Pinemere, German Jewish youth connect
By Monica Friess Special to HAKOL It seems almost inconceivable historically that an article like this could be written. In an issue that commemorates Yom Hashoah and its observance around the Lehigh Valley, this newspaper is also reporting on an amazing partnership between Pinemere Camp in the Poconos and the German National Jewish Youth Organization. This winter, 23 Pinemere Camp teens traveled to Italy via Austria to participate in a two-week Jewish overnight camp run by the youth department of the Central Welfare Office of Jews in Germany (ZWST). The Pinemere campers joined 120 German teens for activities such as skiing, snow boarding and snow tubing as well as traditional camp activities such as swimming, arts and crafts, sports, singing, Israeli dance and drama. The group also spent Shabbat together learning about German Jewry and about the similarities and differences between their lives in the United States and Germany. “It was so great to get to know our peers in Germany,” said Zachary Zager, a 17-year-old participant from Allentown. “I really felt the interconnectedness of world-wide Judaism. We’re all into the same kinds of things as Jews, no matter where we are in the world.” The winter trip was the second time these two groups came together. During the summer of 2012, a group of 25 German teens spent three weeks at Pinemere Camp in Stroudsburg. They bunked with their American peers and completely integrated into the camp program. “I had such a great time with them,” said Ben Wax, another Pinemere camper from Allentown. “They spoke great English and taught us some German. We all got along really quickly and felt a great sense of brotherhood.” Ben said
18 APRIL 2013 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
that the differences were minimal. “We mostly like the same things and play the same games except with variations. Also, they’re really great at soccer.” The partnership is the brainchild of Toby Ayash, executive director of Pinemere Camp, and Nachumi Rosenblatt, executive director of ZWST. “Nachumi was looking for an American partner camp,” Ayash said. “A mutual acquaintance of ours suggested that he check Pinemere because the camps seemed to have similar ideals.” Ayash felt that this exchange program would be a perfect way to bring together Jewish teens of different backgrounds. “So often, American Jewish teens do not realize that there are other Jewish teens, very similar to them, all around the world,” he said. Rosenblatt agreed and added that the experience and the knowledge he gained were eye-opening. “There are about 120,000 Jews in Germany, but we feel that there are at least 80,000 more who are not registered in one of the 103 Jewish communities in Germany.” Ayash said she hopes this will become an annual event. “It’s an incredible experience for our teens to see that there are other Jewish teens living in thriving Jewish communities outside of the United States,” she said. “Though our cultures may be different, at the end of the day we’re all connected at this fundamental level.” How wonderful it is for American Jewish kids to learn that there is a vibrant and thriving Jewish community that has reblossomed in Germany, and that they have played a role in bridging the cultural divide and bringing us all a little closer. For more information about this program, contact Toby Ayash at toby@pinemere.com or call the camp at: 215-487-2267 (off-season) or 570-629-0266 (summer).