Making ConnectionsThe Szarvas fellowships encourages meaningful
interactions and mutual understanding between Jewish youth from around the
world. The North American Szarvas Fellows arrive on equal footing with
their peers from different countries, ready to learn from and share with
one another. By joining together in classic summer camp activities,
participants are able to get to know each other in a relaxed environment.
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Szarvas CommunityThe camp welcomes youth ages 8-18 from all over
the world, from a variety of Jewish cultural and religious backgrounds.
The North American Fellows interact mostly with people their own age, with
additional opportunities to interact with the younger campers as well.
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Szarvas LifeLife at the camp is non-stop, brimming with singing,
swimming, sports, dancing, eating, learning, drama, building, creating and
international friendship. The typical day begins with an international
musical wake-up at 7am followed by breakfast in the communal dining hall.
The main part of the Szarvas day is filled with various activities
scheduled together with participants from the other countries. Three
activity slots take place before lunch, and three take place after. An
extravagant camp-wide night activity rounds out each Szarvas
day.
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International LunchtimeMealtimes are always a highlight of the
day, with multi-lingual chants and cheers emanating from various tables
around the communal dining hall. The camp is also world-famous for its
international birthday celebrations, where each country serenades the
campers that are celebrating their birthdays on that day with "Happy
Birthday" sung in different languages.
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International Jewish EnvironmentSzarvas welcomes participants
from all Jewish religious and cultural backgrounds, providing a supportive
environment that makes everyone feel comfortable. The camp provides kosher
food, prepared under full-time supervision, and is Shomer Shabbat. There
are optional daily minyanim, and there is a camp-wide prayer service on
Shabbat, with special multi-lingual prayer booklets. Each camper bakes a
challah on Friday morning for the Shabbat Meal. Some campers even
celebrate their Bar or Bat Mitzvahs at the camp, aided by their world of
new friends.
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HistoryThe camp at Szarvas was founded in 1990 primarily to serve
campers from Eastern European countries. In the years that followed,
participants began arriving from around the world, including India, Turkey
and Israel. Recognition of the unique international Jewish opportunities
that emerged at Szarvas prompted visits by groups from Western countries.
Through the vision and hard work of Linda White, the American Szarvas
Experience began in 1999. In 2002, the program became known as the Szarvas
Fellowships.
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