Shabbat at camp is a very special time.  On Friday night, pluralist services are held on the beach, facing the lake, with the entire Camp Kinneret-Biluim family welcoming in Shabbat together. Following a festive Shabbat meal, staff and campers meet in the middle of the Chadar for a spirited shira (song) session, a combination of Hebrew songs, old camp classics, and some newer fan favourites!  Once shira has ended, loud Israeli music can be heard coming from the beach and campers and staff quickly move out of the Chadar and form circles and lines on the beach for rikud (Israeli dancing).  Rikud is one of Kinneret’s great camp traditions; the youngest campers dance alongside the oldest staff, teaching each other the dance moves that have been passed down for years.

Maccabiah is Camp Kinneret’s Colour War, which takes place over two days during each summer. Each year, Maccabiah has a different theme that combines aspects of Jewish values, Israeli culture, and current culture and events. With LIT campers as their captains, all campers and staff are divided into four teams and compete against one another in sporting events, ruach (spirit), singing, bama (drama), and other activities. The most exciting Maccabiah events include the triathlon, the egg boil, and each team’s song presentation.

While everything we do at Camp Kinneret is infused with Israeli culture, from our programming right down to our food (falafel for lunch on Wednesdays!), Yom Israel is a chance for campers and staff to spend the entire day celebrating this amazing culture. Organized by our ShinShinim (Israeli staff), Yom Israel is a chance for campers to be immersed in various aspects of Israel, the history, current events, music, and food.

Once a session, all Kinneret campers and staff spend the day enjoying St. Sauveur Waterpark, which is located about 45 minutes from camp.

Each year, our LIT campers can choose to participate in “The Amazing Race,” a full-day program where campers compete against one another to complete physical challenges and brainteasers around camp, in teams of two. One by one, teams are eliminated as the campers test their physical and mental strength in a race to be awarded the grand prize: bragging rights for the summer.

At Camp Kinneret, we are proud to show our pride! CKB takes pride in creating a space that is welcoming, tolerant, and safe for all of our campers. Every Summer we host a Pride Day where we show our support for our LGBTQ+ community members at camp, and in our lives outside. We do intentional programming, and celebrate everyone for who they are as a person.

Every summer our LIT campers spend a few days out of camp on a special trip designed to allow our campers to bond, and see some of our country. Some past summers have included Quebec City and Ottawa.