7/8/24 Email: The Preparing for Camp Series (Email 8)
Dear friends:
We are SO excited for you to join us in just TWO WEEKS!! We wanted to share a sneak peek into all the amazing adventures we’ve had during our first week at Camp Zeke! From the moment the buses rolled in, it’s been non-stop fun, action, and excitement. Our campers have dived into a whirlwind of activities such as mastering the new ninja warrior ropes course, cooling off with epic lake swims and paddleboarding sessions, rolling sushi in culinary arts, and developing skills in basketball. We’ve had some awesome tennis matches, intense craft sessions, masterful circus arts classes, and a fantastic Zumba Rave dance party that had everyone moving and grooving. We just concluded our first Shabbat which kicked off with an amazing ceremony led by our Shabbat Sha-band in our new amphitheater that has stunning views of Hickory Lake. The atmosphere here is electric, and the sense of community and joyful Judaism is unmatched!
This first week has also been filled with friendships and personal growth. From bonding over campfires to cheering each other on during activities, our campers are building strong connections and developing new skills every day.
We can’t wait for your campers to jump into the fun and create their own unforgettable moments! Check out this recap of the 4th of July on our Instagram here, and follow us to see more of camp in action, especially in our stories on Facebook and Instagram: facebook.com/campzeke and instagram.com/campzeke.
A few quick reminders:
- Horseback riding: If your camper would like to participate in our riding program, please complete the form in CampInTouch.
- Bunk requests: If you have any final bunk requests, please be sure to send them to Campercare@campzeke.org in the next day.
- JDrugs: Reminder that medications must go through JDrugs. The JDrugs form is on CampInTouch.
- Forms: If you’re missing anything, please upload them ASAP to CampInTouch.
- Swag: Due to selling out of long-sleeve t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hats in years past, we’re offering the opportunity to pre-order camp apparel now. Order here by July 26th and your items will be waiting at Session 2 pick-up on August 11th! This year only, we are excited to offer limited edition 10th Anniversary t-shirts and hoodies! We will only have very limited quantities on pick-up days, so this is the best way to guarantee your swag.
- Parent handbook: Please review the Parent Handbook for all details about preparing for camp. To read all the prior emails in the Preparing for Camp series, you can visit this link. In terms of packing, you may want to bring an item or two for our Session Two theme dinners: Disney Day, Hometown Day, and Purim in July (costumes).
- Help bring Israeli kids to Zeke: If you haven’t yet given to our campaign to bring Israeli campers from Kibbutz Hagorshim to Zeke for second session, please do. We are beyond thankful to have raised $76,500 from families, friends, and partnerships to date, but need your help to raise the remaining $21,164 to reach our goal. At a moment like this, coming together as a Jewish community is more important than ever. Please feel free to share this message with friends, family and local Jewish organizations who may be looking for ways to help Israeli kids and families!
We can’t wait to see you soon!
Sunny wishes,
The Camp Zeke team:
6/23/24 Email: The Preparing for Camp Series (Email 7)
Dear friends:
We can’t believe we are just a week away from welcoming our full season and session one campers! Our team has been at camp preparing for everyone to arrive, cooling down in Hickory Lake, and enjoying our signature S’mOreos around the campfire!
As many of you know, in the last few weeks, Camp Zeke was approached by Kibbutz Hagoshrim in the Upper Galilee of Israel to host a group of their kids. Due to the relentless Hezbollah rocket barrages, these families have been displaced after an already incredibly difficult year. So we are working to bring them to Zeke for a much-needed joyful summer. We launched a fundraising campaign with a total goal of $104,000 to provide significant scholarships for Israeli campers. Although we only started our campaign a few days ago, we are so thankful to have already raised over $70,000 from individual donors and camp families, the UJA Federation of New York, the Give Camp Fund, and Greater Metrowest Federation of New Jersey. We still need to raise about $31,000 in a brief time. So please click here to give now!
We’ve kicked off a calling campaign to get us over the finish line, so if you hear from camp about this, please consider giving your support to our scholarship efforts. It’s an incredibly impactful contribution.
