Spending summers at Jewish camp can be transformative for youth. Several studies have demonstrated that children and teens who spend summers at Jewish camp are more likely to take on communal leadership roles, engage in Jewish causes, and connect with Israel than those who do not.
The memories, friendships, and experiences developed during these summers are carried through a lifetime of Jewish commitment, and help transform these youth into engaged adults, laying the groundwork for strong Jewish communities. The effect of Jewish summer camp is clear and the opportunity to dramatically increase its impact is significant. Recognizing the influence of Jewish summer camping on our community’s future, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto began a significant new investment in this field in the early 2000s.
We are making Jewish Summer Camp a reality.
Our goal is to increase participation in summer camping by developing short session experiences that inspire children to return summer after summer.
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Are you or your child new to Jewish summer camp? Not quite ready to send your child away to camp? UJA’s Silber Family Centre for Jewish Camping wants to give you and your child a taste of Jewish camp with PJ Goes to Camp. Families with children between the ages of 5 - 8 the opportunity to experience a day of Jewish summer camp.
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For first timer children and parents overnight camp can be an intimidating prospect. The Weekender, sponsored by the UJA’s Silber Family Centre for Jewish Camping, is designed to introduce first time campers to Jewish overnight camp in a safe and fun 2-3 day session.
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Did you know that many of our partner Jewish summer camps offer 4–14-day sessions? Your child can experience “a taste of camp” in these starter sessions, which are just the right length for first-time campers.
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Experience a weekend at a sleepaway camp with the whole family and get an inside look into the camp experience. It’s a great opportunity to introduce your children to the camp environment with the whole family.
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The Silber Fellowship provides Jewish camp staff the chance to participate in high-end internships and workshops, as well as mentorship and leadership opportunities. Silber Fellows will receive intensive professional development to help them become informal educators and leaders in the community.
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UJA Federation firmly believes that no Jewish child or teen should be cut off from essential Jewish experiences – including overnight summer camp – because their parents are facing a financial crisis due to the pandemic. Looking ahead to the 2021 camping season, we anticipate that financial assistance needs will grow by 50%. This is why we are working to increase our investments in summer camp tuition relief by funding needs-based scholarships and interest free loans.
Click to learn more!Want a peak into a day in the life at Jewish summer camp? Watch this video to follow Dudi’s adventure at one of our partner camps!
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