Bereaved “LEGACY” Children To Visit Los Angeles 
In 2006, the Western Region of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces established LEGACY, a program designed to bring Bar/Bat Mitzvah age children and siblings of fallen soldiers to summer camp in the United States. FIDF established this program specifically for children whose family’s financial situation does not enable these children to ever experience summer camp. As a result of the horrible tragedy of the loss of a parent or sibling from war or terrorism, there are literally hundreds of children who have suffered tremendous emotional distress.
The purpose of the program is to enable some of these children, whose families are financially challenged, the opportunity to enjoy a Jewish summer camp experience shared with American Jewish children their own age. The program provides the children with both an emotional escape and an opportunity to bond with other children. Because FIDF recognizes that these children continue to suffer emotional distress, the program must include funding for social workers/counselors specially trained in grief issues to accompany the children on the ten day trip.
Our 2009 LEGACY Program was once again extremely successful. As we have each year, several months after the children had returned to Israel, FIDF held a gathering at which the children and their families reunited with each other to discuss the experience.
Family members observed that the camp experience provided the children an opportunity to meet and make new friends in an environment in which they realized that they were not alone in working through their grief. As remarked by one father, “A different and happier young girl returned home thanks to the LEGACY program.” The mother of another child said, “I just can’t believe that people I don’t even know wanted to do this for my daughter… I just want to reach out and hug them.”
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