A large summer day camp for children in grades 1–6 took place in Dnipro under the format JSummerUniversal, organized by the Jewish Community of Dnipro with the support of the charitable organization Jewish Relief Network Ukraine, in collaboration with the JFuture, SmartJ, and STL-kids projects.
The camp was held at the leading educational institution of the Dnipro Jewish community — Jewish Lyceum No. 144 named after Levi Yitzchak Schneerson — over the course of ten days. This year, it was titled “Code of Summer”, as the main theme of the program centered around numbers and their exceptional significance in the Jewish understanding of the universe.
“This year, the program creators decided to introduce the children to the world of numbers, an integral part of the Jewish worldview,” said camp director Adina Seldina. “The kids enter a world of codes and numbers that has been disrupted by the intervention of Zero, who attempts to deactivate the master numeric code. The world descends into chaos — clocks stop, technology fails, and people lose their connection to reality.”
To restore order and uncover the deeper meaning behind numbers, rituals, and structure — and how it all connects to the core elements of Jewish tradition, including holidays, mitzvot, family values, personal responsibility, and mutual help — the children participated in a wide range of activities: themed lessons and workshops, team challenges, outdoor games, exciting excursions, creative art projects, interactive sessions focused on traditions and Jewish values, as well as quests, group discussions, creative tasks, and evening programs.
“But behind all this vibrant activity lies something much more important,” Adina Seldina continues. “The child finds themselves in an environment where they are heard and respected, where there is no pressure but instead meaning, where they can open up, try new things, and find their place. That’s why after camp, children return transformed — not just rested, but enriched with an experience that shapes how they view themselves, their families, and their heritage.”
The JSummerUniversal day camp was a great success and brought much joy both to its young participants and to their parents, who sincerely thank everyone who made this wonderful summer experience possible — JRNU and the projects JFuture, SmartJ, and STL-kids.
