adults alike have enjoyed tasting nectar-laced kale flowers, and JFS’s chef used the fresh radishes in her Tuesday salad.

“The peas, seeded by VTT’s Grade 1 students, have started to ripen. The first small batch was harvested for JFS by VTT’s Green Thumb Club.”

Groups from JFS, VTT and BI “have spent time in the garden this spring, contributing their muscles, enthusiasm and appetites!

“JFS staff came to move wheelbarrows of compost into the garden beds to top-up and replenish the soil. They then enjoyed a picnic lunch in the garden.”

VTT students from grades 1 through 7 have come to help and learn in the garden, as have students from BI’s Hebrew school, and BI staff.

For community members looking to get involved in the garden, its website – jewishcommunitygarden.ca – is now live. Check it out for all things garden, including a continually updated slide show so you can follow along as the garden changes throughout the seasons. Upcoming volunteer opportunities will be posted, and information on how you can get involved. Everyone is welcome – there are tasks for all abilities and experience levels.

Six weeks of fun

More than 200 kids went to Camp Gan Israel this summer. (photo from Camp Gan Israel)

More than 200 children attended Camp Gan Israel this summer. They had a varied schedule, with baking, crafts, skateboarding, swimming, sports and field trips to such places as Stable Harvest Farm, Wild Play Adventure Park, Playland, Science World and Sasamat Lake. A special highlight was the camp’s theme song and dance, which was picked up by almost 400 Camp Gan Israel’s around the globe.

“Camp shows children that Judaism is fun, joyful and alive,” said camp director Chaya Rosenfeld. “The staff set an amazing example of being proud and enthusiastic about their Judaism and there is no substitute for a camp experience.”

Seventeen staff members were flown in from California, New Jersey, Florida, Ohio, New York, Montreal and Toronto.

Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld of Lubavitch BC added, “The cost-of-living crisis is really hitting families hard. Almost 90% of the campers received a discount to attend camp, with a percentage receiving a full scholarship. No one is turned away for financial reasons and we are really grateful to our supporters for giving the children the opportunity to experience the summer of a lifetime.”

– Courtesy Camp Gan Israel

Salmon fillets … and potatoes

Salmon fillets make for an easy main course. (photo from thebrilliantkitchen.com)

Salmon makes for a nice main course. Besides being high in protein, iron, Vitamin D and potassium, it is high in omega-3 fatty acids. It can be served with so many things. Healthy sides include steamed vegetables or a salad. But potatoes also mesh well, especially when the recipes include Parmesan cheese. Here are a few salmon options, and a couple of potato sides.

ROASTED SALMON WITH OLIVE-MUSTARD BUTTER AND ORZO
(This recipe by Michelle Anna Jordan is from an April 2001 Bon Appétit magazine. It makes 8 servings.)

1/2 cup butter
12 Kalamata or other pitted, chopped olives
1 chopped shallot
1 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
2 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
olive oil
8 6- to 8-ounce salmon fillets, 1.25 to 1.5 inches thick
2 1/2 cups orzo
whole Kalamata olives
fresh Italian parsley sprigs

Mix butter, chopped olives, shallot, parsley and mustard in processor until blended but slightly chunky. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to small bowl.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush a large, rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Place salmon on sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast 14 minutes.

Cook orzo in a large pot of boiling, salted water until tender but firm. Drain and return to pot. Add half of olive-mustard butter and toss.

Divide orzo among eight plates. Top each with a salmon fillet. Place a small dollop of olive-mustard butter atop each fillet. Garnish with whole olives and parsley.

BROILED SALMON
(This recipe by Simone Zarmati Diament appeared in the Jerusalem Post in 2015. It makes 6-8 servings.)

1 whole 1.5- to 2-inch thick salmon fillet
olive oil or vegetable oil spray
4 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp liquid smoke
2-3 minced garlic cloves

Cover a large, shallow baking pan with foil and grease or spray with oil. Fifteen to 30 minutes before cooking, place fish, skin side down, on the pan. Spread soy sauce, liquid smoke and garlic evenly over fish.

Broil or bake at 400°F for 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve.

BAKED SALMON FILLETS
(4 servings)

4 portions salmon fillets
2 tsp dry oregano
4 minced garlic cloves
pepper to taste
2 thinly sliced tomatoes
2 small thinly sliced onions
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 450°F. Spray a shallow baking pan with non-stick oil. Place fish in pan and sprinkle with oregano, garlic and pepper. Layer with tomatoes, onions and parsley. Mix breadcrumbs with oil and sprinkle on top of fillets. Bake for eight to 10 minutes.

