FIDF's DC Hosts 20 Bereaved Israeli Children as Part of Legacy Program

Twenty bereaved Israeli children visited Washington, D.C. last month as part of the FIDF (Friends of the IDF) Legacy Camp, currently in its 18th year. The signature program ran from July 11-25 and included home hospitality and travel experiences for a special, diverse group of B’nai Mitzvah-aged teens in the Nation’s Capital.

Coordinated in partnership with Yad Bonim and the IDF, FIDF Legacy Camp is a unique opportunity in the United States offered every year to children and siblings of fallen soldiers, providing a chance to spend time with others who have gone through similar loss, and to simply feel joy again. Six of the 10 counselors staffing the delegation were IDF soldiers in their last year of military service who also lost loved ones and attended the very same program when they were teens. The program was hosted by FIDF’s DC, Maryland, Philadelphia and South New Jersey chapters.

Upon landing, the campers headed to a welcome pool party at an FIDF supporter’s home in Philadelphia, and then ventured to the campgrounds at Capital Camps in Waynesboro, PA where welcoming American campers greeted them. They spent 10 fun-filled days participating in a range of camp activities, followed by a visit to Washington, D.C. where the children toured the capital and enjoyed Shabbat with the D.C. community. The trip culminated with a visit to New York City and a pool party in Westchester.

This year, the DC community warmly welcomed the multi-lingual delegation into their homes, including two campers who immigrated to Israel from France (and whose dominant language is French) and a Bedouin child who only spoke Arabic. One of the local host families included French speakers and the children were able to comfortably spend a beautiful Shabbat in a home away from home.

Another host family was able to transcend the language barrier and form a connection through music, which began with a visit to Capital Camps earlier in the week. “The magic of spending time with the Legacy campers is the chance to express how much we care about them and, even if unspoken, to show them that we honor their sacrifice to Israel. A camper, who spoke no English, and I experienced a moment together that exemplified that music and sharing an instrument can be even more powerful than words,” said FIDF DC Chapter President Todd Rosenberg. “The kids and counselors were so appreciative of us, but hopefully we helped them understand that it is a two-way street.”

According to Jennifer Scher, FIDF VP of the Midatlantic Region, “The DC chapter has championed FIDF Legacy Camp as a locally adopted program for nearly 10 years. Our caring community rolls out the red carpet for these children - from personalized welcome bags lovingly donated and assembled by DC’s Women’s Brigade, to sponsoring a fun-filled day in Hershey Park, arranging tours of DC, hosting a pool party, providing gift cards for shopping trips, and welcoming campers into their homes. Not only do campers make lifelong friends with other bereaved children on this program, but over the course of a few days together, Legacy campers and host families form strong bonds of friendship. We are deeply grateful to our DC FIDF lay leaders and to Havi Goldscher and her team at Capital Camps for their partnership as our camp hosts each year.”

FIDF National Board Member Robert Burman reflected on the importance of Legacy Camp: “After the initial communal bereavement subsides, families feel isolated in their grief as they continue to struggle facing a void that will last a lifetime. For the children and siblings of the fallen, it is especially isolating to carry such a heavy burden. It is a sacred honor to be able to offer support and open our homes and hearts to the Legacy campers.”