FORMS
Now turning to a couple of quick reminders: All forms for all campers should have been submitted – if your camper(s) have anything outstanding, please upload them to CampInTouch ASAP. Second, please note that all medications must go through JDrugs. The JDrugs form is also on CampInTouch.
Please review the Parent Handbook for all details about preparing for camp. To read all the prior emails in the Preparing for Camp series, you can visit this link.
ANNOUNCING OUR 2024 THEME DINNERS!
At Zeke, we believe that every meal should be an adventure, and our theme dinners take it a step further! We are excited to announce our 2024 themes:
- Week 1, campers kick off the fun with Pajama Day, enjoying a cozy feast in their comfiest sleepwear.
- Week 2 takes us back in time with Decade Night, where kids dress up from their favorite eras and dine on nostalgic treats.
- Week 3 brings double the fun with Twin Night, as campers pair up (or triple up, or quad up) in matching outfits and share a delightful meal.
- Disney Day in Week 4 fills the dining hall with magic, with kids dressed as beloved characters and themed dishes adding to the enchantment.
- Week 5’s Hometown Day celebrates where we all come from, and campers dress up in “local gear” such as hats or shirts that represent their schools, favorite teams (be it MLB or little league or dance team!), hometown…
- Finally, Week 6 wraps up with Purim in July, a festive night of costumes and delicious Purim-inspired fare.
SONG SESSIONS AT CAMP
To see what pure joy looks like, you don’t need to look any further than a song session in the third week of camp. By that point in the summer, the community feels like a huge family. The kids are completely at ease, being their truest selves. For the staff, the friendships are rock solid. The youngest camper knows the oldest staff member and everyone in between. And by the third week, every last person in camp has memorized the words to our songs.
What do our song sessions look like? Just as a particular meal comes to an end, a camper looks up and notices a song leader plugging in her guitar. She quietly hums a melody. A few voices chime in from around the room. Another song leader appears. The humming turns into words. The song starts getting louder. Some campers drum a beat on their tables.
Pretty soon, the entire camp is buzzing. The campers are jumping up and down with pure joy, singing their hearts out. The kitchen staff have left the kitchen and they’re dancing with their arms around each other’s shoulders. The counselors have started a conga line. Everywhere you look, it’s smiles from ear to ear.
It takes a couple weeks for camp to get there, but once it does, the community becomes pure magic.
We like to pass along our most popular camp songs before the summer starts so our new staff feel right at home when they arrive to camp, and so our returning staff remember the starry nights by Hickory Lake.
We sing lots of songs you’ll already know, like “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King, “One Day” by Matisyahu, and “I’m yours” by Jason Mraz.
We also sing songs you might only hear at camp, like “Od Yavo Shalom” (until there is peace) and “Brich Rachamana” (a post-meal song of joy and gratitude in Aramaic)!
Our very own Cantor Melanie Blatt, one of the most talented song leaders in all of Jewish camp, made a couple videos of our harder-to-find camp songs so everyone can learn them before camp starts. You can watch Melanie’s videos here: Video One. Video Two. The lyrics are below.
1. Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu – Hebrew
Od yavo shalom aleinu (Let there be peace among us)
Od yavo shalom aleinu
Od yavo shalom aleinu
Ve al kulam (x2) (and everyone)
Salaam (Peace)
Aleinu ve al kol ha olam, (Peace among us and the whole world)
Salaam, Salaam (x2) (Peace, peace)
2. Brich Rachamana – Aramaic
Brich rachamana malka d’alma ma’arey d’hai pita (x2) (Blessed is the Compassionate One, Ruler of the Universe, Source of this Food)
Na na na na na na, na na na na na (x2) English: Na na na na na
3. Adama V’Shamaim – Hebrew and English
Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Ho
Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Ho
Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Ho
Adama Veshamayim
Chom Ha’esh
Tzlil hamayim
Ani margish zot begufi
beruchi, benishmati
Ani margish zot begufi
beruchi, benishmati
Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Ho
Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Ho
Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Ho
Love the earth
Love the sky
Heat of fire
Sound of water
I can feel it in my body,
in my spirit, in my soul.
Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Ho
Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Ho
Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Heya Ho
4. Ameh
Ameh, Ameh, Ameh Yisrael Chai
Ameh, Ameh, Ameh Yisrael Chai
Ameh, Ameh, Ameh Yisrael Chai
Ohhh Ohhh Od Avinu Chai
Ohhh Ohhh Od Avinu Chai
Ohhh Ohhh Od Avinu Chai
5. Chinai Matov – Hebrew and English
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh
Wow Wow Wow
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh
Wow Wow Wow
Hinai matov umanaim shevet achim gam yachad
How great it is for brothers and sisters to hang out on this day
Hinai matov umanaim shevet achim gam yachad
How great it is for brothers and sisters to hang out on this day
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh
Wow Wow Wow
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh
Wow Wow Wow
Hinai matov umanaim shevet achim gam yachad
Hinai matov umanaim shevet achim gam yachad
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh
Eeeeh Ohhh Ohhh
Wow Wow Wow
How great it is for brothers and sisters to hang out on this lovely day
How great it is for brothers and sisters to hang out on this day
How great it is for brothers and sisters to hang out on this lovely day
How great it is for brothers and sisters to hang out on this day
* * *
Please let us know if we can be helpful as you prepare for camp! And please give generously to help fund camp’s scholarship efforts.
Sunny regards,
The Camp Zeke Team
6/11/24 Email: The Preparing for Camp Series (Email 6)
Dear Friends:
Our staff are hard at work setting up camp with tremendous anticipation for the arrival of our campers in a few more weeks! Before getting to this week’s article, a few reminders:
- Please Support the Children of Kibbutz Hagoshrim. Their families have been displaced from their homes due to Hezbollah rocket attacks. This summer, we’re welcoming a group of kids from the kibbutz with full scholarships. Thanks to a lead gift of $10,000, we are well on the way to funding them. Please give generously to support this work: campzeke.org/
philanthropic-support/funding- projects/kibbutz. - Check Bus Times and Locations, Now Online! To see bus times and locations, please visit campzeke.org/camper-
travel-on-arrival-and- departure-days-2024. - Complete Medical Forms: Medical forms (and all camper forms) are now due. Please complete them on CampInTouch at zeke.campintouch.com.
- Bunk Requests? We’re in the process of finalizing our first session and full season bunks. Who’s excited!? If you have a final bunk request that you’d like to send in, please email questions@campzeke.org
to let us know. - Upload a Recent Photo of Your Camper(s): Also in zeke.campintouch.com.
- Review the Parent Handbook: Camp’s Parent Handbook (campzeke.org/current-
families/parent-handbook) has all the essential details about getting ready for the experience. - Reach Out with Questions. For questions about medical forms, transportation, and the packing list, please contact Rachel at rachel@campzeke.org or 212-913-9783. For questions about billing, deposits and financials, please contact our registrar, Barbara Lichter, at barbara@campzeke.org or 212-913-9783.
- Conversations with Camp: We’re having our next Zoom information session for new and prospective families this Thursday (6/13) at 7:15 pm. If you’d like to join, please reply to this email and we’ll send you the Zoom link. We’ll show lots of pictures of camp, tell everyone about the program, and answer all your questions.
- Read Prior Advice/Guidance Emails: To read all the prior emails in our series of pre-camp advice and guidance, please visit campzeke.org/2024-
emails-to-enrolled-families. We’ll update that link every time we send an email like this one.
Without further ado, please see below for this week’s article.
Getting Ready for Camp
By Bob Ditter
Some parents, especially ones who have never been to camp as children themselves, make the mistake of thinking that camp is about the activities or the facilities. While those are important aspects of camp, that’s not what camp is. Camp is about making some of the best friends of your life. It’s an exercise in self-reliance and social learning.
Since campers live in groups, it is also about learning the give-and-take of making decisions and getting along with all those “brothers” or “sisters” they suddenly inherit when they arrive. In a time when resilience – the ability to stick with something and recover from a setback – is a great quality to cultivate in our children, camp is an increasingly attractive option. I can’t tell you how many parents have told me how much more confident, calm, purposeful or focused their children seem after a couple of weeks of the overnight experience.
