Kfar Etzion summer camp for children with special needs 2026

The Kibbutz Kfar Etzion summer camp for children with special needs is turning 42! It started as a summer program for the patients of the Alyn Children's Rehabilitation Hospital, and it continued as a camp for the Ilan Association (an Israeli umbrella organization for the treatment of disabled children). In recent years, we have heard from parents, in both Gush Etzion and Efrat, regarding the needs of their children during the summer. Seeing the opportunity to help, we opened our hearts to the families in our area. The summer camp is run entirely by volunteers – Primarily the teens of Kfar Etzion, with the enthusiastic support of the entire Kfar Etzion community. The children are enveloped in love and care for the whole week. They are engaged with activities and special events. Equally important, the summer camp allows their families a week of respite from the intensive care they give all year round. For the Volunteers, the camp provides an opportunity to give meaningful support, to learn how to accept, and to integrate others who require special care. Each camper is assigned several counselors, who accompany them during the summer camp. The counselors spend time getting to know the campers before camp starts. Even though our youth are responsible for running the summer camp, we, the residents of Kfar Etzion, view this as an important initiative in which community members, ranging from teenagers to the kibbutz founders', partner together to make it successful. There are numerous expenses involved in running the camp. We rely on the generosity of donors, earmarked funds from the budget of the kibbutz, along with the assistance and support of the Gush Etzion Foundation in order to fund the camp. To continue to provide this important program and expand our reach to give these children the summer experience they deserve, we are asking for your help. Thank you for partnering with us! Kfar Etzion youth.