Camp Sarah 2025: A Third Summer of Jewish Learning and Fun.
All Photo Credit: Camp Sarah
The third edition of Camp Sarah, hosted once more in Abuja, Nigeria, was truly an astounding achievement. For 3 years and still going strong, it resembles fine wine that grows richer with each passing day. This year’s camp commenced on August 11 and concluded on August 22, 2025. On a sunny Monday morning, filled with enthusiasm and a desire for meaningful Jewish learning and adventure, the campers, volunteers, and camp management convened at Tikvat Israel Synagogue in Kubwa Abuja to go live with the third Jewish summer camp outing in the country.
Since Jewish camping arrived in Nigeria with the opening of camp Sarah in 2023, the camp has consistently improved its activities and programs, as well as its leadership and management strategies. This unique camp for younger children and teenagers is known for providing a blend of Jewish learning, morals, and fun for its campers. Over the years, it has increased its capacity to conducively host over 70 children and young adults, which is quite a leap, increasing its capacity by over fifty percent within three years.
This year, more than 78 children and young adults aged 4–16 registered across four Edots (age groups) for the August camping, with over 80 percent being returning participants from the first and second camps. Six international volunteers attended the camp, fostering diversity, building friendships across borders, and promoting unity and alignment with the global Jewish community. A counselor-in-training (CIT) program was introduced for the first time at Camp Sarah, catering to 14 youths aged 17–19. The CITs resided at Tikvat Israel, engaging in a program that emphasized leadership skills, preparing them to become future counselors.
Each day of camp was centered on a core Jewish value that guided the activities and learning. The ten themes emphasized throughout the program were:
- Shalom – Peace
- Ve’ahavta et re’echa camocha – Love your neighbor as yourself
- Ahdut – Unity
- Shmirat halashon – Guarding one’s speech (mindfulness in the use of words)
- Shabbat
- Emunah – Faith
- Tsedakah – Charity/Justice
- Teshuva – Repentance/Responsiveness
- Tikkun Olam – Repairing the world
- Hakarat hatov – Gratitude/Recognizing the good
Daily Camp Structure:
The daily schedule was carefully organized to reflect and reinforce these values through a balanced mix of spiritual, educational, and recreational activities:
- Morning Tefillah – A joyous prayer service enhanced by music
- Yahadut – Jewish learning sessions held within each edah (age group)
- Group Activities – Collaborative programs conducted by edah
- Lunch
- Elective Activities – Campers selected from a range of options including music, dance, arts and crafts, sports, games, yoga, creative writing, and tallit making
Closing Circle – The entire camp community gathered together, with groups often presenting songs, plays, or other creative work developed during the day
Before the start of the annual summer camp, the camp management organized a leadership training for counselors, which took place from August 6 to August 8, 2025, aimed at enhancing the quality of programs. The counselors hailed from various states across Nigeria. The host venue, Tikvat Israel Synagogue, showcased a fresh appearance during the camping. In a conversation with Kadmiel, one of the counselors, he revealed that Camp Sarah sponsored the repainting of the synagogue and installed synthetic grass on the floors to create a safe and welcoming environment for the campers.
This year’s camp featured a standout moment with the introduction of a football match, bringing a fresh element to the program. This innovative introduction offered a special enjoyment out of the camp walls as Maccabi FC Nigeria takes part in Camp Sarah 2025 activities. Solomon ben Yakov, the coordinator of the Eden Class at Gihon Hebrew Synagogue stated that the camping was a giant success.
A football match was incorporated into the camping activities, resulting in a highly enjoyable experience for the campers. This will be the first time a football match is introduced to the camping activities. The football match between Maccabi Football Club of Nigeria and Legacy FC enriched the camping experience, with the best part being a 2:1 historic victory.
The camp was characterized by its international flavor, comprising both Africans and non-Africans. Six international volunteers took part in the program, which promoted diversity. Rabbi Gershom Sizomu from Uganda was invited to attend the camp, and his presence significantly influenced the campers, who freely shared their experiences during the event. In a phone conversation with Debbie Isser, the director of Camp Sarah, she highlighted the significant benefits of having a rabbi at the camp, particularly in the realm of teaching.
“We were very fortunate to have Rabbi Gershom Sizomu from the Ugandan Jewish community serve as our resident rabbi, where he taught Yahadut sessions to all of the Edot, building on daily themes. He is a wonderful teacher, and his presence was a real highlight for everyone.”
Rabbi Gershom, the first ordained rabbi in Uganda, is currently the spiritual leader at the Stern Synagogue in Mbale, Eastern Uganda. Gershom enjoyed the children’s camp so much that he would like to establish a branch of Camp Sarah in his community in Uganda and promote counselor exchanges with Nigeria. During his farewell speech on the closing day, he affirmed, “We are working on it, and pending funding, we plan to hold a camp in Uganda in January.”
Kaim Ben Mikael, a camper and student of the Eden Hebrew Class, shared his experiences learning from the rabbi. Thereafter, he spoke about personal improvement after he was inducted into the Counselor in Training (CIT) category, among many others.
“We learned about Kashrut and Tikun Olam from Rabbi Gershom. His presence boosted our spiritual life throughout the camp. This year’s Camp Sarah was a wonderful experience for me as a Counsellor in Training. I learned about love, impacting Torah values on young ones so that they will grow to love the Torah, and being kind and helping young people. I learned teamwork, among other things, so as to achieve success. Camp Sarah 2025 was fun and impactful to me.”
In addition to its core programs, Camp Sarah also provides opportunities for leadership development and training. The camp’s counselors-in-training program, for example, allows young adults to develop their leadership skills and gain hands-on experience in counseling and mentoring. The dedication and hard work of Camp Sarah’s organizers, counselors, and volunteers contribute to its success. Their commitment to creating a supportive and inclusive environment has made a lasting impact on the campers. One camper, Sarah bat Sarah, noted, “Camp Sarah is more than just a summer camp—it’s a community, a family.” Camp Sarah’s programs will continue to play a vital role in shaping the lives of Jewish youth in Nigeria. With its unique blend of Jewish learning, morals, and fun, Camp Sarah has established itself as an exemplary model of innovative and Jewish education.
Each camping expedition presents its own unique characteristics, whether they are completely new or simply modifications from earlier editions. This year, we can observe that, alongside changes in learning instruction patterns, there has been an increase in the number of participants and a facelift of the venue. Other outstanding features worth mentioning: besides the members of the Maccabi Football Club making a debut in the camp activities, there was a group hiking up a rocky mountain standing over 600 feet, a distance of more than a 45-minute walk from the Synagogue to the mountain peak. Furthermore, the last day in camp was designated a cultural day, which saw campers display different cultural attire, showing the rich and diverse cultural heritage of Nigeria, and traditional music was played to mark the end of another Jewish campaign.
In conclusion, the summer camp was a resounding success; it was marked by innovation, growth, and a deep commitment to Jewish values and principles. As the program continues to expand and improve, it is clear that Camp Sarah will remain a beloved and transformative experience for generations of Jewish youth to come. Camp Sarah, with its strong leadership, dedicated staff, and passionate community, is poised to make an even greater impact in the years to come. Bridging borders, widening horizons, and blending Jewish learning with leisure.
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