Over 260 teenagers from across the FSU came together for ten days of an unforgettable summer vacation at EnerJew camp sessions in Russia and Ukraine, which finished yesterday.

The sessions – one for girls in Ukraine and one for boys in Russia – took place at seaside locations, providing participants with a much-needed boost of health and energy. The teens submerged in a thoroughly prepared program of Jewish heritage and leadership while bonding and having summer fun.

EnerJew will run two more sessions like these at the same locations later in August. 

“Our staff – mentors, camp counselors, activists have put so much effort into making these summer programs the best they can be – providing our teens with an unforgettable experience of Jewish unity and belonging,” said Mr. Konstantin Shulman, EnerJew director.

Ahead of camps, EnerJew, the FSU’s Jewish youth movement, ran a series of preparation events, which ensured the camps were superbly organized. These included a programming seminar, staff seminar and a pre-camp session on location right before the start. “Becoming a madrich – an EnerJew camp counselor – is like a ticket backstage to real life: suddenly you see how much impact you can have on people if you apply yourself, and that’s the most incredible feeling,” said Batya Usik, part of the camp staff from Orenburg.

Most of the camp counselors are EnerJew activists and coordinators, who have completed the School of Madrichim informal education courses, run by the movement throughout the year as one of its successful sub-projects. 
In August about the same number of teens is expected to participate in the additional sessions.