This summer we are offering the following options – please consider your camper’s grade in Fall of 2024 when deciding on the right session for them. See our Rates & Dates page for more detailed information:

• 4 or 6-Day Mechina (Taste of Camp) session for campers entering 2nd-4th grade
• 2-Week sessions for campers entering 3rd-11th grade
• 4-Week sessions for campers entering 6th-11th grade
• 4-Week Yallah! Israel experience for campers entering 11th grade
• 8-Week experience at camp for campers entering 11th grader (Avodah)
• 8-Week experience at camp for campers entering 12th graders (CIT)

Once a camper is registered, parents may submit bunkmate requests on the Camper Information Form which is located in your CampInTouch account.

We make every effort to ensure that each camper is granted their first request and therefore recommend only requesting ONE bunkmate. If mutliple requests are made, we can only guarantee that the camper will be with ONE mutually-requested bunkmate.  Please know that the bunk assignments we make are done so in the best interest of all campers.

INFORMATION – Here is a link to more information about the insurance cost and coverage:
https://campnewman.org/summer/travel-protection-plan/

DEADLINE – if you decide to add the insurance, it must be added to your account and paid for before your final tuition payment, or before May 1, whichever is earlier.  For many families, final payments are being processed on 4/25.

TO ADD the insurance – Please review the information page, then email kpress@urj.org with your camper’s name and the policy and cost of insurance you wish to add. I will add the insurance, process payment, and send you an account statement.

This insurance is optional, but we wanted to remind you of the deadline in the event that you were thinking of adding it.

staTo get an idea of what you’ll need, visit our Enrolled Families page for our latest Packing List. Some other items your first-time camper might find fun and useful:

• Clothing or accessories in your camper’s unit color 
• Fun socks for “Fun Sock Fridays”
• Silly clothing, such fun hats, costumes, onesies, tutus, you get the idea…
• A deck of cards or other fun games to play with bunkmates.
• Clothing or accessories for Yom Sport (a day of friendly, fun & zany competition from sports like Frisbee and soccer to art & music activities) in red, green, blue and yellow. If you don’t have, don’t worry! We always have extra items and face paint!

The following items are not allowed at camp and if found will be confiscated:

• Candy and outside food
• Electronics such as cell phones, computers, TVs, DVD/Video players. For more info, please read our Electronics Policy in the Camper and Parent Manual on our Enrolled Families page.
• Hotpots, kettles, and other electric appliances
• Candles & matches
• Knives and other weaponry
• Handheld gaming devices, PSPs

Please DO NOT pack items that carry sentimental value to you, your camper or your family since many things inevitably get lost. Items that are best left at home include:

• Expensive clothing
• Items that are considered valuable or sentimental
• Expensive cameras (Cheap or disposable cameras labeled with your child’s first and last name are preferable.)

Candy and outside food are not allowed at camp, and expensive clothing and items that are valuable or sentimental are all best left at home. Electronics such as cell phones, computers, TVs, DVD/Video players, as well as hotpots, kettles, electric appliances, candles, matches, and knives are all strictly forbidden at camp and will be confiscated. iPods, PSPs, expensive cameras, and all other electronic devices should be left at home as well. Cheap or disposable cameras (labeled with your child’s first and last name) are preferable. For a more complete list, please refer to the Family Guide mailed in the spring, as well as our guidelines regarding Electronics at Camp. View our camp policies on the Enrolled Families page.

No. Nothing is sold at camp so we strongly discourage bringing money to camp. Camp takes no responsibility for money that is lost or stolen.

Avodah and CIT campers will have access to a Canteen with a pre-loaded account to purchase snacks at set times durign the summer. Only Avodah, CIT and staff members have access to the canteen.

Our campers experience many activity areas either as a whole session or as cabin groups.  Our goal is to provide a well-balanced program for each child. You can check out a daily schedule and examples of camp activities on our Summer Activities Page.

Cabins

Our cabins are your home away from home! Air conditioned, spacious, with plenty of cubby space and hanging room. Our cabins house two bunks – one on each side with attached, shared bathrooms.

