July 19, 2024

By Solly Kane, President & CEO

Summer in Seattle is pretty special. And while we are enjoying the beautiful weather and long sunny days here, many Jewish young people are experiencing the joy of Jewish summer camp all over the state, and beyond.

This month I’m visiting our local Jewish summer camps. I have either already spent time at, or will soon visit, three overnight camps: Camp Solomon Schechter, URJ Camp Kalsman, and Sephardic Adventure Camp, as well as the Stroum JCC’s Day Camp: Summer J Camp. I’m a former overnight camp Director, so, while I’m certainly familiar with the camp world, it is special to get to see the camps where many of our local Jewish kids spend the summer. 

Each of our local camps is unique and yet there are similarities across all of them. For kids, Judaism comes alive at summer camp and friendships are built that can last a lifetime. Camp is also a place where kids can develop independence and learn to be resilient. And, of course, camp is a place filled with fun and it was great to see kids engaging in art, swimming, drama, cooking, climbing on the ropes course, and so much more.

In many ways, camp is more important now than it has ever been before. It’s not easy to be a young person, but the pressures of school, social media, and news headlines dissipate at summer camp. More than that though, it has been a difficult year to be a Jewish young person as many have seen antisemitism firsthand and heard near constant criticism of Israel since last fall. And, for the staff at summer camps – many of whom are college students – camp is a welcome respite from the charged environment on university campuses.

I know firsthand that camp is a labor of love for the staff that work year-round on putting it together and for the scores of staff that work 24/7 in the summer. Many of the fun parts of camp come to mind immediately but camp staff are experts at balancing so many pieces at once: ensuring meals for hundreds are served on time and meet many special diets, camper and staff medical and mental health needs are cared for, massive facilities are maintained and up to date, and parents are kept informed about the going-ons at camp. I’m grateful that we have great staff at our camps who manage all of these pieces and create the magic of camp for our kids. 

And, the Federation works hard to make camp a financial reality for our community. This year, in partnership with the Samis Foundation and other funders, the Federation invested nearly $300,000 in need-based camp scholarships for approximately 250 campers.

Tonight, Jewish kids at camp will come together for shabbat – maybe a little bit dressed up, likely with some singing, and enjoying challah that somehow tastes better surrounded by friends. As we celebrate Shabbat this week, I hope we can all hold onto the joyful magic of summer camp.

Shabbat Shalom,