Camp Kimama

Camp Kimama was founded in Israel in 2004 by Ronen Hoffman with the intention of bringing American-style Jewish summer camps to Israel.[1] At the time, most Israeli summer camps ran for two or three days and were run by youth movements such as Noam on land belonging to JNF/KKL.[2] The camp became the first international summer camp in Israel, bringing participants aged 6 –17, from 40 different countries to Israel.[3] The first summer, 140 campers attended (60 international) and in 2017 there were over 2,000 campers (800 international, and 400 from the United States).[4] All of the Kimama camps in Israel are run under the supervision of the Ministry of Education.[5]

The first Kimama camp was established in 2004 in Michmoret, a coastal moshav in central Israel within the seaside youth village Mevo’ot Yam.[6] Kimama now operates 4 camps in Israel, in addition to camps in the United States and Europe. The camp's name, Kimama, comes from the word for “butterfly” in the Shoshone Native American dialect.[7] For Kimama, the butterfly symbolizes freedom, creation, and development. Avishay Nachon, the CEO of Kimama, stated that, like the impacts of development, “the flapping of a butterfly’s wings on one side of the world makes ripples on the other side.”[8] Specifically, it represents process-based experience, an experience of development from one stage to another in life.[9]

Campers at Kimama Galim

Kimama's educational approach focuses on integrating recreational activities with important skills and values.[5] In particular, the system is based on five key values:

1) “The Freedom to Be Me:” An environment of freedom for campers where they can express their own individuality and personality without being subject to criticism or judgment.

2) “International Israeli-Jewish Encounter:” Connecting Jewish and Israeli students from around the world, as well as improving communication skills in a variety of languages.

3) “Personal Quest – Transitions:” Focusing on encouraging independence and self-confidence is a core component of Kimama's approach.

4) “Values and Belonging:” Connecting Jewish youth from around the world to Israel and to each other, as well as focusing on the long-term experience of summer camp.

5) “Spirit of Adventure:” Through a focus on outdoor and “meaningful activities,” the camp encourages campers to explore and push their boundaries. The location of Kimama's camps along Israel's coast allows for sea-based activities such as sailing, surfing, and windsurfing, and gives campers access to the Mediterranean Sea, one of Israel's primary sources of tourism.[10]

In 2007, Kimama began organizing winter camps in Europe and, for the first time, established a ski camp in the village of Natz, in Italy. The goal of this camp was to provide youth from Israel camping opportunities during the Passover and Hanukkah vacations.[5] In 2017, Camp Kimama participated in an experimental farm-based incubator program at H-FARM, near Venice, Italy. Kimama Barcelona opened in 2017, on Campus Cerdanya, a forest resort in the Spanish Pyrenees.[15] In December 2018, Camp Kimama will open a camp in the Canary Islands.

Tents at Kimama Hof

In 2011, Kimama established a summer camp in New York, to serve the large community of Israeli-Americans living in the United States. The one-year pilot program was run under the auspices of Kinder Ring summer camp. In all, 120 campers participated in the program, 60 of which came from Israel, and 60 from the United States, mainly from the New York and New Jersey area. A few years later, a second pilot program, Kimama New York, was founded in conjunction with Camp Tel Yehudah.[16] The program brings together Jewish teens from Israel and the United States to participate in a variety of skill-based programs.[17]

A core component of Kimama's approach is to give back to the communities it operates in. Beginning in 2009, Kimama began Camp Sababa, Israel's first Burn Camp, in cooperation with Schneider Hospital for Children.[18] The camp supports children who are victims of burn injuries and helps them develop confidence and positive self-image.[19] Kimama also participates in fundraisers and supports local programming in the communities in which it operates.[20][21]

• Israel & Gaza: A new experience air-raid sirens