But Are We Ready?
Are you ready as a parent to let your child go? Children are like little membranes – they pick up all of the subtle emotions of their parents. [So please keep a positive, upbeat attitude to reinforce that camp is an incredibly valuable life experience. Your kids will pick up on the message – both spoken and unspoken.]
Think of camp as “life experience with training wheels.” Camp professionals have been helping kids separate and become more independent for years. This is their true business. They tell you they teach swimming or arts and crafts or canoeing, but what they really teach is self-reliance and resilience – in other words, [essential] skills for life.
Reassure yourself, as a parent, that you’ve done your job. All the advice, coaching, caring and goodwill you’ve given your child over the years is in there. Trust the job you have done. Let your kids try out their wings, even if it means they take a little nosedive once in a while. [All of us on the Camp Zeke staff will be there to help them along and support them the whole time, so they will soar, even without you there.]
How Do We Get Them Ready?
I created a few tips for parents to help them and their children get ready for the adventure of camp. They are as follows:
(2) Pack a favorite personal item, like a tee-shirt, cap or small stuffed animal.
(3) Have them “practice” sleeping over with friends or relatives and writing letters home.
(4) Talk with them about the fun things they are looking forward to doing at camp. Watch the camp videos together.
(5) Share stories about your own first times away from home. (Keep it positive!)
(6) Point out what your child does well and how that will be an asset at camp.
(7) Mail a letter to your new camper one or two days before she departs for camp, so that it will be there on her first full day at camp.
Pre-Camp Discussions
It also helps to have a few conversations with your child, before they head off to meet their new friends. Here are a few things you can say – not all at once, but a little over time – in the time before camp starts:
(2) If you are having a problem, your counselor is there to help you. Don’t wait to tell us, you can tell your counselor. Be honest and ask for what you need.
(3) Clean-up is part of camp. You do it every day. We expect you to participate.
(4) There are many new things at camp, and you may not like them all or be as good at some as you are at others. We expect you to try!
(5) Go about making a new friend or two. If you are timid about meeting someone new, ask about what they like and be a good listener.
(6) Not everyone has to be your friend, and you don’t have to be everyone else’s friend. If you have one or two good friends at camp, that’s great!
(7) Have fun and tell us all about it in your first letter home.
* * *
As always, the Camp Zeke Team is here and happy to help you get ready for the amazing adventure. Don’t hesitate to be in touch! And please help us bring the Kibbutz Hagoshrim kids to camp this summer!
Warm regards,
The Camp Zeke Team
6/1/24 Email: The Preparing for Camp Series (Email 5)
Dear Friends:
We hope you’re all doing great! As we count down to camp, we love sharing info to help you gear up for a summer filled with joy, deep friendships, and personal growth. But before we dive into those and a few reminders, we have an important request:
Funding Scholarships for Kids from Israel
In the last few weeks, Camp Zeke was approached by Kibbutz Hagoshrim in the Upper Galilee of Israel to host a group of their kids this summer. On top of everything happening is Israel, due to the relentless Hezbollah rocket barrages, these families have been torn from their homes, their lives shattered, and daily routines upended in unimaginable ways.
We need your help to raise $100,000 to welcome these displaced Israeli kids to Zeke and help fund the significant scholarships we have already given to a number of other Israeli campers, along with many other families this year. This work is only possible thanks to the generosity of donors like you.
Please make a gift today to help support this critical mission. We can only bring them with the generosity and kindness of donors like you, and we only have a few short weeks to reach our goal.
The Give Camp Fund has generously made a lead gift of $10,000 towards our goal. And we now need your help to make up the rest.
Your donation, given now, will enable us to bring these kids to camp this summer, to give them an amazing experience filled with safety, calm, joy and friendship, and a much-needed respite after a very difficult year. Thank you in advance!
Now back to the camp prep…
A Checklist For this Week:
- Check Bus Times and Locations, Now Online! To see bus times and locations, please visit campzeke.org/camper-
travel-on-arrival-and- departure-days-2024. - Complete Medical Forms: Medical forms (and all camper forms) are now due for first session and full season campers. They are due by tomorrow for second session campers. Please complete them on CampInTouch at zeke.campintouch.com.
