By Karyn Zimerman, Cincy Journeys Grants Manager

The Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) supports more than 150 nonprofit, mission-driven Jewish overnight camps across North America. All of these camps have a mission rooted in Jewish values, celebrate Shabbat in some manner, and instill a love of Israel in campers.

But, you say, my child wants to go to a sports/arts/adventure camp, or my child has special needs and needs special attention. No problem! FJC is currently focused on the establishment of “specialty” overnight Jewish camps to ensure that there’s a Jewish camp that’s perfect for each and every child.

Specialty Jewish camps enable children to hone a specific skill or interest while they learn and practice Jewish values like teamwork, fair play, and ruach (spirit). Whether your child is interested in perfecting her jump shot, sharpening his painting skills, building a robot, directing a film, or learning how to farm organically, there is a specialty overnight Jewish camp that matches his or her interests and meets his or her needs.

Overnight Jewish camps offer a variety of models to accommodate children with disabilities and campers with special needs. These models include mainstreaming, separate programming, and exclusive special needs camps that specifically accommodate children with autism, Down syndrome, Asperger’s syndrome, and other disabilities. Regardless of your child’s individual needs, there is a Jewish camp ready to provide him or her with the summer of a lifetime.  

Want to learn more? Jewish camp experts at Cincy Journeys can help you find the perfect overnight Jewish camping experience for your child. Visit www.cincyjourneys.org for contact information. Take the leap—your whole family will reap the benefits!

Cincy Journeys is the unique grants program that is generously funded by The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati and administered by the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. Through Cincy Journeys, two grants are available for any Cincinnati Jewish child to use toward an approved overnight Jewish camp.