UIA Summer Camps to Assist Victims of Trauma
The Kassam rockets have subsided, but the effects on thousands of children from areas of Israel adjacent to the Gaza Strip remain. Hundreds of children are attending special Keren Hayesod (KH) and Jewish Agency (JAFI) summer camps which include therapeutic activity.
For the children of Sderot, this summer will be just their second in which Kassam rockets are not falling, but not a single child has forgotten the trauma the rockets caused. Currently about 300 children are participating in special summer camps sponsored by KH– UIA and by the JAFI Fund for Victims of Terror. Through a variety of individual and group activities, this 10 day camp provides a means for these children to treat their fears. Activities include therapeutic horseback riding and psychodrama sessions to enhance their sense of personal security.
“Keren Hayesod assists children from the periphery of Israel through a range of varied projects which take place regularly throughout the year,” said KH Director General Greg Masel, who added, “it is also important that we assist the children of Sderot and vicinity through this special camp to try to strengthen their sense of security as much as possible.”
Eli Carmeli, the director of the Fund for Victims of Terror, thanked KH for its unique contribution on behalf of young victims of terrorism. Carmeli noted that the Jewish Agency’s fund helps terror victims meet their needs and fulfill their dreams. Since the fund was established in 2006, it has assisted more than 2,800 victims of terrorism and their families.