Hannuka Children’s Camp – 2014

During the Hannuka holidays, the Hebrew speaking Catholic children that frequent the Hebrew speaking Catholic communities in Israel can gather and spend time preparing for Christmas. This year, 37 children, 10 youth and 8 adult counselors spent three wonderful days in the shrine of Our Lady of Palestine in Deir Rafat alongside Beit Shemesh preparing for Christmas.

A few schedule of activities included a daily lesson, sport, art and dance as well as games in the afternoon. Each day began with exercise and morning prayer and in the evening mass and a movie. The children came from the communities in Jerusalem, Jaffa, Haifa, Tiberias and Beer Sheba. The youth counselors had spent two days in Deir Rafat as part of the Desert Flower youth group and stayed on to help with the camp. The adult counselors included the priests responsible for the communities in Jaffa, Haifa and Beer Sheba, Fathers Apolinary, Roman and Piotr, as well as Father David, general responsible for the communities, as well as Sisters Claudia and Camelia (who came to replace Kirill), the two seminarians Benedetto and Daniel and Kirill (for the first part of the camp).

The daily lesson focused on Saint Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary and what they can teach us in preparing for Christmas. During the art classes, the children prepared a Christmas card and decoration.

Once again, thanks to the Sisters and volunteers at Deir Rafat for their warm welcome and to Kirche in Not that sponsors our children’s camp.