The “Shorashim - Roots and Future of Diaspora Jews” (“Shorashim-Caucasus-2014”) children’s camp took place in Bakuriani (Georgia) on August 20-31, 2014.

The 20 years of experience of the Shorashim project in Ukraine have proved its effectiveness in informal Jewish education and strengthening the Jewish communities of Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova. In 2013, VAAD Ukraine (a co-founder of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress) initiated an implementation of the project in the Caucasus, for the Jewish children of Georgia and Azerbaijan. Thanks to the joint efforts of the representatives of Jewish communities of Ukraine, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, the project became a reality.

There were two preliminary events held before the camp: a preparatory seminar for the staff of the camp in Tbilisi, on June 20-22, and a precamp in Bakuriani to prepare the premises on August 17-19.

On the 20th of August, the camp session for Jewish children from Georgia and Azerbaijan opened in Bakuriani’s picturesque mountains and the welcoming “Premier Palace” hotel.
The goal of the Shorashim-Caucasus-2013 camp is to teach its participants about the history, culture, traditions, and customs of the Jewish people in Georgia and Azerbaijan, to allow them to form a connection to the ancient and modern world of the Diaspora and Israel, to strengthen and develop the participant Jewish communities, to foster national self-identification, to teach leadership and creativity to the young generation, and to teach tolerance in a policultural world.

 

This year, the Shorashim project was held thanks to the financial aid of the Charities Aid Foundation (Great Britain), JAFI, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, community figures and important businessment and philanthropists Mark Shabad and David Jacobashvili, as well as the charity contributions of the children’s parents. The organizational support for implementing the project was provided by the experts and volunteers of the Kyiv office of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, the Association of Jewish Communities and Organizations of Ukraine (VAAD UKraine), the staff of the “Children’s Initative” program of the Jewish Cultural and Educational Foundation of Tbilisi, and JAFI representatives from Israel and Georgia.

The project gathere 90 participants of different countreis - Georgia, Azerbaijan, Israel, and Ukraine - and different cities, including Tbilisi, Gori, Borjomi, Jerusalem, Rishon LeZion, Kyiv, and Rivne.

 

The camp’s work consists of a specially developed system of educational events covering various aspects of Jewish life in the Caucasus, in Israel, and in the Diaspora, as well as clubs,

recreation, sports, and tours.

 

The conceptual theme of the 2014 camp was “Tikkun Olam” or “Repairing the World,” which is quite vital to today’s society. Every day of camp life touched upon this theme and illuminated the many different sides of the problem. Daily topics that were developed for the camp included: “Love your neighbor as yourself,” “The Babylon Project,” “What else would the Almighty demand of you, if not justice, love, and mercy?” “What are good deeds? How are hey done?” “Accepting oneself through helping your neighbor,” “The mission of human beings and their place in the world,” “How we go through the tikunim,” “On repairing the world,” and “Tikkun olam in action.” The themes were examined with the use of various teaching methods and aids, which took into consideration the culture, age, and psychology of the project’s young participants. The children were also able to have fun and develop their creative sides in such groups as “Let’s try this,” “Shorashim-bend,” “Handiwork,” “Freeze-frame,” “Scout practice,” “Carpe diem!” “Swimming,” “Sports,” “Time with Ukraine.”

 

The children were also able to become acquainted with the history, material culture, and life of the Jewish community of Surami, and were able to visit one of the most important Georgian historical sites - the cave monastery of Vardzia, as well as the Jewish quarters of Tbilisi.

 

Every evening was full of interesting events, including competitions, quizzes, games, presentations, movies, and dance parties, all related to the theme of the camp. The children also had a choice of sports activities while in the camp, including soccer, basketball, table-tennis, badminton, billiard, and swimming.

The work of the camp ended with a post-camp for the staff, where they analyzed the results of their work and chalked out promising directions for the project’s ativity.

The International Jewish Camp “Shorashim-Caucasus-2014” was a success, and we hope that it will become a traditional, beloved and awaited event for the Jewish communities of the Caucasus.