As the Israeli army officer began to apply thick, black lines of greasy camouflage to the faces of 15 perfectly-manicured British women, she allayed their fears by telling them not to worry about getting blemishes.

Princesses big and small paint a children's home.
Photo: Courtesy

"It's especially for the face," she said, watching carefully that they remained straight in formation with their shoulders back. One by one, they reluctantly removed their army green hats to have their skin painted. An occasional nervous giggle escaped from the line-up as the officer explaind their first challenge: wearing army fatigues and boots, the women had to crawl on their stomachs in the mid-day heat across wet, dirty grass as fast as they could.

This challenge marked the first test in a 10-day odyssey entitled "I'm a Jewish Princess... what am I doing here?" which was filmed by the BBC for a documentary, Jewish Princesses, that aired April 11.

Conjured up by the Emunah charity in England, the fundraiser was designed to raise money for its children's homes in Israel by attracting a younger crowd to the fundraisers, spreading the word about the Emunah organization and giving people outside of Israel a positive image of the country.

"We wanted the public to get a better idea about what Emunah is doing for the children in Israel, and we wanted to spread public awareness of the reality that 30 percent of the children in Israel live below the poverty line," said Lisa ter Haar, the project director of the event.

Going beyond the stereotypical notion of a Jewish Princess who is spoiled, selfish and prissy, the Jewish Princesses on this odyssey were defined as intelligent, passionate and dynamic Jewish ladies committed to the pursuit of excellence and prepared to be removed from their comfort zone when the challenge called.

Participants in army gear, just before they started stomach crawls, push-ups and days of orienteering in the desert.
Photo: Courtesy

In an unusual maneuver, the event planners took full advantage of the latest technology by allowing donations to be made through cellular phones and posting short, two-minute video clips and photographs on the Jewish Princesses Web site each day so that viewers back home could follow the event and donate money. Each of the participants also posted a personal letter on the site, and people could vote for a princess on-line or through their cell phones after watching the day's trials and tribulations on the Internet.

Hugely successful, the Web site saw an average of 2,000 daily hits from visitors as far afield as South Africa, Australia, Los Angeles and Canada. So although the Jewish Princesses were meeting their challenges in some of the most remote and desolate areas of Israel, a worldwide audience was able to follow their surprising safari.

"We also wanted to get the message out that Israel is a beautiful country, so we chose to have challenges in some of the most scenic areas - the Negev desert, Masada, the Dead Sea, and Eilat - in the hopes that by watching the video clips on-line, people would also see the picturesque landscape,"explained ter Haar.

Each Jewish Princess was personally responsible for raising 15,000 pounds - nearly 120,000 shekels - in order to participate, and for some this was the hardest challenge.

"Being involved in the event was a massive commitment because it meant thinking of creative ways to raise the money on your own before the physical tests even began," said Zara Brooks, the only Jewish Princess who resides in Israel.

Some of the princesses raised the money by raffling massages, beauty products, car washes and gym memberships. Others found corporate sponsors. But the majority of the women were supported by friends, family members and work colleagues, which meant reaching out to hundreds of people.

"Raising the money before we left really set the tone for the event," said Elissa Bayer, who at the age of 52 was the most senior of the Jewish Princesses. "I work as a stockbroker in London, and by spreading the word to so many people, an audience of Jewish and non-Jewish people alike was attracted and got involved."

On February 26, the much-anticipated event finally began. After flying all night, the Jewish princesses spent the day at the Emunah Children's home in Afula, where 150 children are fed and cared for. Divided into teams, the women had a chance to meet the children that would benefit from their efforts and participation. They painted a mural together on an outside wall, played tug-o-war, wrapped eggs in yarn and tossed them onto a basketball court trying not to break them and competed in a mini-Olympics created by Ken Hames, the self-proclaimed Scottish Pagan who was the operations director for the event.

Most of the children were happy to play with the Jewish Princesses and welcomed them with songs, dances and smiles, but a few remained on the sidelines, preferring to witness the activity rather than take part in it.

"Some of them have had abusive relationships and they've become aware that adults can be dangerous people," explained Shlomo Kessel, the director of the Emunah Children's home in Afula. "They are more wary about joining in than other children might be because of their past experiences."

For Gabi Tenenblat, one of the younger Jewish Princesses, meeting the children in Afula on the first day brought home the reality of the reason she had agreed to participate.

"I work with youth offenders in London trying to keep them from committing more crimes, and I can honestly say that I was expecting an institution in Afula but I really saw a home," she said.

Nevertheless, seeing the children and spending time with them made the Jewish Princesses realize how much more help is needed, and gave them a unique opportunity to put a face to the recipients of donations to Emunah.

"I didn't really know exactly what Emunah does, and seeing these beautiful children made me realize how privileged we all are," related Tenenblat. "The real people who deserve the praise are the ones working in the homes and caring for the children, but I was happy to have a small part in helping."

AFTER SPENDING their first day of challenges on the army base doing push-ups, stomach crawls and carrying other "wounded" soldiers up a hill, the group headed into the Judean hills where the real work began.