Summer camps have become an important part of Jewish culture here in the U.S. Each summer, Jewish children from all parts of the world gather at summer camp and spend their time participating in exhilarating adventures while following Jewish traditions.
While these camps help children learn about their identity and traditions, they also offer the same exciting traditional camp activities like hiking, ziplining, archery, swimming, sports, outdoor games, and much more. It’s a place for campers to continue learning about themselves and have fun at the same time.
Here are some of the best Jewish summer camps that provide children with a wonderful summer experience.
Best Jewish Summer Camps
Camp Kingswood
If you’re looking for one of the top Jewish summer camps, Camp Kingswood has you covered. Kids come from around the world for excellence in staff and program, provided in a warm and welcoming down-to-earth Jewish community. Camp Kingswood offers a rich and meaningful Jewish environment where they focus on Jewish connection and identity rather than education or “Hebrew school” camp.
Camp Kingswood is located in the pristine Lakes Region of Maine at the base of the White Mountains, providing for an endless amount of outdoor adventure and fun in and around camp. It’s one of the few Jewish camps in North America with an enormous, 500-acre lake. The camp offers a full array of watersports and activities, along with team and individual sports, theater and music, arts (including woodshop and ceramics), nature, and adventure.
Offering a schedule that combines bunk activities and electives, kids can feel empowered designing their day. With a maximum of 250 campers each session, Kingswood is intimate enough that it feels like a family and large enough that there’s an endless option of new activities to do and unique programs like Color War to try!
Camp Kingswood is Kosher and offers 2, 3.5, and 7-week sessions and a First Time Camper Grant of up to $1000 for all new campers.
Camp Halfmoon
Camp Halfmoon is an established camp in the Berkshires of Massachusetts with a large campus on the shores of Lake Buel. With day and overnight camps, your children are welcome to partake in their traditional summer programs for 2 and 3 weeks.
Kimama, the organization behind Camp Halfmoon, combines a traditional experience with Israeli culture and character and Judaism. The campers’ well-being is a huge priority, with a strong focus on healthy nutrition with meals prepared by Israeli chefs. Kids participate in activities like yoga classes, sports, theater, water sports, and ropes courses.
There is fun for everyone to enjoy, and the experienced staff of counselors (1:5 ratio) ensures your children are always in a safe environment while guiding them through their camp journey. They believe in a philosophy of helping kids build a strong foundation with the tools needed to become the leaders of the future.
URJ Camp Newman
Located in Santa Rosa, California, URJ Camp Newman offers 2, 4, and 8-week sessions for students from grades 3 to 11. Campers will become important members of the community and learn in an environment that encourages acceptance and follows the value of B’tzelem Elohim.
Kids can explore a high ropes course, hike scenic trails, have a fun competition at the archery range, and much more. With a philosophy of C.A.R.E and following Jewish values, any camper will feel welcome at URJ Camp Newman. Children should expect kosher-style meals and a staff of trained counselors who act as excellent role models.
Year-round programs like family camps, Shabbats, and awesome weekends routinely happen at URJ Camp Newman. You should also be on the lookout for some of their educational trips to Israel. Older teenagers can enroll in the Teen Leadership Camp lasting 8 weeks.
Camp Ramah In California
Camp Ramah in California creates an inspiring environment filled with Jewish and educational characteristics. Campers come every summer to enjoy a positive Jewish experience, learn from the staff, and with the goal of becoming the next generation of Jewish leaders.
All of the camp activities that make a camp experience memorable, like sports (soccer, basketball, and more), arts, ropes courses, Israeli dancing, swimming, and everything alike are offered here.
The days at Camp Ramah are also filled with happiness through Jewish songs, prayer, Hebrew meals and education. Self-discovery and a stronger appreciation of their Jewish identity are important parts of the learning process for campers at Camp Ramah.
You can sign up for multiple sessions based on grade levels, with gesher sessions for 3rd to 5th graders and 4-week options for campers in 4th to 11th grade. Camp Ramah also hosts year-round events for families.
URJ Camp Kalsman
URJ Camp Kalsman offers summer experiences in Arlington, Washington, like no other to its Jewish campers. This overnight camp receives children from all over the Pacific Northwest to its 300-acre campus each summer.
URJ Camp Kalsman offers a mix of Jewish education and exciting activities like canoeing, ziplining, soccer, dance, painting, and outdoor survival skills, plus many more. There are 1, 2, and 3-week sessions for grades 1 through 10. There are also programs for teenagers from a counselor-in-training program to an international trip to Israel.
The summer camp is committed to six core values ranging from kehilah kedoshah (sacred community) to a relationship to teva (nature) with an aim to foster Jewish identity and connection. They also host family camps and retreats year-round. Make sure to visit their website for all the details about what URJ Camp Kalsman has to offer.
