About Kayitz Kef/Hebrew at Camp
Kayitz Kef/Hebrew at Camp gives American Jewish youth the ability to converse in Modern Israeli Hebrew and to embrace contemporary Israeli culture as part of their identity, creating meaningful connections for children from all backgrounds to engage with Jewish life on their own terms.
Camp is an ideal setting for language acquisition as the broad range of everyday life experiences afforded by the rhythms and routines of camp engage children in the language more effectively than the typical school context; children can successfully achieve functionality in Hebrew through Kayitz Kef.
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At Kayitz Kef, our focus is on equipping campers with the tools to actively use Hebrew as part of their camp experience. We're less concerned with their knowledge about the language and more focused on what they can actually do with it in real-life situations.
In day camps, Hebrew at Camp runs in parallel to existing camp programs. At overnight camps, we find the perfect opportunities to engage the campers in Hebrew immersive and experiential activities. We collaborate with each camp to design a program that reflects its unique character. These programs enable children to develop language skills through meaningful and fun interactions with a cadre of dynamic, young Israeli counselors who are trained to facilitate Hebrew language acquisition in engaging, easy, and authentic ways.
- Proficiency-Based: Guided by ACTFL’s gold standard in language instruction.
- Flexible Models: Camps may offer full immersion or Hebrew immersion activities for all campers.
- Inclusive: Open to all campers, with groups formed by age, not proficiency.
- Integrated Learning: Hebrew immersion is woven into daily camp activities.
- Optimal Sessions: Programs run in 4- or 8-week sessions to maximize language acquisition.
- Expert Training: Up to 15 hours of mentoring for camp Hebrew coordinators and participation in a variety of workshops in the practical implementation of Hebrew at Camp programming.
- Staff Support: Assistance with recruiting and training shlichim and local Hebrew-speaking staff. Potential for training opportunity in Israel.
- Specialty Hebrew Training: Starting in 2025, training for integrating Hebrew into specialties like sports, arts, and cooking.
- Funding: Between $1,000 and $3,500 for new programs and ongoing micro- grants for established programs.
- On-Site & Remote Support: Orientation guidance, in-person assistance, and summer site visits.
- Kayitz Kef partners with camps to create tailored Hebrew immersion and engagement models that align with each camp’s goals and culture.
- Full Immersion: Entire days in Hebrew, blending language with regular camp activities.
- Partial Immersion: Dedicated hours or days introducing Hebrew and Israeli culture through games and activities.
- Specialty Integration: Hebrew seamlessly incorporated into areas like cooking, sports, art, music, and more.
All models include training for coordinators and counselors, with resources provided by Kayitz Kef to ensure successful implementation. The focus is on creating engaging experiences that build Hebrew confidence, strengthen Jewish identity, and deepen connections with Israel and Israelis.
Meet Our Staff
Sharon Schoenfeld has been the National Director of Kayitz Kef/Hebrew at Camp since the summer of 2019. Prior to this position, she spent more than 20 years with Young Judaea, the Zionist Youth Movement. A product of its camps and programs, she held a variety of professional positions at Young Judaea in the US and in Israel in both education and operations. Her love of the Hebrew language comes from her own experience as a camper and staff member at Jewish summer camps and spending time with amazing young Israelis excited to bring the Hebrew language and Israeli culture to American youth.
Sharon has recently completed her MA in Teaching Hebrew as a Second Language at Middlebury College. Sharon’s experience in becoming proficient in Hebrew during her 11 years in Israel combined with her many years working with camps has prepared her to help Kayitz Kef reach as many American Jewish young people as possible.
Yael Palti Yahav is a mentor, trainer, and curriculum developer. She will also be supporting some camps with their shlichim interviews and will be one of the leaders of the day camp shlichim training in March. When not working with Kayitz Kef, Yael serves as Director of Tayasim, the largest Kayitz Kef Hebrew immersion program at the JCC in Palo Alto. She holds a master’s degree in Teaching Hebrew as a Second Language from Middlebury College.
Dvora Kaplan is our Chabad and Bnei Akiva mentor and trainer. She supports our U.S.-based training and program development. Outside of Kayitz Kef, she helps lead the Israeli Chabad community in her area. Dvora also holds a master’s degree in Teaching Hebrew as a Second Language from Middlebury College.
Yael Avant, our newest team member, focuses on program development, improving our program portal, and assisting some of our camps with local Hebrew staff recruitment for the summer. Yael previously served as the Kayitz Kef Coordinator at CBE Kids Camp and also holds a master’s degree in Teaching Hebrew as a Second Language from Middlebury College.
Eliana Pearlman is a junior at Brandeis University (though her home is Israel). She assists with designing materials, building and analyzing our end-of-year reports, and countless other essential tasks. She’s a true maven! Eliana is studying Education and Linguistics.
