Camp Gesher

Camp Gesher is a Habonim Dror North America summer camp for Jewish youth, near Cloyne, Ontario, Canada. It runs for seven weeks during the summer and hosts several seminars during the year. The name "Gesher" literally translates into bridge.

The camp's philosophies revolve around socialist ideals, and the structure of the camp is similar to that of a kibbutz in Israel.

Many buildings throughout the camp have been used for multiple purposes throughout the years and moved around (for full list, see notes put up in the "Museum")

Camp Gesher was formally a Dror camp before the merger of Habonim and Dror in the late eighties, unlike the other six Habonim Dror camps throughout North America, which were Habonim camps. The foundation of summers at Gesher are based on the five pillars of Habonim Dror North America. Habonim Dror's "semel" (emblem) 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 novel "The Program" by Hal Niedzviecki takes place in part at Camp Gesher. [http://www.failbetter.com/18/NiedzvieckiCamp.htm]

The groups (kvutsas) of Gesher are:
*Ofarim- post grade 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

References

External links

* [http://www.campgesher.com/ Camp Gesher website]
* [http://www.cjnews.com/viewarticle.asp?id=8698 Gesher on Ice creates winter camp experience for youth] , The "Canadian Jewish News".
* [http://habonimdror.org.il/ Habonim Olami] – World Habonim
* [http://www.habonimdror.org/ HDNA] – Habonim Dror North America Homepage
* [http://www.habonimdror.org/news/btnua/ B'tnua] – HDNA's movement magazine