Campers in the Baltimore area were treated to a special visit and performance by the Friendship Caravan, a program helmed by the Friends of Israel Scouts, Inc. Tzofim.
From June 11 to 13, a caravan of Israeli performers traveling across North America stopped at Beth Tfiloh Camps, Chizuk Amuno Camps, J Camps and Camps Airy & Louise. They put on shows full of singing and dancing for over 1,900 campers.
“Our campers definitely enjoyed watching the Friendship Caravan. It was nice to sit and listen and sing and dance in more of a ‘concert atmosphere,’” said Hannah Mayer, the program director at BT Camps. “It’s always a treat anytime we have something special from the normal camp.”
2023 is a landmark year for the Friendship Caravan as it celebrates its 50th anniversary. The first caravan arrived in America in 1973, and ever since, they have been traveling across the continent to promote a message of peace and friendship between the U.S. and Israel. As part of the anniversary, the caravan program recently announced a partnership with the Jewish National Fund.
Each of the caravans — there are currently two traveling across North America — consists of five girls and five boys, all 16- and 17-year-old members of local Tzofim chapters in Israel. In addition, they include two madrichim, 23-year-old Tzofim alumni who serve as leaders and take care of logistics.
“Our show is full of Israeli song and dance, and after every show, we schmooze with the audience,” said Erav Tzivon, the director of the Friendship Caravan program. “When [people] talk about ‘bringing Israel to the community,’ well … that’s what we do.”
Before these recent performances, the Friendship Caravan had not been to Baltimore since 2019. While many camps, such as BT Camps, wanted to invite them back, they were unable to due to the COVID-19 pandemic and COVID-era travel restrictions. This year is actually the first time in three years that the caravan has been able to return to the U.S.
The Friendship Caravan’s performances in the Baltimore area were largely organized by the Baltimore Zionist District. The organization provided local host families for the caravan members and scheduled their performances.
“Their hiatus left us eagerly anticipating the caravan’s return and the opportunity to showcase their incredible talents again and bring joy to our community,” BZD Executive Director Caren Leven said. “As soon as we received news that the caravan would be returning to the U.S., our staff at the Baltimore Zionist District started working to ensure they would visit our camps and entertain our campers.”
In addition to providing an afternoon of music and dance, the Friendship Caravan works to spread cultural understanding of Israel. Through their performances, they aim to foster a love of Israeli culture, something that many Jewish summer camps also try to do.
“Similarly to the Friendship Caravan mission, Beth Tfiloh Camps creates an atmosphere where campers from diverse communities come together no matter the circumstance,” Mayer said. “The Friendship Caravan also demonstrated the importance of spreading awareness of other communities.”
But it is not only campers and people visited by the Friendship Caravan who benefit from these performances. Tzivon said that the experience of being a caravan member is a uniquely transformative one.
“During the year, I often hear from former caravan members, and one thing they keep telling me is that they stay close with each other for many, many years after the experience,” he said. “They stay in touch with a lot of the members of the communities they stay in, being invited to weddings and graduations.
“What [caravan members] get is an unbelievable angle on what it means to be a Jew in North America. They experience a lot of things they would never experience in Israel, like different types of Jewish communities and celebrating American holidays,” Tzivon added.
Ultimately, the relationship between the Friendship Caravan and the people they perform for is a symbiotic one.
“The caravan’s performances often celebrate the bonds of friendship between Israeli and American youth, emphasizing the importance of fostering positive relationships across borders and cultural barriers,” Leven said.
In addition, the Friendship Caravan has influenced people’s perception of the rest of the Friends of Israel Scouts, Tzivon said.
“The caravan has been so successful that when members of the Friends of Israel Scouts visit places, people expect them to sing and dance,” he quipped.
