Thirteen year-old camper Koren Adams said the phrase in the above title regarding the Larger than Life camp for children with cancer, held at the KKL-JNF Nes Harim Field and Forest Center before Passover. Friends of JNF KKL Scotland sponsored the camp.
One hundred and seventy young cancer patients took part in the Larger than Life (Gdolim Mea’Chaim) organization’s spring camp, which washeld with the support of Friends of KKL-JNF in Scotland. For three days, the children were guests of KKL-JNF’s Nes Harim Field and Forest Center, where they took part in a variety of open-air activities and renewed their energies for their continuing battle against cancer.
“Here at the camp I can talk about what I’m going through, and everyone accepts me with lots of warmth and love,” said Shaked Cohen, a lively 17 year-old from Hadera who smiled and laughed throughout her stay here. She has recently completed treatment, and now, after two years of not being able to go to school, she is beginning to return to her studies and her daily routine.
“This holiday has come at just the right time; it’s a real chance for me to relax. Fun days like this provide a lot of energy. Larger than Life is the best thing that’s happened to me. It’s heartwarming that people in far-off Scotland think about us and look out for us,” she said.
The Larger than Life organization was founded twenty years ago by parents of children suffering from cancer, in order to improve quality of life for these youngsters and their families. Jewish and Arab children of all ages from all over Israel take part in its activities.
“Our goal is to provide these children and their families with emotional support and confidence that they can beat the disease,” explained Elinoar Levitan-Shvartz, Larger than Life’s deputy CEO. “A camp like this enables the children to escape from the routine of medical treatment and get away from hospital. It shows them that they have strength and abilities.”
“Larger than Life is an amazing place where you can talk openly about everything,” said Koren Adams (13), of Mevasseret Zion. “It’s very important to me to meet people I have something in common with, because they can understand me in ways no one else can. I can meet friends and have a lot of fun. This gives us power to deal with the cancer. It’s not for nothing that people say that happiness is the best cure.”
The high point of the camp were the woodland adventure activities that took place in Begin Park in the Jerusalem Hills. The children climbed trees, bungee-jumped from the treetops, slid down a zip line, navigated a ropes course, and sang and danced non-stop with Larger than Life volunteers and instructors from KKL-JNF’s Education Division.
“Thanks to this wonderful cooperation between KKL-JNF Israel and JNF-KKL Scotland, we’re able to host this wonderful camp and give the children three days of adventure and activity in this beautiful forest and the KKL-JNF field center,” said Moria Gilbert, director of KKL-JNF’s UK Desk. “This lets them take a break from intensive medical treatment and forget for a moment the challenges that lie ahead of them.”
The youngsters learned through experiential games about the history and geography of the Land of Israel and heard about KKL-JNF’s contribution to the state’s founding and development over the years. They played snakes and ladders on a giant board, located different Israeli landmarks on a map, took part in quizzes and solved escape-room-style puzzles.
“It’s inspiring and touching to see the children so happy,” said KKL-JNF instructor Orion Kalderon.
A variety of workshops were also on offer at Nes Harim. The children baked a chocolate soufflé (and licked their fingers), jumped, danced, did some beatboxing and breakdancing, and even wrote poems.
Jerusalemite Asif Lary had cancer as a boy. He conquered the disease, recovered and now, at the age of twenty, he volunteers as an instructor at the camp.
“I think the youngsters regard us as a source of hope and belief that they can get better,” he said. “After all the benefit I got from activities like this as a kid, I get a lot of satisfaction from the privilege of being able to give back something of myself.”