RJCF - Russian Jewish Community Foundation
Russian Jewish Community Foundation (RJCF) is a grassroots all-volunteer charitable organization.
The RJCF mission is to preserve and enhance Jewish identity among Russian speaking Jews and to support Israel.


Boston-Sderot 2023 – Counselors Reflections, Photos & Videos
Posted on September 11, 2023


Boston-Sderot Counselors - Camp 2023

Hundreds of pictures and videos are posted on Camp Boston-Sderot Facebook page

Dita Berline (Program Director, 5th year)
When I reflect on Camp Boston Sderot, the first thought that comes to mind is the impact that I hope I made over my five years of involvement in the campers' lives. After that, I think about how much these kids have changed my life as well. Coming late to camp this year was extremely difficult for me. Sitting at home while all the other counselors were doing an incredible job made me extremely happy, but I was also so sad that I wasn’t with them. 
Once I finally arrived, it felt like I had never even left. So many familiar faces, as well as incredible new ones, all there for one and the same reason: to have an amazing and fun two weeks meeting people, doing activities, learning about each other's lives, and making strong loving connections to last a lifetime. 
I was always told that these kids can change my life, but I didn’t really understand what this meant until it was finally my turn to be involved with the project. There are many campers who I feel know me just as well as some of my best friends from home and many of the people I met my first year, have now become my extremely close friends throughout the year as well. I looked forward to each night when I got to sit with the older campers and talk to them about their lives at home and what their future plans are. They then would ask about mine and I took this as an opportunity to emphasize the importance of education and a career to me in my life, and encouraging them to also prioritize these things in their lives.
Every year when I leave camp I feel as though my previous connections have strengthened, and new ones were formed. It is always extremely sad to depart, and as I walked through the airport bawling I realized that this camp has not only given me lifelong friends, but it has also strengthened my connection with Israel deeply. It is a country I am very proud to have a connection with, and one that I have spoken to my friends at home about. This year, I hope to go back to Israel in March and introduce the campers to one of my university friends. To me, there is no line between the family that this camp has created for me in Israel and my family back in Boston. I hope that overtime, this line is blurred for the people in my life as well, and that they have a chance to meet each other.
With lots of first year counselors this year, I remembered myself the first day of my first camp. I was nervous, scared, excited, and I don’t think I was expecting to have such a strong desire to stay so involved with the Sderot community. What this year has truly confirmed for me is that it is definitely a priority of mine to stay connected with this community and to continue to make an impact on their lives as well as allow myself to grow and feel unconditional love from my friends there. I want to continue to be involved with the project as much as possible, and hope that at some point when time allows, I will be able to spend an extensive period of time in Sderot, truly understanding and immersing myself in life there.

Karin Ulanovsky (3rd year counselor)
This year at camp I had the oldest girls - ages 15 and 16. Coming into this age group I had a lot of biases as someone who already had second oldest last year (and some of these girls as well). I knew they would be concerned with their appearance : excessive hair brushing, lots of perfume, and showering as much as possible normally multiple times a day. Truth be told, this turned out to be a good thing as it made me take more pride in my appearance as well - my girls wouldn’t let me leave the room with a small hole in my shirt and my hair unkempt (and they loved doing my makeup for me which was an extra bonding bonus). Really, I felt like Barbarian Barbie compared to my girls. But while all those aspects of being oldest girls counselor certainly held up, there was one completely unexpected aspect of being the counselor of the oldest girls: hearing the way in which they talk about the reality of their home life - resigned to their fate, feeling it won’t and can’t change, and worst of all, asking the same question over and over again: why does nobody care? I know most of my girls from last year, and I knew already that they were loving and wonderful and kind, but seeing the thoughtful and wizened way they discuss their situation was both inspiring and heartbreaking at the same time. Seeing them mature from the people they were last year but also understanding the implications of how that maturity came about was bittersweet. The fact that their maturity comes from being forced to face the constant danger to themselves and others, and watching these conversations transpire casually between them, was painful beyond words. It’s not fair that they have to be so mature. It’s not fair that at 15 they are talking about how their younger siblings will only sleep in the bomb shelters because they are too afraid to sleep in their rooms. I wish they would have the freedom to talk only about boys and makeup (and don’t get me wrong, they did) but that should be all they are discussing - not all the times they almost didn’t make it to their bomb shelters.
One of my girls, Amit, who is the sweetest and funniest girl, gets dressed at a glacial paced. It’s a joke between her and me (as well as her family) that she famously moves very slow while getting ready but also while walking anywhere. I had to give an extra hour at least every morning and afternoon to make sure she would get places on time. When it was the last few days of camp she would occasionally say « my love you are going to miss my slow relaxed pace! ». With this in mind, when we were sitting around during cabin time she told me a story. A few months ago, during one of the escalations, her mother called her at school. She said « Amit, please walk home quickly today DO NOT walk home at your normal leisurely pace - there’s going to be a red alert ». Amit agreed, but being who she is, she said she still walked home quite slowly. The moment Amit arrived home, she grabbed one thing from her room, and, deciding to heed her mothers warning, ran to the bomb shelter. The moment the door of the bomb shelter was closed the siren sounded. Amit told this story in a joking way, as an anecdote to prove how chronic her slow pacing was. But all I heard was that one of my sweetest most loving campers was seconds away from not making it to shelter. These are the kinds of stories my girls would tell me. And then they would ask the most gut wrenching question: why does nobody care? Why is it, that their sisters sleep in bomb shelters out of fear, and that they themselves are constantly moments from peril, and nobody cares? Not only that, why do people blame them for this cruel reality they live in? As if they are responsible for it! As if it is their fault. As if it was something they would ever choose for themselves. I challenge you to hear young girls asking these questions of you and not feel like breaking down. The only solace was that I could at least have one response: we care. The American counselors who came here to be with you? We care. The donors who gave money so we could come here? They care. Even though it doesn’t change the situation, and even though two weeks is not a lifetime, I could at least reassure them - there are people out there who care. You are not alone in your reality. We care. This is what brought me back to camp this year and what will bring me back next year and the year after - so they can see that somebody cares.

