Camp Gesher

Camp Gesher is part of the labour-Zionist youth movement Habonim Dror and is a sleep-over summer camp for Jewish youth, near Cloyne, Ontario, Canada.

Gesher was formally a Dror camp before the merger of Habonim and Dror in the late 1980s, unlike the other six Habonim Dror camps throughout North America, which were Habonim camps. Summers at Gesher are based on the five pillars of Habonim Dror North America. The camp philosophy revolves around socialist ideals and the structure of the camp is similar to that of a kibbutz in Israel.

Gesher's logo is Habonim Dror's semel (emblem) which comprises a wheat sheaf in a Star of David, symbolising the roots of the organisation in Labour-Zionism and in building the Kibbutz movement.

The camp runs for seven weeks during the summer and hosts seminars throughout the year. The name Gesher is Hebrew for "bridge."

Age Groups

Campers are divided into groups (kvutsot) as follows:^[1]

• Ofarim- post grades 2 & 3
• Amelim- post grade 4
• Chalutzim- post grade 5
• Solelim- post grade 6
• Chotrim- post grade 7
• Bonim- post grade 8
• Bogrim- post grade 9
• MBI(trip to Israel)- post grade 10
• Madatz(CIT)- post grade 11

Literary references

The Program, a novel by Hal Niedzviecki, takes place in part at Camp Gesher.^[2]

References

External links

• Camp Gesher website
• Habonim Olami – World Habonim
• HDNA – Habonim Dror North America Homepage
• B'tnua – HDNA's movement magazine