Dear Young Judaea Family,

This has been a difficult week as the war between Israel and Iran continues to unfold. We are heartbroken by the loss of life, the daily fear and disruption, and the displacement of so many. Our thoughts are especially with our Young Judaea alumni and staff in Israel—we are praying for your safety and strength.

We are all standing a little taller, prouder, and more resolute because of Israel’s courageous efforts on behalf of the Jewish people and the world. At YJ Camps, the expression of Zionism is palpable as campers sing “Am Yisrael Chai” at the top of their lungs.

At Young Judaea, our first priority is the well-being of our participants. This includes those currently in Israel on our Amirim and Onward Israel programs, and soon, additional cohorts from Onward Israel and Gesher, our teen summer program.

With safety as our top priority, we adapt as necessary to keep participants safe and engaged in a meaningful program. If you are directly responsible for a participant and have questions about how current events may impact your program or camp, please refer to the regular updates from our Israel team for the most accurate information.

In North America, our summer camps are standing together—supporting each other and our Israeli campers and staff, all of whom are deeply affected by the events in Israel. Israelis already at camp are balancing the difficulty of being far from home while still creating joyful and meaningful summers for our campers. For our Israeli campers and staff whose flights have been grounded, we eagerly await your arrival. You long to be at camp, and our camps count on you.

With decades of experience, Young Judaea is no stranger to navigating crisis. With steady leadership, dedicated staff, and a clear purpose, we respond swiftly and as a unified movement in moments like these.

Thank you for being part of our resilient Young Judaea community. We will continue to show up—for Israel, and for one another.

Oseh Shalom Bimromav, Hu Ya’aseh Shalom Aleinu, V’al Kol Yisrael, V’al Kol Yoshvei Tevel

Adina Frydman
CEO Young Judaea Global

By Margot Turk Calacuda, Year Course 1974-75

Growing up in the youth movement Young Judaea taught me many things that attribute to who I am today. One of the biggest lessons? That there are friends, there is family, and then there are those rare friends who become your family. My adrenaline is at a high level after spending a week with my “family friends.” The 1974-75 Year Course in Israel had a big impact on our lives, and together we celebrated the experience we had 50 years ago.

I had a small pre-reunion with a few friends in Haifa to catch up on life from the past 50 years. We had a culinary tour in Wadi Nisnas, the most authentic market and traditional market that emphasizes coexistence. Chef Avi showed off his skills in our kitchen for Friday night dinner while I showed off my clown toys. Early Shabbat morning we walked to Carmel Hai Bar, the nature reserve devoted to the raising of endangered and extinct animals. We drove to visit my Druze friend on the mountain for pita and labane before heading down to Ein Hod the Artist village.

In the evening we dined at my favorite downtown bistro and followed by a walk to to view the graffit in Haifa. After a night’s sleep for most, we met at the Louis Promenade for the best views of the lower section of Haifa, the bay all the way to Lebanon.

We had brunch at the fun Cafe Diyoma which gives a feeling of what cafes used to be like in Haifa. We drove to Nesher to the suspension bridges to “hang out”. We hiked with my speaker in hand and danced until suddenly a group of elementary school children joined us. I played a song that they would know and we all danced. Their madrich asked us “old ladies” if we’d ever heard of a camp in NY called TY. Really? Of all the places and people to ask! He was a shaliach at TY in 2009.

Laughing all the way back to the car we drove to Haifa University and up to the 30th floor of the Eshkol tower to see the panoramic view of Haifa and the surroundings. Our evening was down at the beach to meet my daughter and grandsons before our dinner at the Beach Club. With the sunset in the background, we got ready for our early wake up to take the train to Savidor station to meet all of our Chevre.

Next we took the long drive down to Kibbutz Ketura. We began with a brief walk to see some of the changes in the Kibbutz and ended up at the pool for a lovely BBQ dinner. Dinner was followed by our ice-breakers and a discussion about Israel over the past 50 years.

