Nazareth English Summer Camp: 160 Campers. 25 Volunteers. 2 Weeks. 1 Unforgettable Experience.
The mid-morning call to prayer echoes over the Al Gharbij school, which should be empty, abandoned for the summer. But instead, 160 children are gathered there for an English summer camp. And 25 people from seven countries and diverse backgrounds, unified in white, forPEACE polos – all volunteers – are making it happen.
by Kate Bennion
The mid-morning call to prayer echoes over the Al Gharbij school, which should be empty, abandoned for the summer.
But instead, 160 children are gathered there for an English summer camp. And 25 people from seven countries and diverse backgrounds, unified in white, forPEACE polos – all volunteers – are making it happen.
Grade 2 and Ashton Mills and Reem Hamed of ClamourSoundCraft Music perform their original composition about the environment.
In one room, ten-year-olds cluster around a guitar-wielding Oxonian, putting the final touches on their own composition, a song about environmental awareness. Down the hall, an American Christian makes fanoos paper lanterns with her class, discussing the English terms for Ramadan. Seventh-and-eighth-graders work with non-profit directors to craft a life mission statement. And outside, Arab third-graders play “King of the World” with an Israeli Defense Forces member, on a week’s leave to serve at the camp.
“Each year, we are afraid we won’t be able to match the quality and skills of last year’s crop of volunteers,”says Margret Ellwanger, director of forPEACE. “Yet the miracle happens again.”
July 1–12 marked forPEACE’s second year of staffing an English summer camp in Nazareth, working in collaboration with Kamel Barghouti, the dedicated Nazareth municipality volunteer Camp Director.
Hidaya's Haiku
This year, counselors with a wide range of experience and exceptional professional skill levels delivered a range of courses, including Canada, Arts & Crafts (which included a haiku-creating language arts component), Math (a forPEACE signature class – no camp goes without math), Windmills, music composition and performance classes, a life missions writing workshop, Nature, Tae Kwon Do, Environment Stewardship, Sports and Travel & Tourism.
Tae Kwon Do with Counselor William Smith from Canada
Eran Kolber, international computer software consultant, and his son Travis helped campers create their own newsletters using Microsoft Publisher.
Students dissect owl pellets to find bones, fur and other undigestibles to determine what owls are eating.
Guest lectures about owls as agents of biological pest control by Motti Charter, GAIA ornithologist and researcher from Haifa University and University of Lausanne, and a week-long Microsoft Office workshop from Eran Kolber, international computer software consultant, were also a big hit.
“Even though I was there for only one day, I had a lot of fun!” said Dr. Charter.
Jane Smith, originally from Ottawa, taught the course on Canada. She said the kids were "bright and hard-working" and responsive to the variety of material.
"I really feel that the camp makes a difference," said Smith. "The kids do learn, they're exposed to some really great stuff... and it feels really great to be a part of that."
Campers and JCs (Rawan Nseir and Rawan Dahamshy) do-ci-do in Mary Marsh’s music class.
Spelling bee winners pose with Missy Bethke.
Working with children with such a wide age range and English ability was challenging, but the 160 campers from ages 5 to 14 were divided into groups based on year in school, and volunteers from local high schools acted as translators.
These junior counselors, or JCs, were crucial both to camp function and cohesion.
JCs pose for a photo in Acco, on a day trip for volunteers and host families.
“The junior counselors from Nazareth and the neighboring villages were so helpful – in helping with the translation of difficult words from English to Arabic, and also in the translation of culture,” said Sarah Kochav, who taught Travel & Tourism. “Sometimes we did get ‘lost in translation’ and they were always there to help find the way back for the kids in my classes – and often for me as well.”
Many became close friends with the other counselors, students and co-directors.
“It’s so sad for me that camp is over,” said Rawan Dahamshy, JC from Nazareth. “I really liked the peace message (the camp) was delivering... I hope that I will volunteer in the next year.”
Counselors stayed with host families in Nazareth and the surrounding villages. As every year, staying with the host family was an important part of the volunteer experience.