Teen Tent Village

With a focus on creating communal space with central hang-out points, the Tent Village is a community of large tents which provides a unique space for several of our teen sessions! See our Programs page for where we are planning to have each session live this summer.

There will be between 10-14 campers in a cabin with 2-3 staff members and 9-12 campers in a tent with 2-3 staff members.

Cabin assignments are made on the basis of school grade and gender identity, regardless of sex assigned at birth. We are committed to ensure campers can be housed in a cabin where they will feel most comfortable and safe. We also offer all-gender housing options for select sessions. If your camper would be most comfortable living in all-gender space, please reach out to us at campnewman@urj.org.

We guarantee at least one mutual bunk request as long as campers are in the same session.

Our swim test is one lap across the pool and then treading water for a minute. If a camper doesn’t pass it the first time, they’re able to take it again. If they don’t want to take it at all (which is an option some of our campers choose), there’s a section in the shallow end that they’re able to be in. Our awesome lifeguard team will always be around to support!

• Laundry service is provided every two weeks ONLY for 4- and 8-week sessions. 
• Laundry service is NOT provided for 2-week or our Mechina sessions. These campers should pack enough clothing to last the length of their entire session.
• Please send a non-mesh, cotton or nylon laundry bag with your camper, clearly labeled with your camper’s name.

Before Camp

As you pack, discuss anxieties, expectations and hopes together. Discuss the activities that will happen at camp. Watch the video again. The more your child knows about camp, the better they will adjust. Express how proud you are, as a parent, of your child embarking on their camp journey. Never tell your child that they “can come home” or they “can call home” if they are having a difficult time – this will only make it more difficult for them to adjust.

The only “cure” for homesickness is time, coupled with the support of counselors and encouraging letters from home. Our counselors are there to help comfort and encourage your child. They are sensitive, well-trained and, in most cases, were campers once themselves and draw on their own experiences. They also know where to turn for help. Each session, the camp has a faculty of Rabbis, Jewish educators and a team of on-site counselors and mental health professionals (our Nefesh team), as well as senior staff members who are always available to help guide the camper to success.

A good article to read: Help Your Child Combat the Homesick Blues During Sleep-away Camp

When Your Child Is at Camp

Send many positive (and “how proud we are of you”) letters to your child. Have letters waiting for them when they arrive. Say how much you are looking forward to hearing about what they experienced at camp. Discuss the excitement of camp, not what they are missing at home. If they’re not letter writers themselves, send them easy to fill out (“your favorite activity at camp is: _____,” “your new friend’s name is: ____”, etc) self-addressed stamped letters to send you with a report. Address all mail to: Camper’s Name, Camp Newman – Session Name, 4088 Porter Creek Rd, Santa Rosa, CA 95404. And don’t forget to include your return address!

Please spend time with your camper reviewing basic health and safety guidelines:  

• Campers may not share food or drinks 
• Discuss coming to pill call to get medications with counselor
• Encourage good hand washing 
• Encourage mask wearing 
• Wear sunscreen during the day and insect repellant in the evening 
• Eat fresh fruits and vegetables daily  
• Drink lots of water to prevent constipation and stay hydrate
• Wear closed-toed shoes or sandals with an ankle strap
• Encourage good sleep & nutrition to ensure healthy & happy campers

These online forms give us current information on your child. The Mirpa’ah is staffed by medical volunteers and often the only history available on your child is what you provide yearly. These forms also give permission to take your child to a hospital or an outside appointment in the unlikely event it is needed while your child is at camp. We also need your consent to treat your child, to administer medications daily or as-needed; or to assess and treat your child in the Mirpa’ah.  

 Due to limited storage at Camp, no paper forms will be accepted. Parents are responsible for uploading all camper forms by the deadline.

Please include all instructions with your child’s online medical forms and, if applicable, with their medications. We can accommodate most issues, both dietary and medical. Comprehensive information is vital so that we can properly take care of your child. If your child has a condition requiring special assistance or accommodations, please contact camp directly (campnewman@urj.org) and one of our staff members will be in touch with you.

We stock Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen in liquid, chewable and pill form. We also stock allergy, cold and cough, and digestive medications.  Please do not send these OTC medications for occasional or as-needed use by your camper. Any OTC medications sent with campers for occasional or as-needed use will become part of camp’s Mirpa’ah stock and will not be sent home. 

