Camp Through the Eyes of First-Time Campers: Olivia Behar & Ziv Adler

For first-time campers Olivia and Ziv from Tenafly, New Jersey, this summer has already been filled with new adventures, new friendships, and unforgettable memories.

Although this is their first time at Sephardic Adventure Camp, they already had a connection to our community. Olivia's dad is the president of the Sephardic Brotherhood and her older brother, Mark, attended last summer and couldn't stop talking about how much fun he had. Olivia is fully Sephardic with family lineage from a Ladino speaking Turkish Jewish family - Ziv's family is Moroccan on one side making camp an exciting opportunity to connect with other Sephardic kids from around the world Jewish traditions.

When asked about their favorite parts of camp so far, they didn't hesitate. "Swimming in the lake and science!" they both exclaimed. Making slime during science quickly became one of their favorite activities, and they've loved cooling off in the lake each day. They were also excited to make friendship bracelets, a fun craft that became even more meaningful as they made so many new friends.

Another highlight has been the incredible camp spirit. Olivia and Ziv have especially enjoyed singing and dancing to Jewish and Israeli music, joining in with campers from all different backgrounds and feeling like part of one big family.

If they had to tell another child why they should come to camp, their answer was simple:

"Camp is really fun! There are lots of activities so you won't get bored, obviously! The lake is nice to swim in, the food is really good, and the cabins are nice."

Like many first-time campers, they admitted that they missed home during the first few days. They even wrote to their parents to tell them they were having an amazing time but missed them a lot. However, they also shared an important piece of advice for future campers:

"Once you get used to being at camp for the week, you don't think about it as much."

One of the most meaningful parts of camp has been making new friends. Ziv shared with a smile that one of her new friends has become especially close. "She's sticking to me because she likes me so much," she laughed. Even more exciting, they discovered they'll both be moving to Israel, making their new friendship one that can continue long after camp ends.

From swimming and science to making friendship bracelets, singing, dancing, and building lifelong friendships, Olivia and Ziv have embraced everything camp has to offer. We are so happy they've become part of our camp family and can't wait to see what the rest of the summer has in store for them!