Naomi Lipman (left) and Nitzan Lowenberg do some farming chores at Urban Adamah. Photos by Edah staff.

Edah, a camp and afterschool program for children from kindergarten through fifth grade, gave 32 kids a little slice of life in Israel last week at “Kibbutz Edah.”

Held at Urban Adamah, an urban farm in Berkeley, the five-day program included kids doing the following: caring for chickens; learning about and harvesting crops; eating in a kibbutz-style communal hall; washing their own dishes; holding community meetings to resolve issues; creating art, such as tie-dyed bandanas; and playing games, doing Israeli dances and singing in Hebrew.

Edah educator Rivka Sack teaches a lesson about harvesting crops for those in need.

In addition, the kids were stamped in and out each day on their own Israeli passports. The children also had to complete various items on a Jewish values checklist in order to become full-fledged kibbutz members. The camp ran from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

Edah, which launched in 2010, offers Jewish experiential learning opportunities infused with Hebrew. The Berkeley-based program offers afterschool, spring and summer options. For more information, visit www.edahcommunity.org.’

Originally Published on June 28, 2012 by The Jewish News of California (J-Weekly)