Ramah in the Rockies
Ramah in the Rockies is a Jewish outdoor adventure camp located on a gorgeous 360-acre ranch in the heart of the Colorado Rockies. They offer some of the best of outdoor adventures, (e.g. mountain biking, horseback riding, rock climbing, whitewater rafting) in an immersive and supportive Jewish environment. Campers from 3rd grade to 12th grade throughout the US, Canada, Israel, and Mexico come for two or four weeks to challenge themselves physically, intellectually, and spiritually.
They’re a kosher, Shabbat-observant community that empowers kids to explore their own Jewish identities. The entire camp splits into small groups bi-weekly to go on age-appropriate backcountry adventures throughout the state. These range from a short camping trip for young campers to five-day off-trail backcountry navigation high in the mountains for the oldest ones.
Kids who go to the camp will celebrate in the joyous Judaism, the incredible vistas, and the lifelong connections made through the magic of Ramah in the Rockies.
Camp Tawonga
Immerse yourself in the vibrant spirit of Camp Tawonga, where Jewish values and outdoor exploration intertwine! Located amidst the majestic Sierra Nevada Mountains, this camp offers enriching summer experiences for rising 2nd to rising 12th graders through our 1, 2, and 3-week sessions, as well as adventurous quests.
With over 100 years of experience leading the field of Jewish camping at Camp Tawonga, the approach is deeply rooted in Jewish values, guiding every aspect of our programming. From engaging in meaningful discussions to fostering a sense of responsibility towards the environment, campers learn and grow within a supportive community that celebrates diversity and inclusion.
Experience the joy of exuberant community Shabbat celebrations, where campers come together to embrace tradition and reflection. Tawonga’s dedicated staff are committed to nurturing each camper’s individual journey and fostering lifelong friendships.
Tawonga offers generous financial assistance to ensure that all families can participate. Join Camp Tawonga and embark on a summer adventure where Jewish tradition, outdoor exploration, and community spirit converge. Enroll your child today and watch them thrive in an environment where they can truly be themselves.
Eden Village West
The Eden Village West organic farm-to-table residential Jewish camps are hosted on their beautiful campus in Sonoma County, California. Your children will become empowered to promote a more environmentally sustainable, socially just, and spiritually connected world for all.
Students in 3rd-11th grade can enjoy activities that focus on culinary arts, farming, wilderness and homesteading skills, music, and mindful movement. They also can go crafting, swimming, and tubing. The daily schedule starts off with a Modeh Ani/Gratitude activity to start the day, with traditional shacharit as one of many options to explore and express gratitude. The days include meals with rest times and snacks and camp-wide events in the evenings.
Eden Village West teaches sustainability to show campers the importance of caring for our earth and instills a culture of kindness where everyone respects and is kind to one another.
Challenging experiences are part of the adventure, aimed at helping campers push their boundaries and grow as one. Your kids will become free to be who they want to be as they spend 12 to 19 or up to 40 days at Eden Village West.
Camp Interlaken JCC
The Steve & Shari Sadek Family Camp Interlaken JCC is an overnight Jewish camp for students in 3rd to 10th grade. It was founded in 1966 and has been providing summer adventures driven by Jewish values since then. Situated in the north woods of Wisconsin between two gorgeous lakes, the campus expands across 106 acres.
Each summer, over 400 kids attend the camp and choose between two different 4-week sessions with a shorter option for younger children. Camp Interlaken JCC offers a diverse range of activities featuring waterskiing, sailing, rocketry, video production, and sports like basketball, archery, and soccer, plus a whole lot more.
The goal of the camp is to help campers improve themselves among friends and grow in a friendly Jewish community where fun is expected everyday.
Tamarack Camps
Since 1902, Tamarack Camps has been a leading Jewish camp that was established by the Fresh Air Society. It focuses on building a vibrant Jewish community-based in Ortonville, Michigan, and provides young children and their families an enriched Jewish camping experience.
Tamarack Camps has an array of overnight camps for children and teens with travel trips to Alaska, Israel, and the Western United States. Campers enjoy both group and individual activities that include their own private lake, sports, horseback riding, arts & crafts, ropes courses, and performing arts. The experience helps strengthen confidence and builds Jewish identity.
Tamarack Camps is accredited by the American Camp Association and has experienced well-trained staff members and facilities that provide a safe, happy, and joyful camping experience. Tamarack Camps is home to a strong Jewish community filled with campers and staff members from around the world.
Camp Modin
Located in the beautiful wilderness of Maine’s gorgeous Belgrade Lakes, Camp Modin is one of the oldest Jewish camps, having been created in 1922. Camp Modin is a place for your children to learn and explore in a nurturing environment of Jewish culture.
Each summer, 380 campers between ages 7-16 enjoy thrilling activities and form friendships at one of the top Jewish camps in the United States. By employing 180 professional instructors, Camp Modin ensures that each child gets enough support from devoted Jewish educators.
Camp Modin has a wide variety of indoor and outdoor activities. These include land sports, water sports, wilderness adventures, performing arts, teen leadership, Jewish celebrations, and even community service.
You can also read our other camp guides: