Construction to begin on Jordan River Village camp for ill children By Stacey Dresner June 3, 2005 - Construction is set to begin Oct. 15 on the Jordan River Village, a Hole in the Wall Gang camp for ill and disabled children to be located in Givat Avni in the Lower Galilee in Israel. And last month, the Minister's Committee in charge of development of the Negev and Galilee agreed to assist in the "establishment, operation and maintenance" of the camp "as part of the [Israeli] government's plan for the development of the Galilee." A team led by the director general of the Deputy Prime Minister's office and including representatives from the offices of the Prime Minister, Welfare, Finance, Education, Sports, Construction and Housing was also formed to "serve as a steering committee that will formalize the budgeting of the project by the various government offices." Planning and fundraising for the camp began three years ago. Sheila Romanowitz, executive director of American Friends of Jordan River Village, an organization that seeks financial supporters for the camp, said that more than $12 million has been raised worldwide for the project, with an eye on raising a total of $20 million. Plans are for the camp to be completed in two years. Michael Finklestein of Stamford, chairman of the board of American Friends of Jordan River Village, and his wife Sue-Ann Friedman, also a board member, have been supporters of the Hole in the Wall Camp Gang in Ashford, Conn., for years. When they learned about plans to build one in Israel, they were immediately on board. "It combines two things we care deeply about, Israel, and the Hole in the Wall Gang camp," Finklestein said. Ground was broken on the camp last September and the ceremony was attended by a variety of dignitaries from Israel including President Moshe Katsav and the chairman of the Druse Religious High Council. "The groundbreaking was impressive," said Finklestein, who attended the event. "It demonstrated that the camp is going to appeal to all denominations and races and nationalities. It is all about giving these unfortunate children an opportunity to have some fun." For all children Jordan River Village, which will host children aged 9-18 with severe physical and mental disabilities or life threatening medical conditions, will sit on 61 acres and will host both Jewish and Arab children from Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority. The camp was founded by Marilyn and Murray Grant, natives of Connecticut who now live in Israel. After seeing a brochure for Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Camp Gang in Ashford, Marilyn Grant decided that a similar camp should be built for sick children in Israel. The 61-acre Jordan River Village will include a specially designed swimming pool, theater, sports and leisure activity center, an art school and other activities for its campers. A medical staff will be on call 24-hours a day to dispense medication and help treat ill campers. "The children are treated like normal, healthy children," said Roslyn Goldstein of Stamford, who along with her husband, Leslie, is a board member. "There is a hospital there, but if a child who is on intravenous wants to climb a rock wall a counselor climbs up with them. The camp is for children who have an illness but who have normal needs and normal wants." There are eight similar camps that are a part of the Hole in the Wall Gang Camps Association, founded by Newman. Five are in the U.S. Last year Newman, who lives in Westport, donated $500,000 to the camp in Israel. "Children can be a common denominator for world peace," Roslyn Goldstein said. "Children don't have to be yours to love. The thought of a sick child suffering tears your heart out. Jordan River Village is being built for all children in the Middle East. The child in need may be Christian, Palestinian, Moslem, Druze or Jewish. None of the last five words are important. The only word that is is ‘child.'" Comments? Email stacyedresner@jewishledger.com