Neighbor News
Twenty Bereaved Israeli Children Enjoy Summer Camp in Pennsylvania
Program included pool party and BBQ at the home of Merion Station Family, hosted by FIDF Philly Teens
Twenty bereaved Israeli children visited Philadelphia last week for a pool party and barbecue to kick off the 2023 “Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) Legacy Camp” program, which ran from July 11-25. The day of festivities was the start of an unforgettable and meaningful summer trip to the U.S.
FIDF Legacy Camp is a unique opportunity in the U.S. provided every year to B’nai Mitzvah children and siblings of fallen soldiers, offering a chance to spend time with others who have gone through similar loss, and to simply feel joy again.
A group of local Philly teens, the “FIDF Teens,” provided a very warm welcome to the Legacy delegation at the home of group founder Fallon Rocker. The fun-filled event featured swimming, games, delicious lunch and making friends – the perfect start to the 18th annual Legacy Camp.
After the event, Rocker and fellow group members bid farewell to their new friends who then ventured to the campgrounds at Capital Camps where they spent 10 days participating in classic camp activities with American campers – swimming, archery, rock climbing, and arts and crafts – and in more familiar traditions like Israeli dancing and Jewish learning, building cherished memories and lifelong friendships.
From there, the campers visited Washington, D.C. and New York City before heading home.
“I am so grateful I got to meet such an amazing group of kids! We had so fun much chatting and getting to know one another and even shared contact info to stay in touch,” said Rocker. “The FIDF Legacy program is something I wish didn’t have to exist but knowing there are programs like this to support young teens dealing with significant loss makes me proud to be part of an organization that cares about the whole family as well as the soldiers in the field.”
According to Rocker’s parents, Corinn and Jason: “Our cups run over, and we are beyond grateful and feel blessed and honored to have been able to share this beautiful day with the Legacy campers. We hope our welcome was the perfect beginning to their experience here in the States and the many smiles we were blessed to see continue to help support and heal their deep loss. We cannot express the joy it brings us as parents to know that our children understand their responsibilities as Jews to take care of Israel and those protecting it. We continue to be grateful that our passion towards this mission lives within Fallon and Caden. We look forward to having this group again and again!”
The FIDF teens are currently holding a fundraiser to support three campers next year:
www.justgiving.com/campaign/snjlegacycampers
