The only immutable thing in this country is the summer vacation. You can count on it to arrive like clockwork, halt the brain activity of students and hospitalize them in summer camps. The only immutable thing in the Israeli press is the articles about the summer vacation. Each year they quote parents or a government official who think it is too long, and the rest report on the latest camp options and what bored kids are doing.
Yet it seems that over the course of time the articles have lost some of their innocence. In the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, newspaper articles had a different tone, with columns focusing on desperate homemakers fed up with the heat and advising kids to spend their free time helping their parents. Nonetheless, not much has changed in kids' favorite pastimes: from their clear preference for the beach and pool to the boredom that moves the punks to go wild on the streets.
What do contemporary kids think about the summer vacation of long ago? We had nine of them read old copies of Haaretz. We imagined that they would chortle in response, but were surprised. After requesting chocolate milk and a roll, they tried to imagine how they would have behaved had they lived in a black-and-white world.
Haifa / The public day camp for elementary school children, Haaretz, 1.9.1946"And this was the schedule at the Haifa day camp. In the morning: morning lineup, exercise, breakfast, free activities at different venues, crafts and reading. At noon, a joint program. After lunch, there was a two-hour afternoon break, outings and games. After the late-afternoon snack and a lineup, they went home. The age of the kids in these camps ranged from 7 to 13, including 150 children who were underweight." (By Y.B. )
Would you have gone to such a camp?
Ohad Angel: "It sounds like a really cool camp. The schedule seems full and like a lot of fun. I liked that they stayed until late and that they did lots of things during the day."
Ben Gat-Sherman: "Yes, it sounds fine, except for one thing. That they wanted you to sleep for two hours in the afternoon."
Ohad: "I never once slept in the afternoon."
Ben: "Me neither."
Aya Lev: "I don't think I would have wanted to be in a camp together with sick children, certainly not if they had something contagious. But if they just happen to be kind of weak, I don't have any problem with them."
What do you think has changed in the day camp business since 1946?
Ofir Hallel: "This camp is completely disconnected from what's going on today. We have improved. There's no need for a morning lineup. Today the camp owners think only about how to excite the kids, and that's why they base camps on television series and invite famous guests to meet with the kids, or else try to get the kids to develop an attachment to nature with animals."
What do you think they did in Israel during the state's first summer vacation?
Ora Lev: "I imagine that the kids had to stay at home because it was dangerous. I think that establishing the state is something very dangerous and complicated. If they went to a day camp, they probably played old-style games and had potato-sack races and tug-of-wars, because that really was the old days."
Vacation schedule, 22.7.1947"Work and crafts are just as important as studying. It should be noted, for example, that the girls should and can help out at home, and they will also find satisfaction in embroidering, crocheting, weaving and the like. And as for the boys, they can also help out around the house and this work will not be bad for them, they may even like the light crafts: paper and carton designs, wood carving and gardening work." (By Esther Duvshani )
Girls, do you agree with what's written?
Lee Gat-Sherman: "I wouldn't agree to embroider, crochet and weave; what if the needle pricks me in the finger?"
Aya: "Look, I know boys who can crochet better than some grandmothers; there's no need to limit it to girls alone. I personally also like to help my father with his carpentry work, so I don't agree with this passage."
Boys, what do you think?
Roi Angel: "It sounds very unfair. If a girl wants to, she can do anything, just like the boys. And if they don't want to, they don't have to."
Tel Aviv police prepare to rein in disruptive youth during summer vacation, 24.6.1962"Ahead of the summer vacation, the Tel Aviv District police last week launched 'Operation Rein' intended to rein in disruptive youths and halt a wave of property damage. Mr. Amos Ben-Gurion, the Tel Aviv District commander, noted that the campaign is aimed at preventing hooliganism, noisemaking and disturbing passers-by and cutting in line, as well as stopping damage to property and dangerous and loud travel, mostly on the part of motorcycle and moped riders."
Last week, a 16-year-old boy was killed while riding a motorcycle around his neighborhood without a helmet and without a license. What's changed since 1962?
Ofir: "Apparently, nothing's changed. Kids still create havoc, roam around at night and make noise outside my house. I hear them as I'm trying to sleep, even during the summer. It's a problem that should be dealt with, but not through the police. They have to handle crime, and not noise."
Ben: "I think it's good that the policemen launched this campaign, because in certain cases, boys can hurt each other. But as long as I don't do anything crazy, I wouldn't want policemen to be telling me what to do."
For the mother and the house: The daughter runs the house. 3.7.1962"12-year-old Yehudit's mother, a nurse, decided 'to switch places' with her daughter and make her responsible for running the house, by mutual consent. The regular household help was given vacation (for two weeks ) and the girl knows that she must straighten up the house, do the shopping, take the dirty clothes to the laundry and so on, and even cook light meals or at least prepare first and last courses for lunch. The girl has the confidence of her mother, who treats her like an adult and the mother is pleased that the girl has something to do in the mornings."
Did this mother-daughter arrangement appeal to you?
Shahar Aharoni: "The mother doesn't sound nice because she dumps everything on her kid. Since when do girls do laundry and cook? How can they go shopping? It's dangerous!"
Ohad: "To me it doesn't sound particularly dangerous, but still the mother is really not treating her daughter very nicely. If I were her son, I wouldn't cooperate with her, even she yelled at me, because it's not fair."
Ofir Hallel, 12, Bat Yam"I have no set plans for the summer vacation. I'm totally spontaneous. I plan to go on some trips, write on the Tapuz forums and pack, because in the middle of the vacation we are moving. Maybe I'll finish watching Hatzuya [a Hebrew television series for youth about vampires]."
Shahar Aharoni, 8 and a half, Tel Aviv"I signed up for the art day camp that I went to last year. It will be in a large building with a yard. Every day we'll draw, write plays and watch movies."
Roi Angel, 7 and a half, Tel Aviv"I'm going to a day camp that will focus on religions. We'll learn about the customs of different religions, such as Judaism, Islam, Christianity and Hinduism. Last year, the theme of this day camp was Africa."
Ohad Angel, 8, Tel Aviv"I'm going to Amir's camp, that is, I'm going to spend a lot of time at my neighbor, Amir. In the middle of the vacation I'm planning to move to Kibbutz Gesher Haziv. It's near Nahariya, a fun city, just like Tel Aviv."
Lee Gat-Sherman, 5, Tel Aviv"I hope to go to a surfing camp, but probably I'll go the camp run by the kindergarten."
Aya Lev, 11, Kibbutz Gat"This summer I registered for two camps. First I'll go to the bird-watching camp in Hatzeva, then to an outdoors camp at an ecological ranch. I may also be on television. I signed up for the 'next reporter' contest of Channel 1's Hamahadura [a news and entertainment show] for kids."
Ora Lev, 8, Kibbutz Gat"I have to decide between a short horse-riding camp and a regular, long one. I'd rather go to the riding camp. The rest of the time I'll organize pajama parties with my friends."
Yam Mesika, 13, Neve Yam"I'm going to work at Gizmo's Ranch, a horse ranch in [Moshav] Geva Carmel. They have a day camp and I'll be in charge of a group of kids and help where I can, clean the horse's stalls and feed them."
Ben Gat-Sherman, 8, Tel Aviv"This summer I'll be in at least three camps: the Kfar Hayarok camp; the parents' camp which a different parent runs each day; and the grandma camp at my grandma and grandpa's. I may also sign up for a surfing camp."
