Camps change lives. Pick the best fit for your kids

By Shira Yacker Special to Hakol

Excitement is in the air. Camp is coming. And even though it’s four months away, that doesn’t matter to the kids who have looked forward to returning since the second they left in August. So many memories are made. There’s so much to learn. There’s so much to be grateful for.

Many children in the Lehigh Valley attend overnight camps such as Ramah, Harlam and Pinemere. There are so many of them, and each is different.

Camp Ramah is where many kids in my family went. My cousin went for eight weeks every summer from the time she was 9. She met her now-husband during one of those summers and currently sends both her daughters there. They love it as much as she does. The tradition continues from generation to generation: l’dor v’dor.

A friend of mine said this about her experience as a camper and the lasting impression it made on her on life: “The relationships there were among the most meaningful of my life. Although the camp closed down over 40 years ago, we continue to share photos, stories, essays and our lives via Facebook, a website and an email server. We’ve had relationships and marriages through camp, and camp- ers’ parents and grandparents have met and married through camp as well. We continue to maintain our relationships and support each other through good times and bad, over the distances and the decades.”

As evidence of how much a camp can impact one’s attachment to Judaism, a friend said her daughter had “10 wonderful years at Harlam, enriching Jewish experiences, lasting Jewish friendships and NFTY (the Reform Jewish Youth Movement) in Israel.” She also said, “There was a study to find out what makes the fullest Jewish identity: 10 years at a congregational school or five years at a Jewish day school or two years at a Jewish summer camp.”

When deciding what camp to send your child to, there’s a lot to consider.

Do you want a camp that is religiously affiliated?

If so, there are camps for Reform, Conservative and Orthodox Jewish children. There are camps that are not religiously affiliated but are geared toward different interests such as sports or theater. French Woods in Upstate New York specializes in performing arts, and many Broadway actors spent the summers of their youth there.

Studies have found that kids attending sleep-away camp build self-confidence, improve their social integra tion, develop an apprecia tion of nature and strength en emotional intelligence skills such as empathy with others.

The Children’s Bureau of Southern California says the top benefits of sum mer camp are: socializing and friendship building; eliminating screen time and getting exercise; per sonal growth, learning and development; positive role models; and making memo ries.

If you’re not sure over night camp is a good fit for your child, some camps, such as Ramah, offer a