Elizabeth Zhorov (2nd year counselor)
Being a counselor for the second year at Camp Boston Sderot this summer was an incredible experience. After creating connections last year I would never forget I knew I had to come back. I spent the entire past year texting back and forth with campers on WhatsApp updating each other on our lives and constantly repeating the phrase “I miss you”.  This year felt even more special because it was the 15th anniversary. I was extremely honored to be a part of this celebration as it further demonstrates the importance of the continuation of the RJCF Boston-Sderot project. This time, unlike last year, the counselors had the opportunity to visit Sderot where we were able to see the Gaza border and the Iron Dome up close. 
Seeing the reality of how close all the kids live to the constant threat of war felt indescribable. Years of following the news and hearing first-hand stories from campers was suddenly right in front of my eyes. It felt powerful to be able to visit these kids’ homes and see their regular lives amongst such chaos nearby. From new friendships, food, and experiences, I cannot emphasize how grateful I am for these incredible memories.

Sasha Tokar (1st year counselor)
When I first signed up for Camp Boston-Sderot, the description I had in my mind was “Camp RSM but with more difficult campers.” While my campers were definitely difficult at times (every 15 minute power nap during cabin time was a commitment to an hour spent looking for them), my expectations proved to be very wrong. Camp Boston-Sderot wasn’t only an opportunity to bond with campers from across the world. It was an opportunity to expand my perspectives. While I have done much research on the effects of conflict on people, I could not have begun to comprehend this issue in the same way I did after meeting the kids of Sderot. These campers explained their lives to me while never judging the fact that I had no idea what it meant to live in their position. They showed me that compassion and strength can grow out of devastating situations and that each person has a story worth hearing. Something I didn’t expect about the campers was the complicated ways they see their futures. Some are determined to continue the lives their families have set up for them in Sderot while others are desperate to leave. As I spoke to each individual camper, I found the various reasons for their decisions. Some believe that staying in Sderot is their only option while some refuse to leave their home and their family. Others, often those who have been encouraged to get an education, want to travel the world or study in America. Yet what surprised me most of all was the impact I could have as an American counselor. Sharing my story—what I want to study, what I want to be—seemed to give them permission to create their own. When we did the career unit in English, my campers were loud and unserious at first. Yet, after I spoke about my future, they all began to examine theirs. Even my biggest disruptions in class were able to come up with hopes for their future after I sat down with them one on one and spoke to them about their interests. It surprised me how many of them demonstrated that the idea of having a choice in their future had never occurred to them. Through these aspects, I have begun to see our mission in Sderot as two fold. I have seen the importance of giving the kids a place to relax, make connections, and have fun. The helpfulness of joy to these kids cannot be overlooked. However, one of the biggest things I realized on this trip is that the focus of camp Boston-Sderot isn’t simply the present, but the future as well. By talking to these kids, by showing them respect, and by believing in them, we give them the power to believe in themselves. We help them picture whatever life they want and tell them they can achieve it. I have always taken my mobility for granted. I’ve been encouraged from a young age to come up with goals and work to reach them. This was always a given. But this isn’t true for the children of Sderot. Yet, it can be, and through this camp, I believe that one day it will be.

