Jewish camps: From affordability to romance to special-needs job training

Julie Wiener

Ramah New England, August 2014. (Courtesy of Foundation for Jewish Camp)

Aloft at Camp Ramah of New England, August 2014. (Courtesy of Foundation for Jewish Camp)

JTA’s special section, made possible with funding from the Foundation for Jewish Camp, examines trends affecting Jewish overnight camps:

Amid increased scrutiny and risk, camps grapple with teen sexuality: Should Jewish summer camps be more proactive about how they address campers’ romantic relationships, particularly given that some statistics indicate that as many as 1 in 3 female adolescents is a victim of sexual assault?

With JDate partnership, Ramah to help alumni kindle campfires of romance: An online dating service expected to launch this year will enable alumni of the Conservative camps to seek out other “Ramahniks.”

First Person: From litigating cases to lighting campfires: A lawyer-turned-camp founder/director explains why he traded in suits and a high-rise office for T-shirts and cabins.

Foundation for Jewish Camp: Bunk Connect

Program connects discount-seeking families with camps eager to broaden base: BunkConnect is launching in full this year, with 75 camps nationwide offering discounts ranging from 40 to 80 percent.

Camps promote inclusion, job skills with burgeoning vocational programs: Part of a growing phenomenon in the Jewish camp sector, the programs are proliferating to meet increased demand from parents.

With launch of four new camps, specialty sector is booming: The specialty camp incubator encourage kids and teenagers, particularly those with special interests they could not have explored previously at a Jewish camp, to have a Jewish summer experience.

JTA Staff This article was posted by JTA staff.