Jewish Kids in Utah Attend Summer Camp as Tribute to Bibas Brothers
The entire Jewish world was paralyzed in February, when it was confirmed that Shiri Bibas and her young sons, Ariel and Kfir, had been murdered by Palestinian terrorists shortly after the family was kidnapped on Oct. 7, 2023. The tiny Jewish community in Salt Lake City, Utah, was moved to channel their pain into purpose.
Led by Rabbi Avremi Zippel, Chabad-Lubavitch of Utah mobilized their community to raise funds for summer-camp scholarships, ensuring that financial barriers wouldn’t prevent Jewish children from experiencing growth and connection to their Judaism at Camp Gan Israel.
“While the news cycle had been dominated for so long by tragedies of these Jewish children, we chose to see to it that in their memory and in their merit, Jewish children should have positive, uplifting, empowering Jewish experiences,” Zippel told Chabad.org.
The initiative, with the support and blessing of the Bibas family, transformed mourning into action.
“In memory of the boys, we awarded over $24,000 in financial aid this summer,” Zippel reported. “Over a dozen new campers were in camp, having a first-time experience they otherwise would not have had.”
Many campers are learning about mitzvot such as Shabbat, kashrut and Jewish prayer for the first time in the entertaining and immersive manner the camp is renowned for, while creating lasting memories and friendships.
The camp has placed Ariel’s and Kfir’s names on their bright-orange camp shirts, referencing the boys’ now-famous red hair, with counselors and campers literally carrying their memories on their sleeves.
“Even though it is heavy, I appreciate having that physical reminder of them impacting the way that I show up for my campers. I want to give them the same love that we all have for Ariel and Kfir,” reflects counselor Ita Mockin.