Bella Werner (1st year counselor)
While all the camp activities were a lot of fun, the individual conversations I had with the kids were the most impactful part of camp for me.
I learned so much and became a lot more aware of the life these kids were living. It made my job feel a lot more rewarding, knowing how and who I was helping. I was also able to share personal stories to kids who idolized America and wanted to know everything about it. I was able to speak to them about my future plans to help them think and open up to me about what they want to do with their lives. All in all it was an extremely meaningful and impactful experience for both me and the campers, and it could not have happened without your help.

Vicky Zolotar (1st year counselor)
Camp Boston Sderot was difficult and tiring, but it was also one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. As a first-year counselor, I had no idea what to expect when I arrived in Israel.
I was worried about the language barrier, being a good counselor, and living up to the kids’ expectations, but all those worries went away when I arrived. Although I didn’t speak a word of Hebrew, the kids welcomed me with open arms and became my live translators.  From the youngest girls in my English class that offered to teach me some Hebrew phrases at the pool, to the CITs teaching me funny slang during evening activities, every person I met helped immerse me in their world. I learned their games, talked about their favorite shows, and listened to more Noa Kirel than I could ever imagine. 
In exchange, I talked about my own life. Going to college, traveling the world, working towards my dream career — all things they’d never considered being within their reach. 
I came to this camp to help the kids, but I think in a lot of ways, we ended up helping each other. Camp Boston Sderot was an unforgettable experience, and I am so lucky to have been a counselor this past summer. I hope I am able to not only come back, but make next year the best camp yet.

Daniel Cutler (1st year counselor)
Coming to Camp Boston Sderot was very intimidating for me at first. I had no idea what to expect and it was my first time in Israel. After getting to the campgrounds and meeting all the Israeli counselors I quickly began to understand that I had nothing to worry about. I forgot this right away after staring at a crowd of 80 new campers, but then again after meeting all the kids I realized just how sweet and fun they really are.
During the session sleep very quickly became a scarce resource and I certainly wasn’t wasting any energy, but I can confidently say that it was the one of the most memorable and joy experiences I’ve ever had. I have nothing but fond memories of each and every kid and I feel so incredibly lucky to have met them. 
I felt that I learned a lot from watching my kids have fun with each other and despite the hiccups I can tell how much they love each other and the camp. I felt that I was able to do a substantial job in making the camp work and It feels very good to know that the work of me and the other counselors made camp run. I am very grateful that Ive bonded with all the counselors and it’s very good to have the people who used to counsel me be coworkers in a fun project.
Overall I think that the best way to explain my feelings about the project is that I’m definitely coming back next year! It was genuinely so much fun and I cannot thank everyone who made it possible for me to go enough. 

Aaron Smolyar (1st year counselor)
Being a part of the Boston-Sderot  project has been something I have known I would do, but never knew when I would. Having finally done it, I can say that it was definitely a different experience than I was expecting. Comparing this camp to RSM, it’s definitely interesting how loose it feels. 
In RSM you feel like you are in this closed off world, and the rules seem honestly more important than following the law. In Sderot, the environment is a lot more relaxed than I thought it would be, but somehow it works. It never quite felt like I was outside of the real world, and the presence of other camps and outside people definitely made it feel that way too. It’s interesting how this was kind of just the thing I did at the end of my summer, and I thought of it as the last event in a chain of events. 
For most of the campers, though, this was the thing of the summer and so I hope I had enough energy to make it fun for them because I was definitely extremely tired by the end of those two weeks. 
I miss being there, and I think it’s likely I’ll come back. I always love being in Israel, I love learning Hebrew. I thought it was really funny when I would speak Hebrew to the girls and try my hardest to put on an Israeli accent, and they all thought I was lying about being American, because my accent was so convincing. Band was awesome, although, of course, it would have been better if we had some of the resources we have the ability to use at RSM. 
Fire ants were pretty annoying, and the novelty of being surrounded by feral animals wore off pretty quickly, but the camp had a lot of charm. It was also really cool to meet the guys that came to camp RSM in 2017. I hope I was a good counselor in the eyes of the kids, because I definitely think I was critically low on energy by the end of the camp, and honestly, I have been in a state of hibernation ever since, but it was worth it. Thanks for the opportunity!