Eitan Gerson, a local 13 year old who recently celebrated his bar mitzvah, has been collecting funds to support Camp Ramah Yachad, a children’s summer camp in Ukraine.
Gerson, son of Karen and Jeffry Gerson, has donated more than $2,500 to the camp as of publication, and he continues to collect tzedakah so he can send around $30-$50 to the camp every few months. He has also collected and sent more than 75 blankets.
According to Karen Gerson, Eitan returned from school one day having learned about the Russia-Ukraine War. Eitan, who’s passionate about Jewish summer camp, asked about the Jewish children in Ukraine who may not be able to go to camp during the war.
"I was interested in the young kids in Ukraine because they are just like me,” he said, “however they are living in a place that is unsafe due to war. I want them to have the sleep away camp experience that I am fortunate to have every summer.”
Eitan Gerson and his brother, Gilli, actively give tzedakah — 10% of their income goes to charitable causes. Eitan Gerson decided that his money, mostly earned from refereeing soccer games, would go toward helping children in Ukraine have a safe Jewish camp experience.
Camp Ramah Yachad is facilitated by The Schechter Institutes, a Conservative Jewish institution founded by the Jewish Theological Seminary and the Masorti Movement.
During the first year of the Russian invasion, Gerson’s funds helped transport campers from Ukraine to a temporary summer camp. According to The Schechter Institutes, in 2022, 90 children attended the summer camp, which had to be relocated to Romania. Now, with Camp Ramah Yachad open again in Ukraine, the funds are used to help ensure that children who want to participate in the camp can do so.
Gerson’s generosity was honored at his bar mitzvah by Rabbi Irina Gritsevskaya, head of Camp Ramah Yachad. Gerson and Rabbi Gritsevskaya held multiple Zoom calls before his bar mitzvah as he began donating to the camp. Rabbi Gritsevskaya then virtually attended Gerson’s bar mitzvah via Zoom to share with attendees about the camp and the impact Gerson’s contributions were making.
In March of this year, Gerson and his family traveled to Israel, where they met Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin, president of The Schechter Institutes.
“Rabbi Golinkin shared how inspirational Eitan was as a young Jewish adult choosing an organization that meant something to him and his peer group,” Karen Gerson said. Rabbi Golinkin also shared with the Gersons materials and curricula used by The Schechter Institutes, and he gifted Eitan a few haggadot before Passover.
Gerson continues to support campers at Camp Ramah Yachad with funds and blankets. As he said in his bar mitzvah invitation, “I want to help Ukrainian campers just like me experience the magic of summer camp.”
