We welcome around 400–450 children from over 25 countries to each international tour. Depending on enrollment, there are between 50 and 150 children per age group.

Campers are accommodated in modern houses in a sophisticated, well-equipped and safe environment. We have three different types of accommodation. We accommodate our campers in groups of 4–6–8–12 people. Placement of children depends on the number of age groups, gender ratio and preferred location of countries/age groups. The type of accommodation is not influenced by the price of participation or the country of origin – we aim to provide the best quality of care for all. Our rooms are not coed. 

Children are provided with four kosher meals a day (three in the dining room and a snack, which may be cake, fruit, etc. outside). No one goes hungry with us, we have a repast! If your child follows a special diet, please be sure to indicate this in the appropriate box when filling out the application form so that we can accommodate. No outside (non-kosher) food is allowed in the restaurant!

There is also a snack bar on the camp grounds, where snacks, refreshments and basic hygiene items are available. The snack bar closes one hour before meals and only opens afterwards. We can't give you exact advice on the cost, but we'd put the limit somewhere around the price of one or two snacks a day; you can't go wrong with a total of 5,000–7,000 HUF. If the child is buying souvenirs or gifts, you should expect to pay more. You can pay by card at both kiosks! As with other larger items, we cannot take responsibility for the card. There is a lockable safe in the camp, in which the camper can place valuables at any time with the help of his/her madrich. 

We try to live in an environmentally conscious way and to educate our campers to do the same. Materials are stored and recycled in an environmentally friendly way. We have introduced a separate waste collection system in the camp.

The camp has a swimming pool which can be used by groups of campers. The pool is supervised by a lifeguard and youth leaders to ensure order and safety. 

The camp has four sports fields (tennis, basketball, volleyball and football), a ping-pong room and a sports hall, which are available to campers under professional supervision. Sports equipment can be borrowed free of charge.  

During the camp, children are offered age-appropriate sports and leisure activities (e.g. canoeing, cycling, adventure park, arboretum, excursions and boat trips for younger children). These services are included in the participation fee. 

Our campers in Szarvas will learn songs and dances during the 12 days they spend together, which parents can see for themselves in the photos and mood videos taken at the camp. 

Birthdays are celebrated together at the camp. Sometimes we sing "Happy birthday!" in ten languages at once. 

Each child returns home with a camp T-shirt, so that summer memories don't fade during the year.

The approach to Judaism within the camp is open and pluralist. We accept all streams and styles of Judaism; from the cultural to the traditional to the religious, and it is important for us that everyone can feel at home, no matter what their background or level of observance is. To ensure this, the kitchen of the camp is kosher, and we observe Shabbat according to Jewish tradition in the public spaces of camp. There are many campers who get to experience their first Shabbat ever while at Szarvas.

In order to facilitate the Shabbat experience, campers are given prayer books; these books are available in Hungarian, English, and Russian. The prayer books also contain phonetic transcription.

In the camp, there is an active synagogue, regular, optional daily prayer (Maariv, Shacharit, and Mincha), and educational programs led by our Rabbis, which can be an easy introduction to Jewish life.

In collaboration with Frankel synagogue, we've been holding bat and bar mitzvah ceremonies for several years now.

During our meals, boys are expected to wear headgear (kipa).

The Jewry is present in most of our programs, we build the Jewish identity of our campers and teach the importance of belonging to the community by means of informal education and fun.

The Szarvas Camp Experience

A unique opportunity to join an international group for North American High School students at the largest international Jewish camp in Szarvas, Hungary.

At Camp Szarvas, the North American participants will have the opportunity to meet and interact with a diverse group of peers from Jewish communities representing over 25 countries, learning together the many different ways Jews around the world live out their Judaism. Camp Szarvas is a place that nurtures exploration, leadership and Jewish identity building. It is at the forefront of what it means to engage and experience what global Jewish peoplehood is all about.

The International Group

In 2023, the North American participants can join the International group.

The International Group is intended for teens who want to experience Szarvas camp and get to know even closer teens from other countries and cultures. In order to take part in the International group, the teens need to be between 14 and 18 years old, and they need to have a good level of spoken English. The daily program of the International Group is the same as any other group’s and is entirely conducted in English. The International Group will take place during all sessions this summer.

The JDC–Lauder Szarvas camp started in the summer of 1990 with a goal to help reinvigorate Jewish Identity among young Jews in Hungary and in the larger region of Eastern/ Central Europe and the Former Soviet Union after the fall of Communism. Hungary has the largest Jewish population in the region and is the most central geographically which made it the perfect place to open the camp. Over the last 30 years, Camp Szarvas has transformed the landscape of Eastern and Central Europe. Many of the young leaders across the region developed their strong Jewish identity and passion for Jewish communal leadership at Camp Szarvas. One of the core goals of the program is to establish a framework that allows every participant, no matter their Jewish background, to feel comfortable expressing who they are. The vision of the the camp is to make the Judaism it represents accepting and open for all. We help campers to live out their own Jewish identity and we enable and encourage them to find their own place in the framework of the Jewish community. Szarvas is a place that nurtures exploration, leadership and Jewish identity building.

How to apply to Szarvas Camp 2023

Campers from around North America to travel to the International Jewish Summer Camp in Hungary, where they spend two weeks making friends from around the world, exploring their own family roots, and learning about life in different Jewish communities. They do not serve as counselors, but rather enjoy the warm summer camp environment as equal participants with Jewish students their age from around the world.

Eligibility: 14–18 year-old

Cost: $1750 (excluding airplane tickets and health insurance)