The 23rd Lajee Center Summer Camp
One of the main highlights of July was the 23rd Lajee Center Summer Camp, held under the theme “We Remain Like the Olive Trees.” Around 550 children, aged 5–14, from different areas of Bethlehem Governorate took part in the camp.
Due to the high demand for registration, the camp was divided into two groups, with each group participating in a ten-day programme, allowing more children to benefit from the activities.
The theme, “We Remain Like the Olive Trees,” reflected the children’s connection to their land and Palestinian identity, while highlighting resilience, belonging, and the importance of remaining rooted in their community.
Over twenty days of activities, the summer camp provided a rich educational and recreational environment combining sports, arts, culture, health, environmental awareness, and media. Children participated in football, boxing, movement and water games, as well as drawing, music, dabke, theatre, shadow theatre, circus, photography, and handicrafts.
The programme also included educational and awareness-raising activities covering first aid, health and environmental awareness, recycling, anti-bullying, volunteering, cultural and social topics, and Palestinian national identity. Storytelling, creative writing, music, movement, and group activities provided additional opportunities for children to express themselves and engage with one another.
The camp focused on learning through participation and practical experience. Rather than simply receiving information, children were encouraged to experiment, collaborate, take initiative, and learn through doing. The involvement of Lajee’s different units and programmes helped create a diverse programme that brought together the Center’s expertise in sports, arts, culture, health, environment, and media.
Lajee’s Media Unit also contributed through photography workshops for older participants, combining basic photography theory with hands-on camera practice. The unit documented the different stages of the camp through photographs and video and produced daily content highlighting the activities.
The summer camp was made possible through the combined efforts of Lajee’s staff, trainers, supervisors, volunteers, and different programme units. Together, they created a space where children could learn, play, create, participate, and express themselves, continuing Lajee Center’s long-standing commitment to working with children and young people.
Lajee Community Garden
Lajee Community Garden continued to provide a green and practical space for children and families to learn about community agriculture and participate directly in growing plants.
Located within Lajee Center’s garden, the community garden includes dedicated areas for growing different vegetables, plants, and herbs. Participants are involved in the different stages of cultivation, from planting and caring for crops to observing their growth and harvesting.
Beyond growing food, the garden is a space for environmental education, sustainability, and community participation. It gives children and younger generations the opportunity to develop a direct relationship with the land through hands-on experience, beginning with planting seeds and continuing through caring for and harvesting plants.
The community garden has become an important part of Lajee’s green spaces, bringing together learning, agriculture, environmental awareness, and community engagement at the heart of the local community.
Lajee Dabke Troupe
On 2 July 2026, the Lajee Center Dabke Troupe performed as part of the graduation ceremony for students completing the Kindergarten Diploma at Bethlehem University.
The ceremony was organised in partnership with the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education, and Lajee’s Dabke performance added a vibrant cultural and artistic element to the celebration, showcasing Palestinian traditional dance and heritage.
Rebel Circus School
Students from Lajee Center’s Circus School also took part in the summer camp activities, sharing their skills and contributing to the creative and physical programme offered to participating children.
Their involvement provided younger participants with opportunities to engage with circus arts, movement, creativity, and teamwork, while allowing Circus School students to put their own training and experience into practice.
The 21-day program combined circus training, cultural exchange, and collaborative performances. Palestinian and Spanish students worked together to prepare a final performance that was presented in Rivas, Madrid.
The program included circus workshops, swimming activities, wall climbing for the first time, and educational visits, including a visit to the Madrid Fire Department to learn about civil defense and emergency response.
Participants also explored Madrid’s cultural heritage through city tours and historical visits before traveling to Valencia, where they visited circus schools, joined shared training sessions, and enjoyed a visit to the beach at the end of the program.
Lajee Celtic Academy
Throughout July, regular training continued across the different age groups and teams at Lajee Celtic Academy, alongside the Academy’s ongoing tennis sessions and boxing training for both girls and boys.
During the month, the Academy launched a friendly development league for the 2008–2009 age group. Lajee Celtic’s youth team participated in friendly league matches organised within the Palestinian football system, recording one administrative win and one defeat.
Players were also registered with the Lajee Celtic first team, which is preparing for the upcoming Palestinian club competitions, with plans for the Palestinian league to begin in early 2027. The Academy continues to work on bringing new players into the team and developing its competitive programme.
The first team also played friendly matches against Shabab Al-Khalil and Shabab Beit Fajjar, providing valuable opportunities for players to gain match experience and prepare for future competitions.
In addition, Lajee Celtic submitted official applications to join the Palestinian Boxing Federation and the Palestinian Table Tennis Federation, marking another step towards expanding the Academy’s sporting activities and strengthening its participation within Palestinian sports structures.
Lajee Music Institute
Lajee Music Unit continued its regular programme throughout July, with students participating in individual instrumental lessons, group practices, theoretical music sessions, and choir training.
A special music performance for children’s families was held on 2 July 2026, giving students the opportunity to present what they had been learning and developing in their instrumental and choir training. A number of parents attended the performance and enjoyed an engaging celebration of the children’s musical progress and achievements.
The performance was not only an opportunity for the students to showcase their skills, but also a moment for families to see and celebrate the progress their children have made through their continued participation in Lajee’s music programme.
Aida Camp Under Daily Raids
Throughout the month of July, Aida Camp witnessed numerous military incursions and repeated incidents affecting residents and the wider community. These included attacks on residents’ vehicles and repeated attempts to remove the Palestinian flag from the roof of Lajee Center. Each time the flag was taken down, Lajee Center put it back up, reaffirming its connection to the community and its commitment to preserving Palestinian identity and presence in the camp.
The two videos accompanying this newsletter document some of these raids and offer a glimpse into the reality faced by residents of Aida Camp. Despite these ongoing challenges, Lajee Center continued its programmes and activities, providing children and young people with spaces to learn, play, create, and come together. Continuing this work remains an important expression of the community’s resilience and determination to remain rooted in Aida Camp.