Camp Boston Sderot 2022 was a great success. A set of short reflections from the counselors of Camp Boston-Sderot 2022. By Laura Agarkov, Abby Avin, KK, Ben Jakobson, Liz Zhorov, Ben Gribov, Anne Genzelev. 

Laura Agarkov:
This was my 3rd year in person at Camp Boston-Sderot and I’d say it was probably the best one yet. Although every year has been an incredible life-changing experience, each with its own quirks and fun memories, this year ...

Camp Boston Sderot 2022 was a great success. Here is a set of short reflections from the counselors of Camp Boston-Sderot 2022.
 
By Laura Agarkov, Abby Avin, KK, Ben Jakobson, Liz Zhorov, Ben Gribov, Anne Genzelev.

Laura Agarkov
This was my 3rd year in person at Camp Boston-Sderot and I’d say it was probably the best one yet. Although every year has been an incredible life-changing experience, each with its own quirks and fun memories, this year in particular felt like everything came together to the ultimate Camp Boston-Sderot experience.

Abby Avin
Before I stepped foot on camp grounds, I did not know what to expect. Growing up attending Camp RSM, I already knew what was to come  by the time I became a counselor. But here, a plethora of my knowledge about the camp came solely from counselors of previous years.
Despite feeling very overwhelmed on the first night of camp, as days passed I became more and more comfortable with my surroundings and got into the swing of things. For me, my highlights of camp included the smallest of moments, from playing Scattergories with the oldest camp during English, gossiping about neshev with middle camp at the pool, or doing face masks with my youngest girls before putting them to bed. Most of all, the simplest conversations about life with individual campers were the most impactful. Although all camp activities such waterday or art night were certainly highlights too, the little moments are what made my camp experience this year.

One of the greatest difficulties I found was the language barrier. My campers did not understand any Russian and only a handful of words in English. Consequently, I had to resort to either hand signals or Google translate to aid my communication with them. This method worked most of the time, nevertheless when the children fought with others or became upset with something, I was extremely frustrated that I was not able to help due to my lack of Hebrew.

Overall, I am extremely grateful for my camp experience. I know these kids will be in my life and heart forever and I hope to come back next year if my summer plans allow for it. To get more American counselors involved, I think younger counselors should be given the opportunity to apply, as they will value the fact that they are being thought of for this process. Additionally I am happy to communicate with the Camp RSM community and speak about my experience, as I think that in comparison to previous years, Camp Boston-Sderot is currently not talked about at all. Thank you again for allowing me to be a counselor this year, this summer is definitely unforgettable.

KK
Camp with these kids was, without a doubt, some of the happiest moments I’ve had in my life. But it’s a profoundly upsetting thing to hear the kids tell me not to worry about the red alerts. It was an acutely awful thing when they said « it’s ok, we have plenty of time here, a minute and a half » because at home they have only 15 seconds, often less.

I’ve always been more religious then my family, who generally considers themselves to be atheist because of Soviet trauma. And still I was surprised at first at just how religious some of the kids were (and the others still religious even if not very strictly). But during those three days when war broke out, I’d never felt more religious in my life. I felt so helpless, like at any moment I would need to get 80 kids to the mamad, in a minute and a half, and to me it didn’t feel like very long at all. I could hear the booming all day, and I felt like we were all fish in a barrel.

And during that time I prayed as I hadn’t ever before. I imagine that if I lived in Sderot like the kids I’d become just as religious, as praying would be the only thing that made me feel less helpless.

Being around my girls, who were so quick to anger, and so quick to extreme anger, was not shocking to me, just heartbreaking. They did not get an escape, or a breakaway to the US, they just stayed put in a warzone. And yet, my girls are still some of the most loving kids I’ve ever met. They feel everything more strongly, and that makes them so so loving. That’s what makes their moments of anger that much more heartbreaking.

During those days, I asked a kid what he wants to be when he grows up and he said « I want to be grown up ». Though it was said in a sardonic tone, his tone still gave the impression that he was somewhat doubtful of the future. What these children need more than most is to look at the future and see that there not only is one, but a good one. They need hope. Camp gives them this hope. It helps them know that they are important, and strong, and worth it. To know that somewhere across the Atlantic, in a place they’ve never even seen, there are people who are rooting for them to have that future, who believe they can have something better and are willing to help them see it.  You are those people. Camp is that hope. Thank you for making it happen. 