CHANTILLY POTATOES WITH A PARMESAN CRUST
(This recipe is by the late Maria Guarnaschelli. It makes 6 servings.)

2 pounds cut and peeled potatoes, cut into 2-inch chunks
salt to taste
1/2 cup cold milk
7 tbsp unsalted butter
pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Put potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with water, add salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 12 minutes. Drain and shake to dry in a ricer, then transfer to a bowl and beat in milk and six tablespoons of butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter a rectangular baking dish.

In another bowl, whip cream to soft peaks. Beat into potatoes one-third at a time. Scrape into baking dish. Dot with one tablespoon butter and the Parmesan cheese. Bake for 25 minutes, then broil two minutes, until brown. Let stand 10 minutes and serve.

PARMESAN FRENCH FRIES
(4 servings)

4 potatoes cut into sticks
ice water
1/4 cup margarine
onion or garlic salt to taste
paprika to taste1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Place potatoes in a bowl. Cover with ice water and let sit 30 minutes. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Melt margarine and add to baking dish, then add the potatoes sticks, coating them well. Sprinkle with onion or garlic salt and paprika. Bake for 25 minutes or until tender and brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Sybil Kaplan is a Jerusalem-based journalist and author. She has edited/compiled nine kosher cookbooks and is a food writer for North American Jewish publications. She leads walks of the Jewish food market, Machaneh Yehudah, in English.

Tasty, easy summer meals

Salad Niçoise can be made and plated in a variety of ways. (photo from pxhere.com/MariaPolna)

Summer meals should be easy and, ideally, quick to make after a long day at work or having fun – or when it’s really hot outside. When you don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, salads and pasta are perfect options.

SALADE NIÇOISE
(6 servings)

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound trimmed green beans
2 cups arugula (optional)
1 thinly sliced red onion
2 tomatoes cut into wedges (or equivalent in cherry tomatoes)
1/2 cup pitted ripe olives
1 2-oz can anchovy fillets
2 7-oz cans drained tuna, broken into chunks
2 sliced hard-boiled eggs

For the dressing, place the olive oil, vegetable oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a jar, close the lid and shake vigorously.

For the salad, place green beans in a saucepan with small amount boiling, salted water, cover and cook 17-20 minutes. Drain. Turn into bowl. Add half cup of dressing, toss, cover and refrigerate two hours.

After the two hours, turn beans into a salad bowl or plate layered with some arugula (if using). Add a few onion slices, tomato wedges, olives and anchovy fillets. Add tuna and egg slices. Garnish with rest of onion. Drizzle remaining dressing.

CAESAR ON THE LIGHT SIDE
(This Food & Wine recipe is by Jamie Oliver. It makes 4 servings.)

1/3 cup low-fat or nonfat Greek-style yogurt
2 mashed anchovy fillets (optional)
1 minced garlic clove
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
salt and pepper to taste
1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

In a small bowl, whisk yogurt with anchovies (if using), garlic, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk in the oil and half the cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss the romaine in a large bowl with half the dressing and the remaining cheese. Serve, with the other half of the dressing on the table, for guests who would like a little more.

Oliver turns this into a main course by adding broiled salmon or, if you don’t keep kosher, grilled chicken breast.

CHEESY MEDITERRANEAN ARTICHOKE PASTA
(8 servings)

8 oz cooked and drained penne pasta
1 14.5-oz can drained diced tomatoes\
1 14-oz can drained, quartered artichoke hearts
1 2.25-oz. can sliced, ripe, pitted olives
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Place tomatoes, artichoke hearts and olives in a saucepan. Add olive oil and hot pasta and warm until thoroughly heated, about five minutes. Add cheese and serve immediately.

TWO-CHEESE PENNE
(4 servings)

3 to 4 tbsp olive oil
2 or 3 minced garlic cloves or 2/3 cup chopped onion or both
3 1/2 cups or so chopped ripe tomatoes
pepper to taste
4 1/2 cups penne
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil
3/4 to 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup cubed mozzarella cheese

Heat three to four tablespoons olive oil in a frying pan. Sauté garlic for 15 seconds. If using onion, sauté for five minutes.

Add tomatoes and salt and cook 10 to 15 minutes. Remove one-third of sauce to a bowl. Add one tablespoon basil to frying pan and stir it in.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook eight or nine minutes. Drain and add to frying pan. Coat with sauce.

Remove from heat and add one tablespoon basil and the grated Parmesan cheese. Mix well. Add mozzarella and toss until it starts to melt. Pour into a bowl and add remaining oil and pepper.

Toss gently and add the remaining one tablespoon of basil. Serve immediately.

A mocktail, anyone?

