This summer, Camp Coleman continued a sacred journey that began last year—becoming the first summer camp to partner with The Daffodil Project.
Rooted in remembrance and blooming with meaning, The Daffodil Project aspires to plant 1.5 million daffodils around the world in memory of the 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust. Through this partnership, Coleman is proud to be cultivating not just flowers, but a living Holocaust memorial right outside the chadar ochel.
This summer’s Jewish education elective—led by faculty member Beth Blick—offered Nachshonim, Kesher, and Chalutzim campers a powerful opportunity to connect history with action. They heard firsthand from Holocaust survivor Hershel Greenblat, who was born in a Ukrainian cave while his parents hid from Nazi persecution. Hershel’s story, shared alongside Daffodil Project volunteer David Feldman, left a lasting impression on every camper present.
As part of this experience, campers created Stones of Remembrance, each marked with the name of a child lost in the Holocaust. These stones will line our daffodil garden at Sand’s Plaza—a space that now holds both beauty and memory.
This fall, we will return to this sacred work during our 456 Retreat, when we welcome 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students from our regional synagogues to experience a weekend at Camp Coleman. During the weekend, students will plant the next round of daffodil bulbs and place the next set of stones—continuing the mitzvah of remembrance, planting hope alongside history.
To learn more about the global impact of The Daffodil Project, visit daffodilproject.net.
