Jerusalem, June 30, 2025 — Despite the travel-related obstacles posed by the recent Iran-Israel war, The Jewish Agency for Israel has sent its largest-ever delegation of 2,050 Summer Camp Shlichim (Israeli emissaries) to 190 camps across North America this season.

When Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, forcing the unprecedented closure of Israeli airspace for seven days, 1,200 of this year’s Summer Camp Shlichim had already reached North America and 850 remained in Israel.

In the face of upheaval in the region, The Jewish Agency’s senior leadership committed to making the organization’s Summer Shlichut Program a top priority, thereby sparking a round-the-clock effort to find creative, safe, and immediate solutions.

Beginning on June 20th, as part of what was termed Operation Aqaba, 120 shlichim boarded buses in Haifa and Tel Aviv, made a brief stop in Be’er Sheva, and journeyed through the night until they reached Eilat. From there, they crossed the border into Jordan and boarded a charter flight to Athens, Greece. The next day, they headed to North America. This under-the-radar operation was executed by more than 30 Jewish Agency staff and partners across three countries.

Subsequently, The Jewish Agency secured 700 seats that were designated for summer camp shlichim on special flights, rerouting shlichim via Athens and through limited-capacity direct flights to New York.

Thanks to these comprehensive efforts, Summer Camp Shlichim are now positioned to take the impactful relationship-building process at North American camps to unprecedented heights.

“It was not a matter of ‘if’ The Jewish Agency’s Summer Camp Shlichim would arrive in North America, but ‘when’ — our senior leadership has been unwaveringly committed to ensuring that all shlichim reach camp this summer,” said Mark Wilf, Chairman of the Board of Governors of The Jewish Agency. “We have made this commitment because the relationship-building value of our Summer Shlichut Program is unparalleled. As they foster genuine relationships with young Jewish North Americans and with their fellow staff members at camp, the shlichim themselves undergo an immersive experience with the Jewish community outside of Israel. Each summer, the Jewish communities on both sides of the Atlantic are forever transformed by this journey.”

The Jewish Agency sends young Israelis ages 19-25 to Jewish summer camps, where they impart their experience and skills, creating lasting bonds with campers and forging connections to Israel. These emissaries bring their uniquely Israeli perspective to camp communities as a vehicle for cultivating genuine relationships with campers and staff. Summer Camp Shlichim hail from all over Israel and come from a variety of backgrounds, in a true display of the country’s diversity. The summer 2025 delegation is up 31% from the 1,565 shlichim who served at North American camps last year; and breaks the previous record of 1,608 emissaries from 2022.

Operating in partnership with Jewish Federations, The Jewish Agency has made it a top priority this summer to bring Israel into the North American camp setting. The Jewish Agency’s shlichim are eager for the opportunity to interact and connect with more than 150,000 campers, staff, and community members across the continent.

“Summer camps are a magical cornerstone of North American Jewish life and provide the perfect setting for creating the special bonds between our summer shlichim and the camp communities,” said Maj. Gen. (res.) Doron Almog, Chairman of The Jewish Agency. “This is a time for the Jewish people, including our young people, to understand and support one another. As we send off our largest-ever mishlachat (delegation) of summer shlichim, my heart is full of hope for our future, together.”

“Our summer camp shlichim help strengthen a sense of Jewish belonging and a connection to Israel that builds the foundation for collective action and unity among our next generation,” said Yehuda Setton, Jewish Agency CEO and Director General. “Having served as a shaliach myself, I can attest to how powerful this experience can be in building lasting relationships between Israelis and North Americans. I am proud and grateful to our partners that we are increasing the impact of our shlichim this summer.”

“While nobody could have anticipated just how complex things would become for getting shlichim to North America this summer, the enduring power of our mission has guided us through immense challenges,” said Hanoch Greenberg, Director of the Summer Shlichut Program at The Jewish Agency. “There is no substitute for how shlichim bring firsthand accounts from Israel to North American campers and staff. This relationship-building also goes both ways. Being at camp allows shlichim to form real bonds within the North American community and they return home to Israel enriched with a deeper connection to world Jewry.”

Media Contact:
Jake Sharfman, JCubed Communications
Jake@jcubedpr.com

About The Jewish Agency for Israel:

Since 1929, The Jewish Agency for Israel has been working to secure a vibrant Jewish future. Today, The Jewish Agency acts collectively to strengthen Israel and the Jewish people worldwide—by advancing Aliyah as a core value, deepening connections between our global Jewish family, supporting the resilience and security of global Jewish communities, and encouraging every Jewish person to engage with Israel. The Jewish Agency also continues to be the Jewish world’s first responder, prepared to address the Jewish people’s greatest challenges and respond to emergencies in Israel, and to rescue Jews from countries where they are at risk.