Avinoam Wiesel, an 11-year-old from Bnei Dekalim, lost his father, Elkana Wiesel, 35, who fell in battle in the southern Gaza Strip at the beginning of the year. Avinoam, the eldest of four siblings, joined a unique camp last week for 80 children who lost an immediate family member in the war.
Avinoam did not initially plan to stay for the entire week of the camp, but the friends he made convinced him to stay beyond the two days he had allotted for himself. “I really enjoyed the therapy with the dogs this week; I got to know the dog Bully,” he shared. “We did various exercises with him as instructed by the guide, it was an experiential and special activity.”
The 80 participants, students from grades 3 to 12, stayed at the Youth Village camp in Petach Tikva and went out daily for various activities.
Benayah Levinstern, 11, and his sister Michal, 10, the eldest of six siblings, also joined the family of the bereaved during the war. Their father, Chief Warrant Officer (Res.) Elisha Levinstern from Harish, fell in battle in the southern Gaza Strip in December 2023. The camp was an activity they especially looked forward to.
“I made new friends here that I think I will meet even after the camp ends,” Benayah described. “This week we watched the movie 'Inside Out 2' and visited an ice cream factory, it was really fun!” For Michal, the highlight was the activity at Superland. “The friends I made here convinced me to go on a scary ride that I initially didn’t have the courage to try,” she said. “I’m glad I did it.”
The traditional summer camp of the Koby Mandell Foundation for children of bereaved families was held this year for the 23rd time. This year, camps were also held for children of bereaved families from past wars, attended by about 650 children. In addition to these, this unique camp was held this week.
“From the moment the children arrived at the camp, they felt like a big family. Already at the initial meeting, they felt comfortable asking each other questions about the loss they experienced,” said Eliana Mandel Brenner, Koby’s sister. Eliana lost her brother in 2001 when he was stoned to death during a hike in Nahal Tekoa at the age of just 13. In the wake of the tragedy, the family established a foundation in his memory, through which they promote various activities to support and unite bereaved families with a shared fate. Today, she heads the foundation established in his memory.
“In a regular camp, we usually talk first about the bereavement, but this time we talked first about the trauma and how to cope with it,” Eliana shared. “Families are processing fresh grief during an ongoing war. For me, this is a bubble of security in such turbulent days.”
Her words were echoed by Ma'ayan Ilani, a 10-year-old from Asael, who lost her father, Chief Warrant Officer (Res.) Gideon Ilani, in December 2023 in the fighting in the Strip. “This camp was liberating for me,” she described. “At home, I didn’t have much to do, and here with my new friends, I feel more comfortable. I waited all vacation to do something fun—and thanks to this camp, I can finally enjoy a bit. I enjoyed Superland the most, like Michal, and the most fun was the 'Falls of Terror' ride,” she concluded.