Summer Camps in Palestine
PALESTINE – Two reports about summer camps in Palestine.
Spiritual Summer Camps for Youth in Palestine at Beit Sahour
The General Secretariat for Young Christian Students in Palestine has set up its spiritual summer activities for 2012 at the Latin Convent Sports Center in Beit Sahour for all young Christian student groups from all over the cities and towns in Palestine: El Bar’em (the very young), the primary and secondary level groups from 13 -30 June. It will also set up a camp from 8 to 11 August for University and working youth with the participation of an Italian youth delegation.
These camps and activities aim at developing the spirit of faith, prayer, service and participation among the different categories of youth, and to develop a spirit of leadership and belonging to the homeland, the Church and society through a number of spiritual, cultural, social, sports and educational programs in addition to volunteer programs and social services in the district of Bethlehem. Also, visits to the Holy Places, such as the Nativity, the Milk Grotto, Shepherd’s Field, the Seminary in Beit Jala and the Cremisan Convent whose lands are under threat of confiscation were organized.
The words of Psalm (126) 127:4 were adopted as a logo of these camps: “Like arrows in the hand of the powerful, so are the sons of those who have been cast out”.
Participants came up to approximately 220 of whom 40 took part in the “Youth Leadership Training Program” held for the secondary level youth that aimed at their preparation to work and assist in summer camps throughout their parishes.
The preparatory level youth camp participation came up at about 80 and the Bara’em at about 100 children coming from all over Palestine.
Preparation and organization of these spiritual summer camps was carried out with the participation of a number of nuns, laity, friends of the General Secretariat and its team by having given lectures on different themes, and animated Mass celebrations and the different activities programs.
Jesus the World is Beautiful with you at Fifna
This summer St. Joseph’s parish in Jifna, Palestine held its annual summer camp. This year’s camp was run by about 20 young adults from the village with over 120 youth who participated ranging in age from 5 to 18 years. The theme of the camp was Jesus the World is Beautiful with you and was held everyday for three weeks.
Each day the children participated in three stations including: religious education provided by two seminarians from the Latin Patriarchal Seminary Bernard Poggi and Malek Galanzeh and Rosary Sister Sasha Ejailat, English Conversation provided by two volunteers from Ireland Mickey and Killian, Arts and Crafts, Music, Sports, Dance and Other Activities.
Each Wednesday the children all participated in Swimming in the afternoon and on occasions the entire camp was taken out for a field trip to Golden Wheat Mills in Beir Zeit and also to Mikhmas Fun Land Amusement Park.
This years successful event was made possible thanks to the generous contribution of our benefactors and we look forward to next year being even more successful.
From our correspondents
Beit Sahour’s camps
Jifna’s camps (video on Youtube)