- Upload a Recent Photo of Your Camper(s): Also in zeke.campintouch.com
- Review the Parent Handbook: Camp’s Parent Handbook (campzeke.org/current-
families/parent-handbook) has all the essential details about getting ready for the experience. - Reach Out with Questions. For questions about medical forms, transportation, and the packing list, please contact Rachel at rachel@campzeke.org or 212-913-9783. For questions about billing, deposits and financials, please contact our registrar, Barbara Lichter, at barbara@campzeke.org or 212-913-9783.
- Read Prior Advice/Guidance Emails: To read all the prior emails in our series of pre-camp advice and guidance, please visit campzeke.org/2024-
emails-to-enrolled-families. We’ll update that link every time we send an email like this one.
A Message from Dr. Chana Zablocki, our Camp Medical Director
As our returning families know, Camp Zeke is lucky to have had the same Medical Director since 2015, Dr. Chana Zablocki.
Dr. Chana, as she is affectionately known in camp, practices family medicine in NJ, and spends her summers with us at camp. Her kids have been campers and staff members, and her husband, Jeff, is a nurse in our medical center (he’s also known for covering Kermit the Frog’s famous song “Rainbow Connection” at staff talent show). In this email, we are sharing a message from Dr. Chana, who has worked in public health for over 15 years and runs her city’s vaccine program in NJ.
“We love living with our friends in bunks at Camp Zeke. We share jokes, stories, and sometimes we even share clothes and fashion accessories. As expected from living in close quarters in a large community, we also share germs.
This is not usually a problem and mostly just means mild colds, like kids get at school all year. There is however, one germ that can lead to bigger issues. This is the Meningitis bacteria. Meningitis has been on the rise across the United States this year. The case numbers for 2024 have far surpassed the pre-pandemic level.
All our campers who are 12 and up will be vaccinated against Meningitis on the standard vaccination schedule. The recommended vaccination schedule balances when a child is likely to be exposed to a disease and when a vaccine will be most effective. Living in a room with a group of other people increases the risk for Meningitis to spread. So, for example, this is the reason a booster for this vaccine is mandated prior to dorming at college.
If you are a parent of a camper who is aged 11 or younger, I strongly encourage you to ask your pediatrician to vaccinate your child for Meningitis before they attend camp. If your pediatrician is not sure that your child meets the age requirements, please share this link with them (click “Vaccines” and then see the “Vaccines for School and Summer Camp” section). Thank you and have a healthy end of the school year!”
We can’t wait to see everyone soon!
Shabbat Shalom,
The Camp Zeke team
5/15/24 Email: The Preparing for Camp Series (Email 4)
Dear friends:
In the lead-up to camp, we like to pass along resources to help you prepare for a successful summer full of happiness, deep friendships, and personal growth. Before getting to the latest article, please see a few updates and reminders below:
- Bus Times and Locations Now Online: To see bus times and locations, please visit campzeke.org/camper-travel-on-
arrival-and-departure-days- 2024. - Medical Forms: Medical forms (and all camper forms) are now due for first session and full season campers. They are due by June 1st for second session campers. Please complete them on CampInTouch at zeke.campintouch.com.
- Please Review the Parent Handbook: Camp’s Parent Handbook (campzeke.org/current-
families/parent-handbook) has all the essential details about getting ready for the experience. - Who Do We Contact with Questions? For questions about medical forms, transportation, and the packing list, please contact Rachel at rachel@campzeke.org or 212-913-9783. For questions about billing, deposits and financials, please contact our registrar, Barbara Lichter, at barbara@campzeke.org or 212-913-9783.
- Prior Advice/Guidance Emails: To read all the prior emails in our series of pre-camp advice and guidance, please visit campzeke.org/2024-
emails-to-enrolled-families. We’ll update that link every time we send an email like this one.
Please read on for the latest article!