"For me these two weeks come at the end of a two-year living in Israel," said Nir Golan, American International School senior, originally from Boston. "All the time I’ve been with the Jewish community, and you see one part of society. This (experience) gives closure. When you get to know people of a certain group that has stereotypes, you begin to see that some stereotypes are not accurate."
"My hosts were amazing," said Meghna Thomas, another AIS student. "A lot of my stereotypes and stuff (I had a few, I’m ashamed to admit) have all been broken down. I learned not to judge people."
After campers went home each day, counselors and Nazareth hosts participated in vibrant afternoon and evening programs about Nazareth and its citizens throughout the centuries. The agenda included an animated lecture by Nazareth historian Dr Nakhle, a visit with Nabila Espanioly at Al-Tufula Pedagogical and Multipurpose Women's Center and guided tours and outings through the north. In addition, counselors and host families spent time together touring local sites, cooking and eating, and swapping English and Arabic.
If the level of friendships formed between volunteers and community members is any measure of the forPEACE mission to “contribute to peace by building common ground for individuals from different faiths and culture,” the camp was definitely a success. Many made plans to visit or meet up again in the future, exchanging email and social media contact information. The local JCs also developed ties with young forPEACE volunteers from the American School in Israel and abroad. One camper started a “Just for Peace” Facebook group to keep dialogue and friendships going. The group had 38 members in no time and is still going strong.
Ashlee Wrigley, from Salt Lake City, said she felt that she had made friends for life with her host family.
"They tell us we’re their kids," Wrigley said. "Could we feel any more loved?"
Visit forpeace2013.shutterfly.com/pictures/2758 to view more photos from camp.
Most importantly, campers also had a good experience. Whether making Ramadan lanterns, learning to “boot scoot ‘n boogie,” discussing water purification, singing in Arabic or English, or engaging in more serious fare like writing life missions, interacting with a wide variety of people proved enriching for the campers... and fun.
“It’s one of the most exciting experiences I’ve ever had,” said Amina Jarar, student at the camp, posting on Facebook the week after. “I can’t wait for next year.”
Twelve days of English Summer Camp
July 1–July 12, 2013
Day-by-Day Review: July 1–July 12, 2013
by Kate Bennion
Day 1: All hands on deck!
On a steep hill in sunny Nazareth, though school is out for the summer and heat is pushing 90 degrees F (30 degrees C), more than 100 children age 6 through 13 gathered for the fifteenth annual English Summer Camp.
Day one of the two-week camp was colorful and at times hectic as children in eight grades studied another language... through action. With topics ranging from counting to cupcakes to Canada, English learning was all hands on deck as counselors led activities and lessons, junior counselors translated and directed students and children talked, sang, wrote, drew, cooked, ate and played, to name just a few.
More photos, videos and stories to come. Follow forPEACE on Facebook or Twitter for more updates or use the hashtag #nazcamp.
Day 2: Getting the Groove
On the second day of the Nazareth English Summer Camp, 120 campers attended a selection of more than 10 classes taught by volunteer counselors. With first-day kinks worked out, campers and teachers alike were ready to get right down to the business of learning English.
Mariam writes her name on the board in Tourism class, taught by Ms. Kochav. The trickiest part of today's class was learning the proper enunciation of "Annunciation."
Grade 2 is poised and ready to run across the court in Sports as Spencer leads a variation on the game of tag. It's not often you have volunteers to be "it," but in this case every hand went up.
William leads Grade 6 in a series of hand blocks in Tae Kwon Do. Can you learn English while practicing a Korean form of martial arts in an Arabic-speaking city in Israel? Definitely.
Missy reigns supreme as Arts and Crafts master while Grade 7 students adorn colorful drawings with an unlikely decoration: buttons.
Day 2, Part 2: Churches, Mosques and Shawarma
On Tuesday, after camp was done and the campers went home, counselors, co-directors and junior counselors went on a guided tour of Nazareth. They visited such sites as the Greek Orthodox church, the White Mosque, the Old City Market and the Church of Annunciation, hearing stories, taking photographs, and sampling the supposedly best shawarma and falafel in the city along the way.
The Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, built over the spring where the Virgin Mary fetched water and the angel Gabriel is said to have appeared to her.
The Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, built over the spring where the Virgin Mary fetched water and the angel Gabriel is said to have appeared to her.
Camp co-director Margret and intern Kate take a seat in the Old City Market.
Counselors and JCs take refuge in the shade of the Old City to listen to some history about the Ottomans.
The tour guide pauses to explain symbology in the local architecture.
With the help of some borrowed scarves, the group entered the White Mosque to see the Muslim place of worship.
The Basilica of the Annunciation. Built over the grotto where the Virgin Mary lived, this is the largest Church in the Middle East.
Day 3: "We believe in you"
Today, in Missy’s language arts class, eighth-graders perfected the art of haiku: a Japanese poetry style that follows a 5-7-5 syllabic pattern. In addition to the poem, students also created artwork to accompany their haiku. The results were pure poetry.
Layla wrote:
“Who You Are”
Never say never
Dreaming is believing, so
Be true to yourself.
Hidaya wrote:
"Don’t Judge Us"
We have a feeling
Don’t judge us ‘cause we’re different
Everyone has a heart!
![Yara, a k-pop fan, wrote:"I [heart] K-Pop" I love Lee Min Hoo; I love Shinees and U Kiss; I love Korea.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/560ccb28e4b0a926fe0c846c/1467568996273-7L0CGPAUYB89P1S4QXQR/image-asset.jpeg)
Yara, a k-pop fan, wrote:
"I [heart] K-Pop"
I love Lee Min Hoo;
I love Shinees and U Kiss;
I love Korea.
Shada wrote:
"Never Say Never"
Don’t give up, be brave,
We always here to help you,
We believe in you.
Day 4: Clamour Sound Craft
After four days of work, today’s camp culminated in a performance of songs written, composed and sung by students.
Ashton Mills of Clamour Sound Craft and Reem Hamed from Beta Musica School worked this week with Grades 2, 3, 4 and 5 to create songs themed around the environment.
How do you get twenty rowdy campers to create one cohesive, original song? Mills explained the process as a continuum: he brings a first line, a few chords, a few words to the first class and then asks the children for the rest, piece by piece. Sometimes he makes a suggestion, sometimes an individual student comes up with the next part, sometimes it comes as they sing.
“I can honestly say that every kid here contributed something,” said Mills.
In a class evaluation session, students spoke to Mills and Hamed in English and Arabic to express their feelings about the experience.
"[Song] is a more exciting, fun way to think about the environment," said one student. "There is a difference between teaching and doing."
Hamed, a flutist and music student at Tel Aviv University, said it wasn't an easy week, but the children seemed to enjoy it, especially the last two days.
"I truly believe music can change people, because the children were changed," said Hamed.
Day 4, Part 2: Discussion on Nazareth led by Dr. Bashara
Counselors and their host families, co-directors, and junior counselors gathered at the school Thursday evening for a discussion on Nazareth led by Dr. Bashara.
Although Dr. Bashara has a medical background, his interest and knowledge on Nazarene history was evident from both the breadth and depth of topics covered: history from thousands of years ago, the establishment of Israel, cultural factors and Nazareth today.
Bashara took a factual approach to the subject, eschewing storytelling and emotional rhetoric for a more scientific philosophy.
Both visitors and Nazarenes enjoyed the discussion, some staying later to ask further questions and learn more about the location of this year’s English Summer Camp.
Day 5: Pool Time!
On Friday, campers, JCs, counselors and co-directors filled three buses to visit a community pool for a day of swimming, playing and relaxing.
Day 6: Best So Far
Saturday is the Sabbath in Israel, so we’ll take a rest and bring you the best so far: top ten things from the first week of English Summer Camp 2013 (in no particular order).
- The amazing, irreplaceable, indefatigable JCs!
- The capes Missy made for students, junior counselors, counselors and co-directors.
- An amazing view from the camp location.
- Touring Nazareth.
