Kangarusski camp
Kangarusski has held its first holiday camp in Sydney.
Kangarusski is the Zionist Federation of Australia’s Russian Speaking Jewish Community department.
The idea started in Melbourne with shilchah, Sasha Klyachkina and now for the first time under RSJC coordinator Anna Maylis, there were twenty children to attend the Russian-Jewish camp every day – and they loved every moment of it.
Kangarusski staff offered them a safe and fun environment with pertinent cultural and educational activities.
The kids decorated the Sukkah on the first day, prepared Shabbat food and hosted a Shabbat party. Young Kangarusski’s were exposed to Jewish culture and traditions with some Russian flavour. They listened to stories about Sukkot, decorated Challah covers for Shabbat, worked on an art activity about Jerusalem – the city of gold, listened to the story about the Tzedakah box lost in the snow in Russia and ate falafel in the Sukkah.
Kangarusski camp was a great success and the generosity of the community made it possible. Habonim Dror Youth Movement donated the venue, Russian Chabad built the sukkah for the camp and the children held and shook the lulav and the etrog, brought to them by Eli Schlanger.
Many activities and games were conducted in the Russian language by the madrichim and volunteers, Daniel Kuzsko, Bella Kontorovich and Ellie Shafir. They played traditional Russian kids games that were 
very popular with the Kangarusski kids.
Parents joined their children for Shabbat on the last day, they said that their kids had never been so happy, and expressed interest in enrolling them for the next camp. “It has been my dream to send my child to a Russian-Jewish camp. Thank you Kangarusski for making my dream come true” – said mother Rina Kuzsko.
“My kids had the best time” – said a father of three. “I really hope you will run another camp next holiday”
Anna Maylis: – “A young boy was looking for his artwork. When his mum was just about to leave, he said: ‘Mum! We can’t leave now! Where is MY Jerusalem?” Anna said: – “I am very glad that I had the opportunity to teach the kids from our community about the important values and aspects of our Jewish heritage, and maybe even to help them to find THEIR Jerusalem.”
