The Camp That’s About Hope

By Didy Waks

Camp Gan Yisroel Yekatrinslav A.K.A. Yeka was started in the year 2000, as a gateway of hope disguised as an ordinary summer overnight camp.

Yeka is a haven, a home, and a beacon of hope. Because economic and social deprivation for children in underdeveloped Ukraine is the norm, not the exception—making Yeka is so critical for the campers.

Here’s a little story to illustrate who Yeka caters to. One boy hoarded his breakfast rolls instead of eating them. He explained that he was saving them for his mother—even though the rolls would be two weeks old after camp. “Two weeks is not a long time,” he explained.

And there are too many similar stories.

Yeka is described by the staff as being much more than just a camp – as a matter of fact, the basic program of sports, trips and meals is just the beginning.

In Ukraine young Jewish boys don’t have the blessings we have of living free of poverty, hunger, deprivation, and anti-Semitism. But at Yeka they are given more than camp. The camp offers them three weeks of Jewish Identity-building, education and morale-boosting, helping them live through the year.

With exceptionally energetic and dedicated staff, these kids are given hope.

The campaign that has been launched is the Yeka fan-club apparel, for people who have been inspired by pieces such as the above article, photos (as seen below) and who have be awed by the hundreds of stories that have come from that camp.

Many children are religious now simply because of their experiences in those camps.

You can purchase your “I ♥ Yeka” T-shirt from Yeka Apparel, to help raise funds to pay for staff airfare and other necessary funds.

The price is $15 for a regular adult sized T-shirt , and $10 for children and baby sizes.

E-mail your order to cgiukraine@gmail.com, all additional donations are welcome. You can also see more valuable information about the camp on by going to the camp’s site, here.

As one staff member and Yeka activist put it to a donor, “Thank you for joining us in Yekatization, together we will make this world a better place…”