ISRAEL STYLE at the JCA

about one program that we guarantee you won’t find anywhere else in Jacksonville - Israel Style with our Israeli Community Shlicha, Tal Mola.

By Beth Milograno Berry Jewish Community Alliance (JCA)

Spring is in the air throughout Northeast Florida but all we can think about at the JCA is summertime and the many incredible experiences we have planned for your children. Our JCA’s fun and engaging summer camp programs offer art, music, culture, concerts, science, and sports programs to children of all ages.

With two great locations, the Jewish Community Alliance and the Jacksonville Jewish Center, our JCA Summer Camp is more than just a safe place to spend summer days; it is a place where your children can learn and grow. While we offer a variety of summer camps designed to enrich your children’s summertime fun, we are specifically excited

“As we are preparing for this summer at the JCA, it is very nostalgic for me. I worked at a summer camp in Israel a long time ago and went to camp as a child,” explains Tal, who says she is very much looking forward to her first summer in Jacksonville as our community Shlicha. “I am looking forward to making new friends and meeting many new children through my summer camp. I think it will be very rewarding to share more about Israel, sing songs with them and tell stories like what I had at camp as a child.”

Tal’s unique Israel-themed camp is being offered in two one-week sessions for children in grades 1-6 through our JCA’s Camp Kaytana, where each weeklong program is designed with the goal of teaching children new skills and knowledge. Kaytana, based on the Aramaic word for “summer,” kayta or kayit is known as the Hebrew phrase for “beach season.” In modern Hebrew, kaytana is the word used for the place where children retreat at any time of the year, like a daycare or “camp.”

“I truly enjoy working with the younger generation and am looking forward to sharing some of what I had as a young child growing up in Israel,” says Tal. “For example, every morning for breakfast at camp in Israel we had choco (chocolate milk) served in a bag and lachmaniot (bread/bun). But I think the best part about camp was not going to school and having fun with all my friends.”

Tal’s Israel Style camp happens in Week 2 (June 19-23) and Week 4 (July 3-7) of JCA Summer Camp.

Tal is planning to keep kids busy, learning, and having fun through Israeli song, dance, and cooking! For more details about Summer Camp at the JCA, to register your children (entering grades 1-6) for Israel Style, or if you have questions about JCA Summer Camp, please visit jcajax.org/camp.

Israeli Community Shlicha programs at the JCA are fully funded by the Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida. We are thankful for this important partnership that allows our Shlicha, Tal, to share her knowledge of Israel and experiences with a variety of Jewish agencies throughout our community, including our local synagogues and schools.