TALKING ABOUT CAMP
by Bob Ditter
Sending your child away to camp is a major milestone for most families, one that is often marked by excitement, anticipation and perhaps even some anxiety. Though camp is certainly about making friends and having fun, it is also about being on your own and being a part of a community.
One of the most important things you as a parent can do to help prepare your child for both these aspects of camp is to talk with your child about it before they go. In fact, it may be better to have several occasional, shorter talks rather than one long conversation…. Children usually do better with this sort of conversation if it is part of a more general discussion, either at the dinner table or, for example, while riding in the car doing errands.
The following are some sample topics for discussion that will help prepare your child emotionally for their big adventure at camp:
Friends. Camp is not anything if it is not about making new friends. If you are shy about meeting new kids, then learn to get to know others by being a good listener. Ask questions. Share what you have. Join in. Remember also that not everyone in your bunk has to be your friend, and you don’t have to be everyone else’s friend. As long as you treat others with respect and they do the same with you, then having one or two friends at camp is fine. Of course, if you have more, that’s great!
Respect. No matter how you feel about anyone else — your counselors or other kids in your group — I expect you to treat people with respect. If you are angry, upset or disagree, there is a respectful way to express it.
Activities. There are many exciting things to do at camp, many of which you may never have tried before. (If your child is tending to be a bit homesick or worried about being homesick, remind them what it was they were excited about doing at camp when they first thought about going there.) You may not like all the activities or you may be better at some than others. That’s normal. I, however, expect you to try. The more you put into camp, the more you will get out of it!
Cooperating. You, like every other camper there, will be part of a bunk. As your parent I expect you to cooperate with others and help out. That’s part of what makes camp so special — kids helping each other out. Most kids will help you if you are friendly and help them.
Give yourself time. One thing about camp is that almost everything is new — the kids; the activities; the routines; the bed you sleep in; the bathrooms; the food and more. It takes a few days to get adjusted, so be patient with yourself. Most of the time you will be having so much fun you won’t mind all the changes, but if you do, remember that you will get so used to things that by the time you come home you will miss them all!
Getting help. Everyone has good days and bad days. If you are having a problem, your counselor is there to help you! You don’t have to wait to tell us if you are upset about something. After all, if your counselor doesn’t know what might be troubling you, they can’t help you. Be honest and ask for what you need… [And remember, if a counselor can’t help with something, campers can always come to any adult in camp, including of course, our Director of Camper Care, Riva Schanker, and the caring adults on our Camper Care Team!]
Helping out. Camp is about fun, but it also requires that you help out. Clean-up is part of camp. You do it every day! As your parent I expect you to cooperate.
Being positive. A great thing to remind your first time camper about is what his or her strong points are. I would focus not just on what they do well, but their positive qualities, such as what makes them a good friend or the type of person other kids would want to know. Helping children identify their strengths can help them when they are having a set back — one of those inevitable growing pains all children have from time to time.
Gratitude. A lot of people have worked hard to make sure you have a good time at camp. Your counselors, the people in the dining hall, the maintenance staff, the health staff — they all work hard so you can have fun. Be grateful for what others do for you.
Talking with your child about these kinds of issues is a great way to support them as they get ready take this important step on the road to being more resilient and self-reliant. For you as a parent it can give you more peace of mind as you allow your child to participate safely in a broader world — a world introduced to them in part by camp!
* * *
We hope you find our pre-camp preparation emails helpful Please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions!
Warm regards,
Your friends at Camp Zeke (Meet Us Here)
5/6/24 Email: The Preparing for Camp Series (Email 3)
Dear friends:
We’re excited to pass along the recording of our recent Summer Serenade virtual song session! It begins with some key members of the Camp Zeke team introducing themselves. For the songs and staff introductions, check out the Youtube video.
Also, we’d like to send a HUGE thank you to Camp Zeke’s song leader extraordinaire, Cantor Melanie Blatt! We are so lucky that Melanie has been part our Camp Zeke family for the past decade. To learn more about song sessions at camp, check out: campzeke.org/current-
As you prepare for camp, we also have a few reminders and tips for you:
Medical Forms Due
Please note that the medical forms and all other camper forms are now due for first session and full season campers. They are due by June 1st for second session campers. All details are on CampInTouch (zeke.campintouch.com).
