In December every year, excitement builds among local Jewish youth because it’s camp season! Attending a youth camp with one’s peers has become almost a rite of passage for young people in our community, and there are plenty of options available for them to choose from.
Bnei Akiva
December 2025 will be remembered by the Bnei Akiva community for a particularly touching momen at the annual end-of-year camp: the opening of the Beit Daniel Perez Structure, a special building dedicated to the memory of Daniel Perez, a fallen soldier who was kidnapped on October 7th. Cape Town Camp Co-ordinator Dani Cohen comments that, “The opening ceremony was deeply inspiring and emotional, featuring powerful words shared by his father, Rabbi Perez. His message resonated strongly with both madrichim and chanichim, reminding us of resilience, unity, and the importance of Jewish continuity.”
Beit Daniel quickly became a popular space at the Bnei Akiva campsite, which is located in Hartenbos, not far from Mossel Bay. For the 1 600 madrichim and chanichim, Beit Daniel offered a safe and inclusive space for relaxation and connection – a place buzzing with energy, where children could engage in life-size chess, play basketball, and have fun in the pool.
According to Dani, “This year was important for Bnei Akiva Cape Town because we reached a record-breaking milestone of having over 200 madrichim and chanichim at the camp. They were joined by campers from Johannesburg and Durban, ranging in age from 9 to 23.
Camp Kesher
According to Lindi Katzoff of Bikkur Cholim (The Jewish Society for Visiting the Sick), which runs the annual camp at their campsite in Muizenberg, “Camp Kesher is a Jewish youth camp that fosters connection, community, and personal growth in a safe and inclusive environment. Through engaging activities and values-based programming, campers build friendships, strengthen their Jewish identity, and develop confidence. The camp creates meaningful experiences that leave a lasting impact well beyond the camp itself.
The camp is geared to create an environment conducive for children who struggle socially or who experience difficulties at home to build friendships while enjoying fun activities with their peers. “Our focus is neither religion nor Zionism,” Lindi continues. “For us, it’s more about creating the environment for children to enjoy themselves and to build relationships with others, and so to strengthen their Jewish identity and values. Many of our campers attend to develop confidence, and to be part of a warm, supportive community.”
Children attending the camp come from diverse Jewish backgrounds from all over South Africa, including Cape Town.
Habonim Machaneh Makom Ligdol
The 2025 annual Habonim Machaneh, held at Habonim’s campsite in Onrus, took the theme ‘A Place to Grow’, creating the opportunities for channies to explore new skills, deepen friendships, and engage meaningfully with Israel, Judaism and the dream of a better future.
The camp caters for a wide age range: from eight to 23, and hundreds of young people came together from across South Africa, as well as from other Southern African countries and beyond, including from Australia, the UK and Israel.
In addition to the many activities of a Jewish and Zionist nature, the channichim enjoyed hiking in the Fernkloof mountains, swimming in the nearby tidal pools, and surfing at some of the Overberg’s gorgeous beaches. Major goals of the camp are to develop independence, grow creativity, learn leadership skills, and enhance a sense of community. Habonim also hosted Ikamva Youth as part of an ongoing partnership with the organisation, which is geared to create connections among young South Africans from diverse backgrounds.
According to Sasha Rodenacker, the Rosh Machaneh 2025 (Director of Summer Camp 2025), “The success of Machaneh Makom Ligdol is another step in the continuous building of Habonim within our community. The memories, friendships, and lessons forged at this Machaneh will continue to inspire and strengthen our vibrant movement.”
Netzer
In 2025, explains Daniella Beswick, the Director of Netzer South Africa, “We ran day camps, not a traditional machaneh. And, despite not being a conventional year-end camp, it was clear that the channies had a fantastic time and really enjoyed being together.”
The programme involved undertaking various activities around Cape Town, such as a visit to the Clay Café, doing a Shabbat Silvermine hike, and taking part in Temple Israel’s Chanukkah party. Commenting in particular on the group’s visit to Glendale, Daniella says, “The most memorable part of our day camps was at Glendale, where our channies really showed how kind and caring they are. The visit also revealed how important this type of Tikkun Olam is.”
The day camps brought together between 25 and 30 children aged six to 13. A few teenagers were also involved. ●
Keep up to date!
Habonim: website: Habonim Dror SA, Facebook HabonimSA
Netzer: website: Netzer.org.za, Instagram netzer_southafrica
Bnei Akiva: website: Beni Akiva South Africa, Facebook Bnei Akiva Cape Town
SAUJS Western Cape: Facebook @SAUJS, Instagram @saujs_westerncape
Diller Teen Fellows: website: Diller Teen Fellows , Facebook Diller Teen Fellows, Instagram @diller.capetown
BBYO South Africa: Instagram @bbyo.sa, website http://www.bbyo.org
Find the SA Zionist Federation – Cape Council online:
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, http://www.sazfcape.co.za
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