Cool down with some mock sangria. (photo from commons.wikimedia.org/Ilker Ender)

Whether you’re inviting friends over or just having a quiet evening at home, try these mocktails, non-alcoholic drinks, with snacks or appetizers.

MOCK SANGRIA
(12 servings)

8 cups grape juice
2 cups orange juice
2 cans lemon-lime soda
1 sliced orange
1 sliced lemon
1 1/2 cups drained maraschino cherries

In a pitcher, combine grape juice, orange juice and lemon-lime soda. Add orange slices, lemon slices and cherries and mix gently. Serve in fancy glasses over ice.

MOCK CHAMPAGNE
(6-8 servings)

1 1/3 cups sugar
1 1/3 cups water
2 cups grapefruit juice
1 cup orange juice
6 tbsp grenadine
7 cups ginger ale

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil for 10 minutes then let cool. Add grapefruit juice and orange juice to syrup and chill. To serve, put syrup in a pitcher, add grenadine and ginger ale and mix gently. Serve in champagne glasses.

SPARKLING APPLE PUNCH
(8 servings)

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
24 minced mint leaves
1 cup lime juice
4 cups apple juice
1/2 tsp salt
seltzer or club soda

Dip fancy glass rims in lemon juice then in sugar and chill. In a saucepan, boil sugar and water for eight minutes. Place mint leaves in a large pitcher and pour syrup over. Let cool. Add lime juice, apple juice and salt. Pour into glasses. Add seltzer or club soda.

Building sense of community

This past summer at Camp Hatikvah, the 13-year-old campers were asked to re-create a camp photo from the 1960s. (photo from Camp Hatikvah)

If any Camp Hatikvah alumni stepped onto the property for the first time since the early 2000s, they would be in awe. With the exception of the chadar (dining hall), every single building on site has been rebuilt over the years thanks to the generosity of the community. The facilities are safe, modern and thoughtfully planned to ensure the best program possible can be delivered to the close to 700 participants Hatikvah hosts each summer.

However, even more impressive than what has changed at Camp Hatikvah over the years, is what hasn’t.

“Our site has certainly improved a lot over time and the new facilities have led to exciting program

opportunities for our campers but, with great pride, our program remains deeply steeped in the same traditions that existed when the camp was founded some 75 years ago,” shared executive director Liza Rozen-Delman.

Rozen-Delman went on to say that, while alumni from any previous era who visited the camp may not recognize the buildings, they would feel immediately at home.

“Everything would be familiar to them. The mifkad (flag raising/lowering) ceremony is performed verbatim to how it was done in the ’40s. We still start every meal by singing ‘Anachnu od lo achalnu shum davar …’ followed by the blessings. The Kochot campers still try to sneak past shmira (night watch) after bedtime and final banquet is still the most special night of the summer,” she said with a smile.

It’s hard not to smile with her, as you can see the passion for Jewish camping all over her face as she speaks about the generations of children who have been impacted by Hatikvah.

“It’s a place like no other,” Rozen-Delman said. “It is where thousands of kids had the chance to experience a fully Jewish environment for the first time in their lives. It’s beautiful and I am grateful to be able to be a part of it.”

Joanna Wasel, board president, couldn’t agree more. She said Jewish camp is one of the most impactful ways to help children form a strong and proud Jewish identity. It works, she said, “specifically because the learning at camp is informal. It doesn’t come from lectures but from immersive Jewish experiences that are shared amongst a community of peers. It’s powerful and effective. Quite frankly, it’s brilliant.”

photo - One of the photos from the 1960s that Camp Hatikvah 13-year-olds re-created last summer — One of the photos from the 1960s that Camp Hatikvah 13-year-olds re-created last summer. *(photo from Camp Hatikvah)*

During these complicated times, when youth are experiencing mental health issues at an unprecedented rate, Hatikvah’s focus on tradition is also helping campers go back to a simpler time. “We are a technology-free zone,” noted Rozen-Delman, who went on to say that camp offers children a much-needed respite from social media. “Being unplugged is freeing,” she said. “It’s one of the greatest gifts we can give the children of today.”

Rozen-Delman spoke about the joy she feels when kids engage in the type of back-to-basics fun that the camp environment can provide. She recalled a program the 13-year-old campers did this past summer, where they were given an historical camp photo from the early 1960s and asked to re-create it.

“It’s not always easy to get a 13-year-old excited about a program, so I was unsure what the reaction would be,” she said. “But these kids reveled in the opportunity to do something creative and different. They went to their cabins, got dressed up and had the most amazing time giggling with each other as they performed their task. It was so pure. And I loved the photos they took, as it connected them with the past and reminded them that they are a part of a community of people who have been touched by this special camp.”

– Courtesy Camp Hatikvah