Lithuanian Jewish Community Winter Children’s Camp at Šventoji, Lithuania

Lithuanian Jewish Community Winter Children’s Camp at Šventoji, Lithuania

Eighty children aged from 7 to 18 from Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda and Šiauliai came together for the LJC winter camp at the end of December. The camp held at the Šventoji, Lithuania recreational and health resort Energetikas lasted six days. The children were treated to an intensive program of activities prepared by the camp leaders as well as having an opportunity to enjoy the seaside and one another.

 Dorin Rosenkova, the camp leader, was a participant at such camps not so long ago but is now the director responsible for all children. She said everyone was satisfied with this camp.

“It’s not easy being everywhere at once and knowing everything that’s going on, what the children are doing, what the camp counselors are worried about, how the program is being conducted, what we will be having for lunch and what everyone is feeling. But it is exactly that which brings the greatest pleasure, the organization of the event and knowing that everything is going right. I think the camp truly was successful this year. I was very happy with the camp staff this year, it was thanks to them that the camp was a success and received so much praise. The new camp counselors breathed new life into the program and the general atmosphere, and everyone carried out their duties in common,” Rosenkova commented.

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 She continued: “The atmosphere by the seaside in winter is undescribable. I have been going to Jewish community camps since 2002, for 13 years now, as long as I’ve been participating in community activities. Our camps, winter and summer camps, are much-anticipated annual events. Once you’ve been to one of the camps, you realize it is a separate world with its own traditions, values, roles, responsibility, fun and vision. All this attracts us. What stands out this year was the havdalah (end of the Sabbath) ceremony Saturday, when we had an unforgettable show of phosphor sticks. Every child received a phosphor stick which glows in the dark and every group was supposed to make a letter of the name of the camp. We made a big AMEHAYE sign glowing in the dark together. The scene was priceless. The first time we had t-shirts with the name of the camp on them and we held a photo shoot and every participant received a photograph as a gift. I think these camps strengthen Jewish identity. In childhood I was innoculated with Jewish culture so I feel that wherever the winds of change blow me, I will connect my life with Jewish culture.”

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Camper Nikolė Kotliar had this to say: “I never thought the Baltic Sea could be so beautiful in winter. Now I think it is a wonderful time and place to spend vacations. At the camp you can always spend time with people your own age. We do group activities and stage small skits. I try to be active and to express my opinion when it is needed. I have been vacationing at the Community camp since 2008 and every time I look forward to the camp. I really like the warm atmosphere, the friendliness of the people and the solidarity, and it is always interesting to learn something new from Jewish history and culture, and most importantly when we learn it doesn’t feel like school. Everything is presented in an interesting way. Looking back, I remember Sabbath, the holiday feeling, how we all greeted each other, how the whole camp smelled like holiday chala (bread), and how that day everyone was even more together, and I will always remember how I went to LJC camps. Now I am studying at madrich (camp counselor) school and I would really like to be a camp counselor.”

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Liora Medeveckaja, leader of the 4th group (children aged 11 to 13), said: “This was my first time as camp counselor and I thought I did well, although there were some problems, but colleagues helped solve them. The laughter and smiles of the children told me I was doing my job correctly. I looked after my children, played with them, we spoke together, led them in activities and we spent fun times together. We couldn’t really enjoy the sea this year because it was too cold and we didn’t want the children to get sick before the holidays. When I was a child I always went to camp. Who would want to go to Palanga and spend a week with his or her best friends? After you’ve been to the same camp seven years in a row, you know everyone like they were your own family. They’re like sisters and brothers to you. The programs are always incredibly fun. I can’t remember even single camp where there was even one boring day. The children are taught Jewish traditions every day and they are interested in this. I think it is due to the camps and the community that Jewishness has survived in Vilnius. Jewishness is very important to me and my family adheres to tradition. My mother is a real Jew, my father is not Jewish but he respects it and helps maintain Jewishness in the family, understanding how important it is to my mother and her family.”

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