- The excellent Chinese yo-yos brought as prizes for excellence in class.
- Students who come back and visit teachers between classes to help or just hang out.
- Singing performances from Clamour Sound Craft music.
- Beautiful life missions from Steve and Margret's session with Grade 7.
- Spending time with and relating to host families. “I feel like I’m just in America, sitting with my friends,” said Mary, camp counselor.
- "This is the first time I like math!" - one of Ashlee's students
Day 7: Akko
On Sunday, junior counselors, camp directors, counselors and host families piled into a bus for a day trip to Akko.
Day 8: Meet our campers!
Here are some of the faces we get to see around camp each day...
Mohee is 11 years old. His favorite subject in school is Art and his favorite sport is basketball. At camp, he has been in grade 5. His favorite class has been Music. He hasn't decided what he wants to be when he grows up yet.
Layla and Hidaya are both in the Grade 8 class and aged 13. They both like Arabic and English at school and their favorite band is One Direction. Layla's favorite class at camp has been Math and she says she is so excited for the next year! They have dreams to be a doctor/singer and a public speaker.
Mohammad and Amina are classmates both at camp and at school. They are in the Grade 9 class. Amina's favorite class has been Music, and Mohammad's favorite has been Tourism. They both like the opportunity to interact with camp counselors from a variety of countries and backgrounds. Amina wants to be a singer and Mohammad wants to be a politician.
Day 9: Meet our counselors!
Counselors and junior counselors from five countries are volunteering their time and preparation this year to teach at the Nazareth English Summer Camp. Here are just a few of the many wonderful people who are making camp happen this year (more to come later):
This is Ashlee's first year at camp after marrying Steve Wrigley, camp co-director, in June. She is from Salt Lake City, Utah, and plans to become a nurse. A highlight of camp for her thus far is her host family in Reine Village, who she says has been incredibly warm and generous.
This is Missy's second year as a camp counselor, and this year she came even more prepared, sewing 120 capes to give to campers in addition to preparing lesson plans and activities. She flew to Israel from Maryland, where she is working on a Masters of Library Science degree.
William is 24 and a university student studying Criminology at Ottawa University, visiting his family in Israel for the summer. He is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and says has enjoyed getting to know people from Nazareth and the surrounding areas.
Jane (who is also William's mother) is retired from the Canadian armed forces and Canadian public services and is teaching a course on Canada for camp. She says that she's enjoyed her experience at camp, especially interacting with the kids, and is hoping to teach again next year.
Also from Salt Lake City, Mary's educational background is in music teaching, specifically chorale. She owned her own music school before retiring to raise five sons. Over the course of camp, she has taught almost every camper to sing "I Can Sing a Rainbow" and dance "Boot Scoot 'n Boogie."
Day 10: Owls and Computers
On Wednesday, campers enjoyed two classes from more professionals (in addition to the usual crowd). Motti Charter, ornithologist and researcher with Haifa University and University of Lausanne led a presentation on owls as agents of biological pest control. Dr. Charter is the lead scientist for GAIA (Global Awareness Investigation and Action), a forPEACE supported High School environmental research program.
Charter leads a discussion on why owls are neither good or bad luck, despite popular belief.
Students dissect owl pellets to find bones, fur and other undigestibles to determine what the owls are eating.
Across town in a computer lab, Eran Kolber, international computer software consultant, and his son Travis helped campers create their own newsletters using Microsoft Publisher.
Fifth-graders bond with a stuffed falcon and owl that came along for camp today.
Students watch as Kolber demonstrates the features of Microsoft Publisher. Kolber explains the ins and outs of creating a newsletter.
Shada, Amina and Mohammad present their final products: newsletters about camp.
Day 11: Spelling Bee
On the last full day of classes, several upper-grade campers competed in a spelling bee.
Words included such tough offerings as "lawyer," "insect," "attic" and "freckles."
Though the competition was fierce, three winners eventually emerged. Congratulations to champion Rinal (first place), second-place Tamara, Shada, who took third, and all those who participated! (And special thanks to counselor Missy for her preparation and direction of the bee.)
