Chanukah Camp at OneFamily brings together 150 bereaved children to bond, share their stories, have fun and heal together as a group.

Most importantly, it’s a place where the children feel at home with others who have suffered in the same way.

“When a child is with another child from the same situation, they can both play and grieve,” said Dr. Eddy Pakes, a volunteer psychiatrist for OneFamily. “ The group experience is very powerful for the child because children want to feel “normal.” For many bereaved children, OneFamily is the only place they can go to feel normal.”

The theme of the camp is “time.” The children will examine how time has influenced their bereavement and recovery and how they relate to the past and where they see themselves in the future. Of course, they will also look deeply into the present to see how far they have come since their loved ones were taken from them.

On Wednesday night, the children will hold a ceremonial banquet and candle lighting ceremony. Some of the children will stand up in front of the whole camp and shared their stories, focusing on how they have been effected by time, and how they have used it to their advantage.

This year, camp will be held from Tuesday, December 4 until Thursday, December 6.