Jewish Camp Resilience

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced camps to make the difficult decision to close for Summer 2020, we felt a deep sense of loss shared by campers, counselors, staff, parents, and alumni. The outpouring of raw emotion from every corner of the camp community is a tribute to the unique and sacred space camp holds in people’s lives.

Many camp directors chose to share their thoughts and feelings through heartfelt video messages. Hearing their words, we were moved and inspired. In every one of these messages, each camp professional embodies the best of Jewish camp — and the best of Jewish values — by modeling compassion, strength, integrity, and resilience.

We have created a three-minute video compilation of these voices from the field, which can be found here. We encourage you to share these beautiful and much-needed expressions of care and hope with your community.

Life will be different post-pandemic, but we know Jewish camp will play a critical role in building and strengthening our community. As we say in the video, “The comeback is always stronger than the setback.” Thanks to the continued support for Jewish camp, we can look forward to a robust comeback — and campers can continue to look forward to life-changing Jewish summers for generations to come.