How Do We Prepare for Camp?
The starting point is reading the Parent Handbook (campzeke.org/current-
Camper Drop Off and Pick Up
Please note that camp starts on the bus and we expect that all campers will take the bus to camp. See the transportation form on CampInTouch (zeke.campintouch.com) for details. Exact bus times, locations, and schedules are coming shortly.
Who Do We Contact with Questions?
The Parent Handbook (campzeke.org/current-
For questions about medical forms, transportation, and the packing list, please contact Rachel at rachel@campzeke.org or 212-913-9783.
For questions about billing, deposits and financials, please contact our registrar, Barbara Lichter, at barbara@campzeke.org or 212-913-9783.
Prior Advice/Guidance Emails
To read all the prior emails in our series of pre-camp advice and guidance, please visit: campzeke.org/2024-emails-to-
We hope you find our pre-camp preparation emails helpful Please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions!
Warmly,
The Camp Zeke Team
4/16/24 Email: The Preparing for Camp Series (Email 2)
Dear friends:
In the lead-up to camp, we like to pass along resources to help your camper prepare for a successful summer full of happiness, deep friendships, and personal growth. Right around this time of year, as the weather gets a little warmer, both new and returning campers can feel some pre-camp jitters.
That’s totally normal! We wanted to share some advice from the Child Mind Institute about preparing your campers for the experience. Please read on for the Institute’s insight. Before getting there, a few quick reminders:
You’re Invited: Join a Virtual Song Session THIS Friday (4/19)
Our very own Cantor Melanie Blatt, one of the most talented song leaders in all of Jewish camp, is leading a virtual song session on Zoom this Friday week. RSVP here! Want to learn more about the amazing song sessions at camp? Check out this page.
*RSVP FOR FRIDAY’S ZOOM SONG SESSION*
Medical Forms Due Soon
Please note that the medical forms and all other camper forms are due by May 1st for first session and full season campers and by June 1st for second session campers.
How Do We Prepare for Camp?
The starting point is reading the Parent Handbook, which has all the essential details about getting ready for the experience. Of course, once you review the handbook, if you have any questions at all about preparing for camp we’re glad to help every step of the way!
Camper Drop Off and Pick Up
Please note that camp starts on the bus and we expect that all campers will take the bus to camp. See the transportation form on CampInTouch for details.
Who Do We Contact with Questions?
The Parent Handbook has answers to many common questions. If you still have questions once you review the handbook, we’re always here to help!
- For questions about medical forms, transportation, and the packing list, please contact Rachel at rachel@campzeke.org or 212-913-9783.
- For questions about billing, deposits and financials, please contact our registrar, Barbara Lichter, at barbara@campzeke.org or 212-913-9783.
Prior Advice/Guidance Emails
To read all the prior emails in our series of pre-camp advice and guidance (just one email so far), please see this link. We’ll update that link every time we send an email like this one.
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Clearing the Fear to Make Way for a Formative Experience
Adapted from Child Mind Institute
Portraits of summer camp showcase sun-splashed kids playing sports, swimming, and getting freckles. Not pictured is any sign of anxiety, a totally natural reaction to a new adventure and a several-week separation. All kids experience a mixture of excitement and nervousness when summer camp approaches.
Of course, getting past these initial jitters is part of the value of the camp experience. Indeed, summer camps hone many skills that are useful for future success. These include resilience, self-reliance, social adaptability, and of course, the ability to overcome jitters before an important and valuable life event. The camp experience — being away from home among peers — also helps kids develop social skills, separate in a healthy way from parents, cultivate independence, and build confidence.
The key to helping your camper get over the pre-camp jitters is to acknowledge their feelings and give them tools to tame those feelings, thus making room for the life-changing, skill-building experience they’re about to have:
1) Let your child feel a sense of ownership over the experience. Familiarize them with the camp environment by looking at pictures and reviewing the online map of camp, and teach them about the camp’s activities so they can formulate expectations.
2) Help your child get excited about camp: Take them shopping for new gear and focus them on fun things about camp that they can look forward to.
