Children's Summer Camp 2010 – Friendship and Eucharist

41 Hebrew-speaking Catholic children participated in the camp this year. Alongside 22 children who pray in our communities in Beer Sheva, Haifa, Jaffa, Jerusalem and Latroun (they too being very diverse: Hebrew, Russian, Arabic, English speakers), there were also children from the communities of foreign workers and refugees who live in Israel (10 Maronite, Lebanese refugee children, who live in the north of the country and attend Hebrew speaking schools, 4 Filipino children, 3 African children and 2 Sudanese refugee children). They were accompanied by 10 counselors (Father David, the Vicar, Father Apolinary, priest of the Jerusalem kehilla, Father Piotr, a Polish priest who lives in the house of the Jerusalem kehilla, Benny, the volunteer from Italy, Sisters Marianna and Michele-Edith from the Jaffa kehilla, Sister Halina and Giacomo from the Jerusalem kehilla, Sister Camelia, who works with the Lebanese refugees and Brother Andrea, an Italian religious). Together, they formed one big family for five days of prayer and study, games and music, art and fun!

The camp took place in Deir Rafat, a monastery consecrated to Mary, Queen of Palestine, built in the 1920s, before the foundation of the State of Israel, in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pilgrims come to this place to pray for peace, especially for peace in our country. Today in the monastery, Sisters of Bethlehem (who are also in Beit Jemal) make their home and they received us with warmth, much love and infinite patience.

The first day was consecrated to activities to get to know one another. Many of those who participated had already participated in the summer camp last year, however many others did not know one another before the camp and came together for the first time, representing many different backgrounds, languages and cultures. The children divided up into smaller groups in order to get to know one another. Gradually, mutual suspicion gave way to real friendship. Children can do in a short time what adults sometimes never succeed in doing – building friendships with people who are very different from themselves.

On the second and third days, many hours were consecrated to the theme of the 2010 camp: Friendship and the Eucharist. In the lesson, taught by Father David, they learnt about Jesus as a friend and the Eucharist as an experience of friendship. With Benny, they learnt new songs. With Andrea, they prepared an icon of the last supper. Towards midday, it was time for mass together in the church dedicated to Mary. On the third day, they were delighted to receive as a concelebrant at the mass, Father Kuzhaya, the priest responsible for the Lebanese refugees in the north. After lunch, everyone ran to the two pools before the beginning of the afternoon activities. Just as was the case last year, the two pools set up by Father Apolinary, were a roaring success and gave much pleasure to the children. In the afternoon hours, they learnt art with Michal, dance with Danielle and sport with Giacomo. Then, they spent an hour with games and laughter animated by Fathers Apolinary and Piotr. After dinner, they watched a beautiful movie about friendship: Ice Age, parts one and two – and they saw how friendship transformed Manny the mammoth, Sid the sloth and Diego the saber toothed tiger.

On the fourth day, a bus picked them up and they went to Jerusalem, to visit the places of friendship and Eucharist on Mount Zion. After explanations in each of the places by Father David: in the Tomb of David, the Room of the Last Supper and Dormition Abbey, questionnaires were distributed and the children had to fill them in with details from each of the places they visited. Each child filled in the questionnaire before a picnic lunch in the shade of the walls of the Old City. On returning to Deir Rafat, a group of Italian scouts, accompanied by Father Gioele from the Beer Sheba kehila, came and organized games for everybody. In the evening, everyone gathered around a bonfire and sang songs, religious and popular.

On the fifth and final day, they summed up what they had learned, finished off the icons they had prepared and towards midday gathered to celebrate a final mass together in the presence of Father Roman from Haifa and Father Wieslaw from Latroun. Sister Isabelle, the superior general of the Sisters who live in Deir Rafat was also there and she told the children how happy the sisters were to receive them. There were also parents who came to participate in this mass of thanksgiving and farewell. After a joyful and lively mass, everyone crowded into the dining room for a final meal together and then they bid farewell to new friends and this beautiful place.

Thank you Lord for this experience. Thank you to all who contributed of their time, money and strength in order to bring the summer camp about. We are particularly grateful for the assistance of Jesuitenmission, Germany. We hope that we will meet again next year. Until then, help us to be your friend and spread your friendship throughout the world.