TELL April-May 2019

{NETZER'S AMAZING SUMMER CAMP}
137 amazing and enthusiastic chanichim (participants) took part in
this summer Netzer Sydney’s summer camps season. This was one of
Netzer’s biggest and most exciting summer seasons in memory!
I think the best way to try and
explain Netzer camp is to share
some stories from camp so
I’m going to share some of my
personal highlights from camp.
I would never forget that moment
I was little 8 year old girl, clinging
onto my parents for dear life as
we arrived at shul on a beautiful
summer morning. I remember
looking around at all of the giant
people walking around in matching
green tops and thinking “get me out
of here!”. I was so nervous and all
I could do was stare at the people
walking around me, clinging onto
my pillow. Then my parents told me
“get on the bus and we’ll see you in
a few days”, it happened SO FAST
and in a minute I was on my way to
my first Netzer camp with a bunch
of children I did not know. The
moment we arrived at the campsite,
suddenly everything changed. I
suddenly stopped being nervous
and started making friends with the
people in my group! I was pushed to
my limits and provided with so many
opportunities to make friends and
challenge myself! It was the start of
something truly amazing. I have now
been on 22 camps and counting...
Now, as a 20 year old madricha
(leader) I am so thankful for my
parents for forcing me to get on
that bus. Everything I know about
myself now, I owe to the wonderful
world of Netzer. Every single camp
you learn more and more about
Judaism, our community andyourself.
All my happiest childhood
memories have been made at Netzer
peulot (programs), meal times on
camps, talent shows on camps and
of course- the wonderful Shabbat
services I got to lead on camps ….
One of the things that are highly
important for us on our camps
is to have our chanichim engage
with the synagogue’s leadership:
We are thankful for the continued
support of our local community,
Synagogues and Jewish organizations.
Over the course of
Summer and Junior
camps we were joined by
Rabbi Rafi Kaiserbluth
and Reverend Sam Zwarenstein
from Emanuel Synagogue. They
ran incredible educational activities
for our chanichim and we thank
them as continued supports and
educational role models for our
movement. We look forward to
continuing our relationship with the
Synagogues through joint activities
and events throughout the year, in
order to continue providing amazing
Jewish education and experiences for
young people in our community.
This year we started a new tradition
that included a few parents coming
up on camp to help us make Shabbat
dinner -we were also joined by
Kim Skurnik, Louise Thurgood
Phillips, Inbal Luft, Nicki Stiassny,
Symone Miller, and Naomi Levi -
mothers of Netzer chanichim who
came to camp to cook the Erev
Shabbat dinner for 140 people (!)
I am happy to report that Netzer
Sydney, and Netzer Australia,
continue to move from strength
to strength. We are incredibly
thankful for the ongoing support
of our wider Jewish community,
and look forward to deepening
these relationships, providing
ongoing Jewish experiences, and
contributing to our community.
B’vracha,
Caroline Freeman,
Sydney Mazkira (chairperson) 2019
And everyone in the Netzer
Sydney family.
ISRAEL & WORLD JEWRY
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