3) Avoid focusing on what makes kids anxious. Instead of asking leading questions like, “Are you nervous about making friends?” ask open-ended questions like, “How are you feeling about making friends?”
4) Don’t trivialize their concerns or offer glib reassurances. “There’s nothing to worry about!” or “Everyone loves camp!” may discourage your child. Instead, show that you have empathy and acknowledge their concerns.
5) Focus on concrete details in conversations leading up to camp. Avoid abstract issues like what it’s like to be away from home, and focus instead on cabin details (like the air-conditioning and private bathrooms!), song-filled meals in the dining room, lifelong friendships people make at camp, and warm nighttime campfires.
6) Reflect on your own formative experiences away from home and share positive aspects of them with your camper. Show that you are willing to talk about the new things they’ll be doing, whether it’s eating new food, sleeping in a bunk bed, getting along with cabin-mates, or even cleaning their own area and folding their clothes!
7) Go through “rehearsals.” A shorter-term sleepover or a night at Grandma’s will make it easier for your child to be away from home.
8) Don’t linger at the bus stop. Keep the goodbyes short and sweet. And take the bus! Camp starts on the bus. Some parents choose to drive to camp, but taking the bus is often a better option because that’s where friendships first begin to form.
9) Make communication easy and accessible: Pack envelopes and stamps, and make sure your child understands how easy it will be to write to you.
10) Have goals for each letter, so your child will come away focused on how she is adjusting, rather than on how much she wants to come home. For example, in the first letter from your camper, the goal might be to make one friend within the first two or three days of camp. When you write initial letters to camp, you can stress that it’s normal for the first couple days to feel hard (and for that reason, don’t be too upset if you get a sad letter in the first few days of camp, which is an adjustment period).
11) Try not to communicate your own anxiety; your child can pick up on your feelings even if you don’t verbalize them. What you want to share is your confidence in your child and the summer experience.
12) Help your child formulate realistic, goal-oriented plans for making friends or toasting the perfect marshmallow or passing a swimming test. The thrill of completing these plans can give your child a feeling of success and take their mind off of the jitters.
13) Make sure the staff and counselors know anything they need to know about your camper to head off problems and maximize the experience. Does your camper wet the bed? Are they anxious about water? And let your child know that counselors and the rest of the staff are there to support them, whether they have a simple question or a larger need.
And remember that the cost of a good camp covers more than the arts and crafts: It includes a team of professionals and counselors committed to fostering social learning in your child. [At Camp Zeke, we call this group our Camper Care Team. It includes a team of teachers, parents, and other caring adults. They monitor the campers throughout the summer to make sure everyone is adjusting well and thriving in the camp community.]
Summer camp is a unique situation where your child engages with a large community of peers and learns how to interact socially in a less-structured environment than school. This is a time for kids to actively make decisions for themselves and develop a sense of self-reliance. Though you may be concerned and wish to intervene, your supportiveness will give your child room to take ownership over the experience themselves. And that’s what leads to the tremendous growth that kids experience at camp.
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Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions.
Warm regards,
The Camp Zeke Team (“Meet” Us Here)
4/3/24 Email: 2024 Parent Handbook and Camp Forms (Email 1)
Dear friends:
We hope you’re all doing well and getting excited for an amazing camp experience! Around this time of year, we begin sending advice emails and reminders about preparing for camp. To kick things off, we’re pleased to share our 2024 Parent Handbook.
Camper Forms
Please review the Parent Handbook on our website: campzeke.org/current-families/
Camper Drop Off and Pick Up
As we frequently mention to families, Camp starts on the bus and we expect that all campers will take the bus. Please see the transportation form on CampInTouch for details.
Who Should I Contact with Questions?
If you have questions about preparing for camp (including questions about medical forms, the packing list, etc.), please contact Rachel at rachel@campzeke.org or 212-913-9783. Please note: We do encourage each family to read the Parent Handbook first. It has many answers.
If you have questions about billing, deposits and financials, please contact our registrar, Barbara Lichter, at barbara@campzeke.org or 212-913-9783.
Warm regards,
The Camp Zeke Team
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