In the lobby of the hotel in Eilat where I found myself last week stands a large banner with a collage of photographs of bald children smiling in front of various monuments in Israel and abroad. Over this sea of faces is the logo of the non-profit organization Zichron Menachem, in green and pink. At the bottom of the banner are the words written in Hebrew “so that they may forget their pain…'' The hotel, fittingly titled Magic Palace Hotel, was the lodging for the organization's 26th annual winter camp for children and young adults fighting cancer and oncological diseases in Israel. The 130 participants aged five to 25 are treated to a five-day retreat to literally unplug from the daily struggles of their life-threatening situation. In exchange for hospital beds, cold and dreary winters and the unthinkable, they are given a five-star hotel overlooking the Red Sea and desert mountains, as many activities and attractions as can be crammed into five days, and lime-green T-shirts, sweatshirts and jackets with the phrase “together we shall overcome” printed in bright pink on the back. For the past 26 years, this winter camp has been a highly anticipated experience not only for the participants but also for the entire staff of over 50 volunteers, doctors, nurses, psychologists, technicians, etc. Chaim and Miri Ehrental started this organization in 1990 shortly after their 15- year old son, Menachem, succumbed to a lifelong battle with leukemia. They vowed to honor his memory after his death through this organization. Zichron Menachem means “Menachem's Memory.” Its main office is located in Jerusalem's Bayit Vagan neighborhood and it services the principal hospitals in Israel, including Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba, Rambam Medical Center in Haifa and Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem. In addition to these trips, the organization offers a variety of support services not only for the patients, but also for their families and loved ones. Through daily activities, support groups and even custom wigs for girls, Chaim and Miri believe that these are vital tools in helping these kids and their loved ones overcome insurmountable obstacles. Donations are what fuel this organization and assistance is provided by hundreds of volunteers who either come from national service or just because they want to help. Twice a year the entire group goes on two trips. During the summers they travel for 10 days outside Israel (last year they went to Holland) and around Hanukka they enjoy a five-day trip to Eilat. The main focus of the camp is to give these kids a chance to enjoy life through dozens of daily activities and bonding with friends and staff members. The Ehrentals are parents of five adult children who are all active in this organization. While standing under a large canopy on the seashore on a warm and sunny Monday afternoon overlooking a sea of green-shirt-clad participants and staff members over the drone of playful laughter and conversation, Miri explains the necessity of these trips. “They boost their morale in order to make their minds healthier and stronger.” These five days in Eilat give family members a break from the hardships of dealing with their children's afflictions, enabling them to recharge, focus on their other children and themselves. Miri points out through a mass of boys with knitted kippot and tzitzit (ritual fringes) and girls wearing knee-length skirts and elbow-covering shirts, that everybody is welcome and that these people come from all walks of life including the most secular to ultra-Orthodox and even Christian and Muslim participants. She notes the two Palestinian girls who are treated in Israeli hospitals; one who came from Gaza and the other from Bethlehem. Miri stresses that “here everybody is on the same level.” The camp divides their campers into four age groups, with the youngest receiving the most care and attention from the staff and the oldest being the “graduate” group, who are 18 to 25. One would think that lumping together so many age groups would create friction with the overall experience, but staff member Avi explains that it is “crucial to the entire experience. The younger kids find hope in older survivors. Having them around allows them to believe that they can overcome this too.” In addition, older campers have a chance to reach out to the younger ones to provide even more support and build even stronger bonds. Throughout the week, campers are treated to activities all over Eilat, including glass-bottom boat rides, camel riding, wall climbing, ice skating, arcade games, bowling, a spa day for the older groups, a sufgania workshop for the younger kids and a nightly dance party following Hanukka candle lighting. Cheering and singing accompanies all of their activities, including meals and bus rides. The staff proves its boundless energy by taking any opportunity to jump on any chair or table and begin one of the handful of cheers that succeed in lifting the spirits of even the “coolest” of older campers. But this is mostly for the kids, as Zohar, a naturally energetic staff member who has been involved in the organization for more than 20 years, explains. “The kids need this, they are not yet ready to talk and open up like the older groups, so we rely on this framework to help them cope.” The goal for the younger kids is to distract them as much as possible with as many kid-friendly activities as they can handle. The older group's focus is building bonds, making memories and learning to communicate. On the first night at Top 94, an indoor theme park, Zohar gathered the 18- to 25-year-olds into a conference room for icebreakers and something that resembles an informal support group. He concludes the session with, “You guys can talk and have conversations. We have staff here; we are here for you – but you have to be there for each other.” The group listens attentively as he reminds them to “have a good night's rest, don't skip breakfast, and when you smoke [cannabis] make sure it doesn't bother the people around you or set off the smoke alarm.” Following this meeting, half of the group partakes in some of the activities offered for the evening, either wall climbing or a ropes course, while a small group retreats outside to pass joints and relax after a busy first day. They talk about traveling, munchies, the weather and compare notes about treatments. Israeli law permits them to smoke medical cannabis as part of their treatment. The group agrees that this is an important resource to help them with their appetite, especially after chemotherapy, as one of the side effects is loss of appetite and vomiting. Throughout the duration of the trip, this small group of mostly young men can be seen off in the corner passing around joints and taking in the scenery. As the week progresses, it is clear that Zohar's advice is being taken as Group 4's bond becomes noticeably closer and deeper. Daniel, 19, from Gedera, is a husky, dark-skinned young man with thick black hair shaved on the sides. He speaks in a relaxed tone with the wisdom and self-awareness of someone well beyond his years. Daniel shares that he has a very rare type of cancer that only five people in Israel have. He has been fighting this illness for almost two years now, and prior to Zichron Menachem he admits that he was very depressed, and for a period of four months didn't talk to anyone. “However, it was here that I found my place.” It was here that he learned that the most important thing is to have a “healthy body and soul.” It's hard to imagine him in a depressed state, as throughout the trip he can be seen mingling and interacting with all types of campers. “Cancer makes you feel lonely.” Daniel continues. “Lonely from your healthy friends and lonely from any social structure, like the army or national service – but the people here have become my brothers and sisters, like one big family.” He is interrupted by Oz, who grins widely. “We just met each other yesterday!” Daniel responds, “I've had friends for like 12 years that don't compare to the connection I have with Oz.” Oz, 21, who is from Jerusalem, is a skinny guy with an impressive collection of baseball caps that he wears throughout the trip. He's your typical “cool guy” who sits in the back of the bus and hangs with the aforementioned group of smokers, but also can be seen mingling and kicking a soccer ball around with some of the younger kids. He stresses how important having peers is for him and also to be together with the younger kids. “Even though the groups are separate, we are all together and this is so important.” Throughout the camp, things really feel normal and one can easily forget the harsh truths that these campers face. A child will fall, a doctor or nurse will rush to a camper to perform an emergency procedure and we are pulled back to reality. Though pessimism is totally unwelcome here, chairman Chaim eagerly and proudly shows off a hotel suite filled with thousands of pieces of medical equipment, supplies, medication, etc., that serves as the camp's roundthe- clock portable hospital for all 130 campers if need be. This space is fully equipped and ready for anything and everything. Several hundred thousand dollars is the rough estimate for all of this. Four doctors, five nurses and two lab technicians are always on hand. In addition, each camper has a card connected to a lanyard around his or her neck with a bar code containing all key medical details which can be consulted in case of an emergency. After a whirlwind five days, the entire group parts ways stronger and more united than they were at the start. Zohar explains, “I think this camp was perfect, it gave me hope and I came back a new person.” Efrat, 25, from Jerusalem, began her week as the quiet one, closed off from the group. By the end, she opens up, with life in her eyes and a smile on her face. “The whole experience was simply incredible. The staff was amazing,” she joyously exclaims. The transformations these campers and staff undergo are the main goals of these trips: to build their inner strength to overcome. The writer was a guest of the organization while covering its activity in Eilat.
Campers were treated to activities such as glass-bottom boat rides, camel riding, wall climbing, and even ice skating(photo credit: SARAH LEVI)