The next morning after breakfast we headed to the date fields. It was especially meaningful for those that planted trees 50 years ago. We continued on down to Eilat to have a choice of snorkeling or the underwater observatory. We had lunch at the Ice Mall and back to Kibbutz for free time plus the Argan Oil production tour. This was followed by a very moving Memorial Celebration of Life for those that had left us too soon. Sitting in the hut we reminisced about wonderful people we were fortunate to have had in our lives and no longer alive to make new memories together with us. We had dinner tasting beers and pizza at Beerzinut. That evening we got down and wild with karaoke and storytelling.

The morning began with an amazing hike, climb, and crawl at Timna park, a lunch of ice cream at Yotvta, and then back to kibbutz to get muddy on our faces.

We walked back to our meeting room for an inspirational panel discussion of how YJ impacted our lives in terms of activism.

We then had a quick talk about Medical Clowning in Israel (hmmm, I wonder who the clown was that spoke).

We made dinner together—pita on the saj—then hiked into the dark with ultraviolet lights for a magical Scorpion Safari. I wore white sneakers and loved seeing my feet light up as we danced under the stars. We ended the night with a cozy kumsitz, where our talented Texas crew brought guitars and voices for an unforgettable evening of nostalgic songs.

On the final day of departure we were accompanied by music like, “I had the time of my life”, “You’ve got a friend”, and “Leaving on a Jet Plane”, we hugged and boarded our bus with a stop at Sde Boker to pay respects to David Ben Gurion’s gravesite.

We disembarked at Savidor Station in Tel Aviv with more hugs repeating “until we meet again’ and ‘l’hitratot’ because we neve say goodbye. I love my friends that have made my life better just by being in it, and I thank you. It is true when they say that Young Judaea friends are forever.

Why am I writing this post?
To all Young Judaea alumni—before, during, and after 1974-75: If you will it, you can do it!

We were awesome then, and we’re still awesome now. Reunions remind us of that.

Leah Kayman of Keren Kolot at Kibbutz Ketura devoted so much time in assuring that we were happy. Details are so important.

Abraham Silver (YC 1975-76) was our passionate guide and definitely an integral part of the success of our reunion.

Last but not least, the determination of 25 participants that traveled so much distance (with stops due to cancelled flights to Israel) to join over 15 participants here in Israel. Your efforts despite delays, sirens, schlepping showed us all that it was worth the countless hours of emails, zoom talks, messages…. to make this all a success. On behalf of my partners in crime on the committee we embrace you all with love and laughter.

See more pictures from the reunion!

Ready to plan your Year Course reunion? Email alumni@youngjudaea.org and we’ll get you started!

By Mandy Funk, Year Course 1998-1999

What an incredible weekend! Thirty-five friends, scattered across the country and even as far as Spain, descended upon Austin, Texas on April 25th for our 26^th 1998-1999 Year Course reunion. This was only our second reunion since 2019, making it even more special. It was a weekend packed with all the elements that make these gatherings so special: love, laughter, deep conversations, and plenty of reminiscing.

We kicked things off right with some fun by the pool, soaking up the Texas sun and shaking off the travel dust. As evening approached, we got dressed up for dinner, but not before a truly special moment in the hotel lobby. We gathered to celebrate the start of Shabbat, lighting candles and saying the blessings over wine and challah. It was a beautiful and meaningful way to begin our time together. Dinner was classic Austin – delicious BBQ, followed by an evening of nostalgic music and dancing that had everyone on their feet.

Saturday morning brought an invigorating tiyul on the Austin Greenbelt, a perfect way to experience the city’s natural beauty. We worked up an appetite for a great lunch, then it was back to the hotel for more poolside party fun. As the sun began to set, we headed out for some authentic Austin flavor: tacos and dancing at the White Horse honky-tonk. The energy was infectious, and we danced the night away, reliving old memories and making new ones.

This reunion was a testament to the enduring power of friendship. Despite the years and the distance, the bond between us remains as strong as ever. Catching up, sharing stories, and simply being together felt like coming home. huge thank you to Young Judaea, YJ’s camps, and Year Course for bringing all these lovely individuals together and helping created lifelong friendships. Here’s to many more years and many more reunions!

Ready to plan your Year Course reunion? Email alumni@youngjudaea.org!