Many of the participants in Friends of the Israel Defense Forces’ Legacy Camp program — which serves Israeli youth who have lost family serving in the IDF — had never left Israel or even been on a plane before attending.
But over the course of 10 days, these campers traveled to Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C. and New York City, experiencing all that these iconic tourist destinations have to offer while also enjoying camp activities. The program will see a total of 340 participants this summer, including 32 Israeli tweens and teenagers who have lost family since Oct. 7.
One of the camps that hosted this 10-day program was Capital Camps in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, where the Maryland FIDF chapter hosted two cohorts of Pennsylvania, D.C. and Maryland-based campers from July 1-14.
“I embarked on the FIDF Legacy trip with many concerns and fears, but ultimately, I savored every moment,” said Agam Izchak, an Israeli 12-year-old who lost her brother while he was stationed in Gaza. “It was filled with unforgettable experiences and moments that will stay with me forever. This journey truly was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
FIDF has been hosting this legacy camp program for several years, giving children ages 12-14 who have lost IDF family members a space to grieve, connect with others with similar experiences and enjoy traditional summer camp programming.
The program was so popular this year that FIDF added three road trip sessions aimed at teens ages 15-16, with two trips spanning the East Coast and one traveling across the West Coast. This is largely due to the events of Oct. 7, with many participants having lost family in the initial attacks or Israel’s military offensive on Gaza, or even witnessing the attacks themselves.
In addition to the legacy campers, these camp cohorts are joined by several officers from the IDF’s Casualty Unit and counselors who have traveled from Israel. Of the 32 who lost relatives, 23 were campers and nine were counselors.
However, the first cohort, which was hosted by the Maryland FIDF chapter, mainly consisted of children who had lost relatives prior to the events of Oct. 7.
“I would say that Legacy Camp is the Birthright program you don’t want to qualify for,” said Jennifer Scher, vice president of FIDF’s Mid-Atlantic region. “We bring in these kids and we roll out the red carpet for them. A lot of these kids have never traveled outside the country or been on an airplane before.”
According to FIDF’s website, the 2024 Legacy Camp program costs approximately $1.78 million, with funds going toward programming and living expenses for the campers so they can participate in the camp for free.
“FIDF supports thousands of bereaved families who have suffered the devastating loss of a loved one killed during military service. It is a sacred honor for us to offer support and open our homes and hearts to the Legacy campers,” FIDF CEO Steve Weil said.
In addition to traditional camp activities like sports, swimming and art, Legacy Camps campers also took several trips: observing Shabbat in Washington, D.C., spending a day at Six Flags and seeing a Broadway show in New York City.
Some of these may seem par for the course for a Jewish summer camp, but Weil says that they’re anything but. The main focus of these 10-day sessions is the healing component.
“The program provides these youth with a transformative opportunity to bond with peers who understand their loss. They’ll make friends with other bereaved children, finding joy and support amidst shared experiences of grief,” he explained. “For the children and siblings of fallen soldiers, carrying such grief can be incredibly isolating. But through camp activities and travel, participants find solace and moments of normalcy in their journeys of healing.”
Before some of the Israeli campers left for the U.S., they even met with Israel Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, who wished them well on their journey.
Reflecting on her experience hosting these campers, Sherry Mauer, president of FIDF’s Maryland chapter, noted that she was surprised by how open they were about their stories of loss, as she assumed they would not be willing to share them.
“Going to Capital Camps this year was a much deeper, emotional visit, as the kids and IDF Commanders opened up sharing their personal stories of loss,” she explained. “I would have thought it was too raw to share, however they were even more open in sharing than other years when the losses [were] further in the past.”
While the Baltimore-based Legacy Camp sessions are over, the next cohort just embarked on an East Coast road trip on July 24. Programming is planned to run through the end of August.
