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June 8, 2012
Forging lifelong connections
There’s still time to apply for summer camp financial assistance.
MICHELLE DODEK
Jewish continuity studies suggest that the single most important indicator of a strong, lifelong and positive Jewish identity is attendance at Jewish summer camp, and testimonials from campers prove that summer at camp can make a huge difference in the life of a child. However, sending a child to summer camp can involve a serious financial commitment. It is for this reason that Jewish camps and other community institutions typically set up campership funds and scholarships to assist families, so that any child who wants to attend camp has the chance to do so.
Parents of Jewish children in the Lower Mainland have many choices to make where camps are concerned, including sleep-away or day camp. With camp season around the corner, if they have not already decided whether to send their children this summer, they need to make that decision quickly. To help, the Independent queried the local camps to find out what options are still available.
Camp Hatikvah director Liza Rozen-Delman said that she expects 320 campers this summer, up 15 percent from last year’s attendance. Even with the high demand, “No camper is ever turned away from Camp Hatikvah,” she stressed. “Our camp ensures that each and every child is given an opportunity to attend.” She added, “Each year, the number of campership requests increase.”
If parents wish to apply for financial assistance, or a campership, as this type of aid is known, they should contact the camp administrator soon in order to leave enough time for the consultation process that accompanies such applications. Inquire about Camp Hatikvah camperships by calling 604-263-1200 or e-mailing [email protected].
Many families do need a little extra help these days, agreed Camp Miriam registrar Leah Levi. “Today, even families who have steady jobs are having trouble paying the fees, as the cost of living is so high, especially in the Lower Mainland.” According to Levi, 30 to 36 percent of campers at Camp Miriam receive significant financial assistance.
In an additional push to provide the summer camping experience to local Jewish children, Camp Miriam has launched a campaign to raise money for camperships this year featuring testimonials of those who have been deeply affected by attending Jewish summer camp.
To apply for a campership at Camp Miriam, contact Levi or Barbara Wohl at [email protected] (this e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, so you need JavaScript enabled to view it) or call 604-266-2825.
Locally, the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and its Jewish Community Foundation (JCF) allocate funds from the annual campaign to camperships, which both Camp Miriam and Camp Hatikvah distribute, but both camps also rely on private donors to top up the campership-funding base.
Just last month, Rozen-Delman announced the creation of a new designated campership fund called the Arthur Dodek Fund. “Judy Dodek established this fund in honor of her husband’s 70th birthday. The two met at Camp Hatikvah and this fund serves to bring that special bond the couple have with camp one step further,” she said. Rozen-Delman was quick to point out that there are many other donors from the community who also make campership funds possible and that anyone interested in supporting camperships should contact the camp or the JFGV by calling 604-257-5100 or e-mailing [email protected].
An additional source of campership funding for both camps is the Foundation for Jewish Camping (FJC) camperships. Instead of being based on financial need, the One Happy Camper scholarship is specifically available to children who do not attend Jewish day school but would like to attend Jewish summer camp. The FJC provides a grant of $500 and a matching grant comes from private donations through the camp. Both Hatikvah and Miriam have details on how to apply on their websites (camphatikvah.com and campmiriam.org).
Although Miriam and Hatikvah provide different summer experiences, the take-aways are similar. “Lots of fun and [the chance to] develop independence, leadership skills, group responsibility, critical thinking, commitment to social justice and a love of Israel,” said Levi about what Miriam has to offer.
Rozen-Delman agreed, “By attending Jewish summer camp, children thrive in developing their Jewish identity through relationships and connections. It is through the memories that are shared each summer that this Jewish identity is strengthened and maintained through adulthood.”
“Campers live their Judaism daily,” stressed Levi.
Jewish day camps can also help children develop a deep sense of Jewish identity. Locally, both Chabbad and the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver provide opportunities for children to enjoy a camp experience without having to brave nights away from home. Chabad’s Camp Gan Israel and the JCCGV’s Camp Shalom offer programs for young children to teenagers. Both day camps feature Jewish programming and the summer fun parents and children expect. The JCCGV also offers science camps, sports camp, art and dance camps and British soccer camp, all of which run throughout the summer.
While the cost of day camp is less significant than sleep-away camp, it can still pose a financial burden for many families. Both Gan Israel and Camp Shalom offer financial assistance. Rabbi Yechiel Baitelman of Chabbad stressed that Camp Gan Israel strives to give every child a chance to enjoy a fun and richly Jewish day camp experience, regardless of ability to pay the entire tuition. To that end, financial assistance applications at Camp Gan Israel are on a rolling deadline and the camp continues to offer scholarships for this year’s sessions for the time being. Information can be accessed by calling 604-266-1313 or visiting their website at ganisraelbc.com.
Though the official deadline for the JCCGV day camp passed at the end of March, director of children, youth and camp Shirly Goldstein said that she is still accepting requests for assistance. She said that those who are new to Vancouver should keep in mind that camp can be the perfect way for kids who have just arrived to integrate and make some friends. “They may not speak English well, but Jewish is Jewish everywhere,” she said. Interested parents should call the JCCGV at 604-257-5111 or visit jccgv.com.
Parents should keep in mind that if Jewish camp is a priority for their family, there are still ways to make it happen this summer. All the local Jewish camps want to facilitate a fun and meaningful experience for Jewish children this summer.
Michelle Dodek is a local freelance writer and mother of two, who thinks camp sounds like good fun.
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