Bushfires force evacuation of Habonim leaders, camp delayed
Habonim Dror youth movement has been forced to delay the start of its Federal Summer Camp after all leaders were evacuated from the campsite amid worsening bushfire conditions in Victoria, creating what the organisation has described as an urgent and costly situation.
Speaking to JWire, Habonim mazkir (chairperson) Aaron Lemberg said all leaders were forced to leave the site on 8 January at short notice as conditions deteriorated. “All leaders were required to evacuate the site on 8 January at short notice, leaving behind their belongings,” he said.
Habonim madrichim (leaders) and volunteers with their belongings once retrieved from the campsite.
Lemberg said the evacuation followed rapidly changing conditions near the campsite. “Due to the bushfires currently impacting parts of Victoria, the situation around our camp location has been unpredictable and rapidly changing,” he said.
Victoria is grappling with severe bushfires amid a heatwave, with 10 major fires among 32 active blazes, more than 300 structures destroyed and 15 emergency warnings in place.
The 10-day camp was originally scheduled to begin today, 11 January, and was expected to host about 250 participants aged 15 to 18 from across Australia. Lemberg told JWire the organisation had made “the difficult but necessary decision” to postpone the start of camp until 14 January in order to prioritise safety amid rapidly changing bushfire conditions.
“While this decision prioritises safety, it has placed a significant and unexpected financial burden on our movement,” he said.
Leaders had arrived at the campsite last week to prepare and plan for the camp before the evacuation order was issued. The sudden departure left them with little time to prepare and forced them to abandon personal belongings in the rush to get to safety.
Habonim madrichim (leaders) and volunteers gather in Melbourne.
Lemberg said the disruption has created an anticipated shortfall of about $25,000, even if the camp is able to proceed at its original site. “Should conditions require us to relocate to a new site, these costs are likely to increase further,” he said.
He said the evacuation and postponement have already resulted in substantial unplanned expenses, including flight changes and rebookings for interstate participants and leaders, transport cancellations and rescheduling, additional food and accommodation costs, equipment hire cancellations, and emergency logistical and operational expenses.
“Ensuring that this camp can still run, safely and in full, is of critical importance to our community,” Lemberg said.
He said the movement was now seeking urgent financial support and in-kind assistance. “Any contribution will make a difference,” Lemberg said, adding that the organisation would also welcome connections to additional sources of support.
“Habonim has always been sustained by the strength, generosity and solidarity of our community,” he said in a message to Habonim families and friends. “In this challenging moment, your support helps ensure that hundreds of young Australian Jews can still experience a safe, educational and affirming camp, even in the face of circumstances beyond our control.”
Update:
On Sunday afternoon the organisers were assured by authorities that the threat to the campsite from bushfires had passed, and it was completely safe for leaders to return and retrieve their belongings and to start the camp on 14 January.
For more information or to support Habonim, contact [email protected].