Ben Jakobson
This past summer was my first year as a counselor at Camp Boston Sderot and it was truly an experience I will never forget and will cherish with me. Right before the kids arrived at camp I was nervous and didn’t know how they would react but I instantly felt welcomed and at home. The kids had a plethora of energy and I felt all the love I gave reciprocated right back. I formed friendships and memories that I will always keep dear to me. I will never forget the splash fights with my youngest boys at swim everyday, the pure joy and chaos of throwing paint at each other during art night, and the strong sense of community and family at Shabbat dinner.
After 2 weeks these campers really became my second family. I hope to come back next year to create new experiences and see all those beautiful smiles again, especially during English class.

Liz Zhorov
Spending twelve days as a counselor at Camp Boston Sderot was an eye-opening and heartwarming experience. From eating delicious food, hearing new music, and learning fun Zumba dances, I have created memories I will never forget. Despite the occasional language barrier and it being my first time there, the love and kindness felt throughout the camp made me feel like I have been a part of this community for years. In the middle of the camp, tensions near Gaza rose and rockets were fired. As counselors it was our job to continue camp activities as normal and ensure a positive atmosphere while prepared to hear sirens at any given moment.

This was just a glimpse into the kids' lives. I only felt a fraction of the fear and anxiety these children experience on a daily basis. Being with the campers and in Israel during this time made the situation feel real and emphasized the importance of the continuation of the Boston-Sderot project. From excited hugs when the kids arrived to tearful goodbyes on the buses the connections make me ask myself how could I not try to come back?

Ben Gribov
Camp Boston Sderot 2022 was unlike any other year I have attended the camp. We had the largest camp to date, the most number of new kids that we have had at the camp since the first year, and a smaller group of counselors than usual, but somehow everything worked out very well. All the new kids fit right in with the older campers and became close friends very quickly.

And the increased size of the camp only added to the fun, as there was an upsurge of different personalities and camp characters. In addition to all of that, this year truly showcased that the importance of this program has not dwindled one bit since the first year we had camp. This summer, while we were at camp, there were over 1,100 rockets fired toward Israel from the Gaza Strip just between the dates of August 5th to 7th. Thankfully the camp was located in a northern area of Israel and we were all safe from the rocket fire; however, the children's hometown of Sderot was under constant attack and their families had to sit in bomb shelters for three days straight. While it is safer nowadays than when the program started due to the iron dome defense system, there are still many problems these kids face on a daily basis that I could have never imagined growing up in the comfort of a suburban city outside of Boston. Seeing the trauma and PTSD that these children have to suffer through for the rest of their lives and hearing the stories of what they have had to go through starting at such a young age was a very eye-opening experience. Wrapping up my fourth year being a counselor ended with new experiences as always, and a new appreciation for being able to comfortably spend time with friends and family without the threat of danger.

Anne Genzelev
A few days before camp, I was informed that one of my campers had PTSD due to a qassam rocket hitting her house in May, 2021. I was told that when she hears loud noises, she may faint and lose control of her body. As I prepared myself for this, I felt comforted by the fact that Israel was not in active war at the time. However, as the most recent conflict with Gaza escalated, and my camper became aware of this, I witnessed her entire demeanor change. She worried for her own safety in Herzliya as well as her family’s safety in Sderot.

After a long and active day at camp, I was faced with the daily battle of putting my campers to bed. This camper had been especially difficult, continuously asking me to sit outside. In an attempt to comfort her, I asked her to explain why she wanted to go outside. She told me that she wanted to look at the sky so that she can see with her own eyes that there were no rockets flying over her. In this moment, my entire understanding of this conflict’s affect on children changed. I truly witnessed the mental consequences that living close to Gaza came with. I began to understand that no matter how many times she had been in this situation, her level of fear would remain the same.

Throughout camp, various campers had asked me if I was planning on returning to camp next year. I hesitantly would tell them that I wanted to, but in the back of my mind I was unsure.

Camp had been difficult and stressful, and it was challenging for me to understand the impact that my presence could have on these kids due to their occasional disrespectfulness. However, as camp came to a close, the gratitude my campers had expressed to me was unlike anything I had experienced in the past. I grew to understand that these kids are incredibly thankful for all of the American counselors, even if they may not show it everyday. The connections to campers that I formed this summer were unlike any other connections I had formed in the past, and thus I stopped questioning my possible return to camp. I believe that this experience has taught me that rewards are not immediate, and no matter how challenging camp may be, it is crucial to understand that the kids behave the way they do because of their environment, not because they are not grateful.