During our immersive Israel experiences, participants get to know each other through meaningful encounters, which build long-lasting connections. In July, we helped put the value of creating these new friendships and connections into action in Israel and in Southern California.
GIVING OCTOBER 7TH SURVIVORS A JOYFUL SUMMER CAMP EXPERIENCE
Campers2Gether is an inspiring program we helped fund that gives Israeli teens who have endured unimaginable trauma the joy of Jewish overnight summer camp. Thanks to your compassion, 81 ninth graders displaced by the October 7th attack traveled to Southern California this July to attend one of four local summer camps. We helped these Israeli teens rest, recuperate, and immerse themselves in the Jewish values, culture, and traditions that define Jewish summer camp. We also helped them connect to their own identities and the larger Jewish community. The experience culminated in campers from both Israel and North America forging meaningful Jewish connections and friendships that will last a lifetime.
Read more about this wonderful program by visiting JewishLA.org/Campers2Gether.
CREATING LIFELONG JEWISH BONDS ON BIRTHRIGHT
Feeling the magic of Israel firsthand with other Jews creates relationships and friendships that last a lifetime. Our Birthright Israel programs offer young Jewish adults who’ve never been to our ancestral homeland a free trip to learn what makes it such an awe-inspiring place. On one of these recent Birthright experiences, our LA Way Community Trip, attendees forged lasting bonds with the country, and each other. LA Way Community Trip participants returned home with nuanced perspectives on Israel and heightened respect for the country, its people, and its connection to our history.
Find out more about Birthright by visiting JewishLA.org/Birthright.
LEARNING ABOUT ISRAEL WITH LEADERS IN EDUCATION
Our 2024 Holy Land Democracy Project and Education Leaders Cohort — comprised of teachers and education professionals from public and private schools across Los Angeles — recently returned from an enlightening mission to Israel. This transformative trip was perhaps the most profound to date. In addition to traveling across the country, participants witnessed firsthand the consequences of the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7th and its lasting effect on Israeli society. They met with October 7th survivors, Israelis displaced from their homes, and organizations building bridges of understanding within the country’s diverse communities. The cohort gained an appreciation for Israel’s complexity and the historical, geographic, and political challenges shaping the region. The trip deepened participants’ understanding of Israel and gave them a stronger personal connection to the Jewish homeland. These educators and education leaders are now key allies, well-equipped to teach their students about Israel and the Jewish people.
To learn more about the power of this life-changing trip to Israel, visit JewishLA.org/HLDP.