UJIA supports youth movements' happy campers

Around 6,000 chanichim (participants, aged 10-15) are enjoying two weeks away from their every-day experiences at Jewish youth movement camps which are situated all over the country. All participants have been under the watchful eye of madrichim (group leaders) who have benefited from training facilitated by UJIA in partnership with the Jewish Youth Movements.

Shelley Marsh, UJIA's Director of Informal Education, said: 'Staff from UJIA's Informal Education department are currently travelling around the UK, visiting camps. British Jewish young people will experience a wide variety of educational sessions, exploring their Jewish identities at camps in the UK.'
Shelley was delighted to see young people discussing topical issues as diverse as the impact of antisemitism on their lives and questions of body image based on Jewish sources. 'The summer camps are the result of year round hard work by the Jewish Youth Movements. The Informal Education department at UJIA delivers the training and the fantastic voluntary leaders in the movements put that training into practice,' said Shelley.

While some fields were muddy and the sun hasn't shone every day, the levels of enjoyment and education were high.

Second-year History student at Birmingham University Joel Marks, who led a UJIA Israel Experience Tour before returning to the UK to volunteer as a chef at an FZY camp, said: 'The Tour and the Camp have been part of my journey as a young British Jew, and UJIA has helped me prepare for what has been the most challenging and rewarding month of my life.'

In Israel and in the UK, UJIA and the Jewish Youth Movements enhance the lives of British Jewish young people.