An Interview with SAC Parent & Board Member, Esther Avrahamy

Ethan Marcus recently interviewed Esther Avrahamy, SAC Parent and Board Member, about the impact SAC has had on her kids.

EM: How did you and your family first get involved with SAC?

Esther: My two older girls had gone in the past, and then went back again a couple of years later with my two younger kids.  So all four kids went eventually, which pulled me in a bit more.  I got involved later, helping with recruitment in the Los Angeles area.  After seeing how much fun my kids had at camp I wanted our friends and family in LA to experience the same thing, which led me to do more for camp over time including serving as a SAC Board member.  

EM: Did you ever grow up going to SAC or some other Jewish camp?

Esther: No, not really, it’s always been my dream to have a Sephardic camp and then I found out about SAC from community members such as Rabbi David Adatto and other family friends, which made me think, “Wow! Here’s a Sephardic camp already in existence. Let me just get involved with this institution and help it thrive.”  When I was younger I worked as a counselor at Young Judea in North Carolina and I just loved the Jewish camp experience.

EM: Do you think your children get a lot out of their SAC experience?

Esther: Absolutely.  I’ve seen my children develop a greater sense of independence, pride in their Sephardic heritage, and always come home raving about how much fun they had at camp.  Every year when camp ends they always tell me how they cannot wait to go back to SAC next year.  Throughout the year there are many references to SAC that come up.  When my husband Yosi and I  hear the camp stories, we know our efforts and involvement have paid off.  

EM: How do you think SAC has impacted your children’s Jewish and Sephardic identity?

Esther: So, I think my family is very culturally Sephardic to begin with, and camp has helped to reinforce that identity among my children, which I’m very thankful for.  I think camp has become a real part of their Jewish identity.  They’ve gotten more involved in their Sephardic school in LA and Sephardic Synagogue in LA.

EM: What do you hope the future brings as SAC continues to connect with other Sephardic communities around the country?

Esther: I really hope it can be a tool to unite all the different Sephardic communities around the country.  The same way NCSY has youth programming on a national scale for Jews around the country, I hope SAC can help build a core group of young leaders who want to become more involved with their local Sephardic communities.

EM: Do you have any fun SAC stories that you’ve appreciated as a parent?

Esther: There’s one funny one I heard from my kids.  Many years ago for color war breakout, the SAC Program team decided to tell the campers that unbeknownst to them, that SAC couldn’t pay their bills and had to sell the camp and it was being renamed “Seattle Ashkenazi Camp.” Apparently, all the campers believed it and went crazy, including my children.  They were protesting against it for almost two days and even sent letters home pleading with us to, “Please send Sephardic food!  We can’t let this happen!  You need to help us do something about this!”  Then when they found out that it was a hoax for color war breakout they were so relieved and happy.  I don’t think it was in any way malicious, I just think it showed how proud the campers were of their Sephardic identity – and it reinforced how important it was for them to have their own camp traditions that were uniquely Sephardic.

EM: Do you have any advice for prospective parents?

Esther: Sending your kids to SAC is a NO BRAINER!  It’s life-changing for your kids and helps them open up socially and mature.  It’s just a wonderful experience!