Day 12: Another Pool Party!
Campers, families, volunteers and teachers gathered on Friday for a bittersweet camp wrap-up party at American International School in Even Yehuda. Between swimming, talking, taking pictures and exchanging email addresses and Facebook, the morning flew by, but not before these moments were captured:
Nazareth Summer Camp 2012,"English is your Passport to the World"
NAZARETH, Israel — From July 1-15, the 14th annual English immersion summer camp took place at the Al Gharbij neighborhood community center of Nazareth. It was the first year forPEACE collaborated with Karmel Barghouti, the volunteer Community Center director and his assistant, Elias Haddad, to plan and run the forPEACE camp curriculum with volunteer camp counselors from the United States, Germany, Nigeria and Israel. Additionally, we were fortunate to have specialists present workshops on public speaking and life skills. The camp experience was summed up by two of our German soccer coaches as follows.
by Victor Rehart and Georg Langhans-Sorg
NAZARETH, Israel — From July 1-15, the 14th annual English immersion summer camp took place at the Al Gharbij neighborhood community center of Nazareth. It was the first year forPEACE collaborated with Kamel Barghouti, the volunteer Community Center director and his assistant, Elias Haddad, to plan and run the forPEACE camp curriculumwith volunteer camp counselorsfrom the United States, Germany, Nigeria and Israel. Additionally, we were fortunate to have specialists present workshops on public speaking and life skills. The camp experience was summed up by two of our German soccer coaches, Victor Rehart and Georg Langhans-Sorg, as follows.
Math Olympics with Kandice Knoelk
Fussball with Viktor Rehart and George Leopold
"During these two weeks we had an opportunity to get to know Israel as a country in better detail, while we were also given a deeper insight into the culture of the Arab minority in Israel. We lived in Arab host families, who welcomed us in their homes and families. The families were extremely gracious and extended themselves greatly to ensure our well being during our stay in Nazareth.
Dancing Queen Ashley Rodgers
Our responsibility in the camp revolved around teaching English through sports, especially soccer. From Monday through thursday the children were divided into age groups ranging from Pre-kindergarten through Grade 7, as they rotated through four stations per day. The children aquired English vocabulary and speaking ability through classes in mathematics, dance, general academics, art, crafts, music, American holiday traditions and computer lab. On the week ends the director of the Community Center, Kamel Barghoutiarranged for various activities for our group as well as the children and their parents. We were given an opportunity to explore Jerusalem, Akko, the North and had time at the Nazareath Swimming Pool as well as Luna Gal at the Kinneret.
Public Speaking and Debate with Tamara Berber
Learning English through Music with Anneli Givens
Classes were divided into 1 hour blocks. Our very able Arab junior counselors, mostly High School girls and boys from Nazareth and the surrounding villages, helped us during our class time and escorted the children between stations. We cannot say enough in praise of our wonderful local junior counselors who allowed us to break through the language barrier. They quickly became not only our translators but more so our friends and helpers. We felt our efforts were appreciated by the children and soon an atmosphere of trust and friendship was built between us and them.
Arts and Crafts with Missy Bethke
Computers with Jessica McAvoy
Camp Councilors with New Friends from Nazareth
The immersion in Arab culture was a new and inspiring experience for us. We were grateful for the many activities our host families invited us to share in. Amongst other events, we were priviliged to learn about Arab customs through attending weddings. We exchanged cultural impressions. Anyone interested in learning about economics and politics will look at the Middle East in a new light after such an experience. The reality of life here is much more complex and multifaceted than they media make it out to be.
The camp ended with an evening ceremony complete with the American custom of potluck dinner. Parents and students attended as well as the mayor of Nazareth and members of the Nazareth municipality. We felt good when we heard the praise our camp received for its structure and content by the locals. The camp was a precious experience for us as it expanded our own vision while giving us the satisfaction of providing the children with a wonderful opportunity and experience".
Campers Enthusiastic about Recycling
Camper Receiving her Saving the Environment Award
Visit forpeace2012.shutterfly.com to view, download or print photos from the camp.