Summer camp is a yearly ritual for many kids in our area. For nearly a dozen visiting Israeli children, one local camp is safe haven from the violence they've grown up with.

For the past four weeks Iotem Dahan's started her day chanting, praying, and playing at this Jewish Chabad- run camp in Gaithersburg.

"I love the trips and going swimming I've enjoyed meeting new friends, the Americans," said Dahan.

A typical carefree summer camp experience that she and 10 other young campers from Sderot Israel have never known.

The children have grown accustomed to rocket attacks at home, one in particular destroyed lotem's synagogue last year. She lost her house in an attack as well.

"We have a couple of orphans who lost a father in an attack. We have kids here who have suffered personal injury," said Rabbi Sholom Raichik, the camp's co-director.

Their stay at the camp is completely paid for by the Gaithersburg Jewish community at the cost of $4,000 a camper.

"These children have 13 seconds to get to a shelter before an in coming missile which is not guided, not directed, just random will land somewhere in their neighborhood. They deserve to have a happy, healthy, safe childhood. We do what we can as a community in order to be able to help accomplish that," said camp donor Louis Marmon.

Fourteen-year old Dorin Dahan has just started to feel comfortable doing routine activities. "Here I can take a shower without worrying. I can take a long shower and I don't have any issues," she said.

With just days left till the children fly back home, camp organizers hope there isn't a need to bring them here next year and that the peace they've found here will sustain them.

"I really really hope that it will be a difference for life not just for visiting in America," said counselor Chemy Raichik.