Jordan River Village is a vacation village in Israel for children with life-limiting conditions (serious illnesses, chronic illnesses, genetic diseases, special needs). The facility is located near Giv'at Avni in the Lower Galilee. [1]
Jordan River Village is a vacation village in Israel for children with life-limiting conditions (serious illnesses, chronic illnesses, genetic diseases, special needs). The facility is located near Giv'at Avni in the Lower Galilee. [1]
The goal of the village is "to enrich the lives of Jewish and Arab children, in Israel and in the neighboring countries, suffering from serious illnesses and life-threatening conditions by creating free, fun-filled, memorable, empowering, medically sound and safe camping experiences". [2] After more than 10 years of planning, raising funds, working with the Israeli government, and building relationships around the world Jordan River Village began operations in August 2011. The Village is part of Paul Newman's SeriousFun Children's Network, formerly the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps, a global community of 30 camps and programs for seriously ill children.
The Village is modeled after the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, founded in 1988 in Connecticut by Paul Newman. Newman played Ari Ben Canaan in the 1960 film Exodus , filmed in the same region of Israel as the camp is located.
The Israeli government contributed 20% of its budget. [3]
Israeli actor Chaim Topol served as chairman of the board. [4] He described it as the philanthropic project to which he was most connected. [5]
The Village covers an area of 25.4 hectares (63 acres), and includes an indoor swimming pool equipped for hydrotherapy, sports facilities, a gymnasium, a theater, an art and crafts center, a camping area, an adventure tower and a state-of-the-art medical center. [6]
Chaim Topol, mononymously known as Topol, was an Israeli actor, singer, and illustrator. He is best known for his portrayal of Tevye, the lead role in the stage musical Fiddler on the Roof and the 1971 film adaptation, performing this role more than 3,500 times from 1967 through 2009.
Galilee is a region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Galilee traditionally refers to the mountainous part, divided into Upper Galilee and Lower Galilee.
The Jordan River or River Jordan, also known as Nahr Al-Sharieat, is a 251-kilometre-long (156 mi) river in the Middle East that flows roughly north to south through the Sea of Galilee and on to the Dead Sea. Jordan and the Golan Heights border the river to the east, while Israel and the occupied West Bank lie to its west. Both Jordan and the West Bank derive their names in relation to the river.
The Sea of Galilee, also called Lake Tiberias or Kinneret, is a freshwater lake in Israel. It is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth and the second-lowest lake in the world, at levels between 215 metres (705 ft) and 209 metres (686 ft) below sea level. It is approximately 53 km (33 mi) in circumference, about 21 km (13 mi) long, and 13 km (8.1 mi) wide. Its area is 166.7 km2 (64.4 sq mi) at its fullest, and its maximum depth is approximately 43 metres (141 ft). The lake is fed partly by underground springs, but its main source is the Jordan River, which flows through it from north to south and exits the lake at the Degania Dam.
Belvoir Castle is a Crusader castle in northern Israel, on a hill on the eastern edge of the Issachar Plateau, on the edge of Lower Galilee 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of the Sea of Galilee. Gilbert of Assailly, Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, began construction of the castle in 1168. The restored castle is located in Belvoir National Park. It is the best-preserved Crusader castle in Israel.
The Yarmuk River is the largest tributary of the Jordan River. It runs in Jordan, Syria and Israel, and drains much of the Hauran plateau. Its main tributaries are the wadis of 'Allan and Ruqqad from the north, Ehreir and Zeizun from the east. Although it is narrow and shallow throughout its course, at its mouth it is nearly as wide as the Jordan, measuring thirty feet in breadth and five in depth. The once celebrated Matthew Bridge used to cross the Yarmuk at its confluence with the Jordan.
The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, based in Ashford, Connecticut, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, residential summer camp, and year-round center serving children and their families coping with cancer and other serious illnesses and conditions.
Kfar Blum is a kibbutz in the Hula Valley part of the Upper Galilee in Israel. Located about 6 km (4 mi) southeast of the town of Kiryat Shmona, it falls under the jurisdiction of Upper Galilee Regional Council. In 2021 it had a population of 765.
Kfar Etzion is an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, organized as a religious kibbutz located in the Judean Hills between Jerusalem and Hebron in the southern West Bank, established in 1927, depopulated in 1948 and re-established in 1967. It is located 4.7 km east of the Green Line and falls under the jurisdiction of Gush Etzion Regional Council. In 2021, Kfar Etzion had a population of 1,278.
Emek HaYarden Regional Council is a regional council comprising much of the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, the southern parts of its eastern shore, and the northern part of the Jordan Valley all the way to Beit She'an in the south.
Kfar HaNassi is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located in the Korazim Plateau, 35 km north of the Sea of Galilee, and 6 km east of Rosh Pinna, it falls under the jurisdiction of Upper Galilee Regional Council. In 2021 it had a population of 979.
Kfar Zeitim is a moshav in northern Israel. Located adjacent to Tiberias, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lower Galilee Regional Council. In 2021 it had a population of 793.
Kfar Hittim is a moshav shitufi in northern Israel. Located on a hill 3 km west of Tiberias, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lower Galilee Regional Council. It was Israel's first moshav shitufi, and can also be considered the first Tower and Stockade settlement. In 2021 it had a population of 618.
The Jordan Valley forms part of the larger Jordan Rift Valley. Unlike most other river valleys, the term "Jordan Valley" often applies just to the lower course of the Jordan River, from the spot where it exits the Sea of Galilee in the north, to the end of its course where it flows into the Dead Sea in the south. In a wider sense, the term may also cover the Dead Sea basin and the Arabah valley, which is the rift valley segment beyond the Dead Sea and ending at Aqaba/Eilat, 155 km (96 mi) farther south.
Kfar Kisch is a moshav in northern Israel. Located adjacent to Mount Tabor, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lower Galilee Regional Council. In 2021 it had a population of 685.
Mishmar HaYarden was a moshava that was established in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel during the First Aliyah. It was destroyed during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war in 1948. Its Hebrew name meant Guardian of the Jordan. The village was re-established as new Mishmar HaYarden.
Yuval, also known as Kfar Yuval, is a moshav in northern Israel. Located in the Galilee Panhandle between Metula and Kiryat Shmona, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mevo'ot HaHermon Regional Council. In 2021 it had a population of 644.
Kvutzat Kinneret, also known as Kibbutz Kinneret, is a kibbutz in northern Israel. The settlement group (kvutza) was established in 1913, and moved from the Kinneret training farm to the permanent location in 1929. Located to the southwest of the Sea of Galilee near Tiberias and next to Moshavat Kinneret, it falls under the jurisdiction of Emek HaYarden Regional Council. In 2021 it had a population of 701.
SeriousFun Children's Network is a global community of 30 camps and programs for seriously ill children. All camps and programs offer free recreational experiences to children with serious illnesses and their family members. The first SeriousFun camp was launched in 1988 by founder Paul Newman.
Over The Wall is a UK charity that provides residential summer camps for children and their families coping with serious illnesses and conditions. It is a member of the SeriousFun Children's Network, a worldwide association of camps for seriously ill children. The charity was co-founded by Joe Woods and Paul Newman in 1999 as The Over The Wall Gang Camp in the style of the American Hole in the Wall Gang Camp set up by Paul Newman.
