In our rich experience with children at risk, we at Shaalei Tikva have found that the mission of reinforcing disadvantaged boys and girls with instruction, a guiding hand and moral support can’t afford to take a time-out at the end of the school year. Though we invest our time and energy to help our children with their educational, emotional and social needs in our after-hours scholastic programs, we have long expressed fears that all our efforts, and the progress that our children made, will go to waste in the long hot summer months when they are left to roam the streets of their impoverished and crime-ridden urban neighborhoods.

For this reason we run a number of summer camps in various locations in Israel and now seek to expand our operation to the Beit Shemesh vicinity, where some 75 children from the age of 6-12 are in need of a safe and structured environment. These children come from families who lack the means to pay for this summertime luxury, which for most children is a normal childhood experience.  Accordingly, the service we will provide is essential for our children’s health and well-being.

Based on the model of our existing summer camps, the Beit Shemesh camp, which will operate in the “Bayit Cham” site on Harekefet Street, will be open for longer hours than typical municipal day camps and will provide a wide range of fun-filled activities, such as: swimming, arts and crafts, computer games, playground activities, tutoring, juggler shows, outdoor sports and field trips to the zoo and to Superland, which will be a first for some of our campers. All in all, the summer program we have planned will provide an enriching and memorable experience for our deserving children.