{"id":48179,"date":"2025-12-19T01:37:01","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T09:37:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/?p=48179"},"modified":"2025-12-18T18:11:02","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T02:11:02","slug":"the-values-of-jewish-camp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/2025\/12\/19\/the-values-of-jewish-camp\/","title":{"rendered":"The value(s) of Jewish camp"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summer camp experiences, which encompass a range of activities campers get to try, can be costly.\u00a0 <\/span>(photo from Camp Hatikvah)<\/i><\/p>\n

If you get sticker shock when you see the cost of Jewish summer camp, you\u2019re not alone. Pay full fare and you could easily be spending $1,000 per week. But there\u2019s a reason it\u2019s so high, say camp directors. Running a Jewish camp is an expensive endeavour \u2013 and it\u2019s not getting any cheaper.<\/p>\n

For Camp Hatikvah, which welcomes 480 summer campers to the Okanagan each year and a staff of 90, the biggest chunk of its operating budget \u2013 just over $2 million in 2024 \u2013 is salaries and honorariums. Only two staff members have year-round employment and the rest serve only in seasonal roles, said Liza Rozen-Delman, executive director. Food is the next largest expense, followed by costs related to site operations. And the general program experiences, which encompass the range of activities campers get to try, don\u2019t come cheap either. Hatikvah campers get to waterski and wakeboard, and have access to an inflatable thunderdome on the lake, among other experiences. Now add the cost of insurance to the equation.<\/p>\n

\u201cCamper fees cover the direct costs of care, supervision, food and other daily needs, but donors fund all capital projects, major equipment purchases and our financial assistance program,\u201d she said. \u201cCamp could never break even on fees alone. We rely on our donors to help offset operational costs by funding anything considered an investment that lasts beyond a single summer.\u201d<\/p>\n

The biggest challenge facing Jewish camps across North America is maintaining affordability for middle-income families, Rozen-Delman said. \u201cAll camps, including ours, have wonderful financial assistance programs for those in clear need. What is harder to manage is families who earn higher incomes but struggle to balance the high cost of living an engaged Jewish life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hatikvah tries to manage this by setting its camp fees as low as possible and requesting donations from those who can donate. \u201cWe\u2019re fortunate to have donors who understand the immense importance of a Jewish camping experience,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The same is true for other camps.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCamp tuition doesn\u2019t cover the cost of operating Camp Miriam and, as expenses continue to rise, that gap only widens,\u201d said Leya Robinson, Miriam\u2019s community director, who noted that no camper is turned away due to lack of funds and about 40% of campers receive a scholarship each summer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe rely heavily on donors and grants not only to uphold this commitment but also to cover essential camp operating costs,\u201d said Robinson. \u201cOperating costs include salaries, staff training and benefits, food services, facility maintenance, utilities, insurance, programming, transportation, property taxes, equipment, medical supplies, annual organizational dues and fees, and security.\u201d She added that the camp, which is located on Gabriola Island, is in the midst of a capital campaign \u201cto upgrade our physical facilities so we can continue delivering the \u2018Miriam magic\u2019 for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Camp Miriam has more than 350 campers each summer and 85 summer staff. Throughout the year, they have three full-time and three part-time staff.<\/p>\n

In Washington State, Camp Solomon Schechter welcomes 630 campers over the course of a summer, and has a staff of 80 to 100.<\/p>\n

\u201cTuition covers only 80% of our operating costs, so we rely on the community to help us with donations, and on our diversifying revenue stream, which includes an outdoor school and a retreat centre available for rent,\u201d said Zach Duitch, executive director.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Schechter is a kosher camp, and kosher food, especially meat, chicken and cheese, are much more expensive than their non-kosher equivalents. The cost of taking care of 100 staff is high, and running high-quality programs infused with Jewish values and themes requires significant funds, too. Up to 30% of camp staff comes from Israel, South America and the United Kingdom. \u201cWe love that delegation and we can\u2019t run the camp without them, but, between agency fees, flights and visas, the costs add up,\u201d Duitch said.<\/p>\n