 However, if your child takes OTC medications (such as the ones listed above or for example, Allegra for allergies) on a daily basis, please send enough to cover the days of your camper’s session. All medications taken on a daily basis must be in the original packaging and clearly labeled with your camper’s name, session, dosage, and time of day it is taken. Please make sure to note these medications on your camper’s health form. Again, we cannot accept daily vitamins or homeopathic remedies.

All medications are collected and delivered to the medical staff, who logs in the medication by camper name and session. Medications are then put into a labeled container for each camper by session, and distributed to campers at breakfast and dinner only. Any unused medication will be returned when the camper’s session ends, with the exception of as-needed OTC medications as described above.

This should be noted on your child’s medical forms. These conditions are logged into our confidential medical files and referred to prior to any treatment of your child.

If your child has a temperature above 100.5, an overnight stay in our Mirpa’ah is required. You will be notified within 24 hours of your camper’s Mirpa’ah stay if this happens. If the temperature is less than 100.4, a child may be just overheated, and only needs a short rest and some water. They will be observed for a short period and reevaluated. If campers stay in the Mirpa’ah for fatigue (called R&R-rest and relaxation), parents are not routinely called. 

Please check your camper for lice prior to coming to camp. If you find that they have lice, please treat the lice before your camper’s arrival. Please make sure that all eggs are removed and that all clothes and hair supplies are cleaned. 

All campers are checked for lice upon arrival to Camp. Each opening day, we hire a few lice-removal professionals to help with checking campers. If your child is found with lice, they will immediately be discreetly treated by one of these professionals, under the supervision of our Mirpa’ah staff. This allows for our campers to join their session as quickly as possible and removes stigma from the process. It may be necessary to isolate your child for a brief period of 1-2 hours (while accompanied by staff). Please note: We have professionals on site as a fail-safe to ensure that our camp is lice-free. This should not be used in lieu of checking and treating your child for lice prior to camp. The lice removal process takes a few hours and is not the way they (or we!) want to spend their first few hours at camp.  

If a child is found with lice after opening day, their entire cabin will be checked and treatment will be given as needed. Treatment for lice WILL be passed on to camper parents at a cost of $75-150 per treatment.

If your child needs to have more advanced medical care, X-rays or lab testing, an orthodontic visit, etc., a medical team member will be assigned to accompany your child for the off-site visit, and remain with them for the entire time your child is offsite. We will make every effort to contact you prior to your child leaving camp. If an outside service is necessary for treatment, cost will be the responsibility of the camper’s and/or family’s insurance.

Due to COVID-19, we will outfit your camper and the two staff who take them off camp in N95 masks and will proceed with extra testing upon their arrival back at camp (a PCR test 3 days and 6 days post-off camp appointment).

There are a few ways to keep in touch with your camper – you can find more detailed information in the Parent Manual:

1) Send a letter and be sure to pack pens, paper a pre-addressed envelope and stamps with your camper

2) Send a One-Way E-Letter through the CampInTouch System

3) View photos on CampInTouch or Campanion which are uploaded daily.

4) Check our blog and social media for updates

5) Phone Call Policy: While campers cannot use the phone or receive calls, if you have any questions or concerns about your child, feel free to call 415-392-7080 to speak with your child’s rosh eidah (unit head), who will return your message within 24 hours. From Friday to Saturday evening, during Shabbat, our office is closed. Please leave a message!

We have a “no package” policy but of course will accept mail to campers in Standard #10 business envelopes or Standard greeting card or large flat envelopes (for magazines, thin books, etc.)

We made the decision to implement this policy for several reasons:

• Kehillah – Community. Some of our campers receive many packages while some receive none at all. The reasons why vary, but it still creates a sense of competition and “haves and have-nots.” Camp should be a community where each camper feels they are valued and treated equally. Other Jewish overnight camps that have instituted similar no-package policies report that this change lifted the burden from parents, campers, and camp staff, and it has had a tremendously positive impact on the camp community.
• Food/Candy/Gum. This is not only a health concern due to food allergies, it is also a safety concern as we know food draws bugs and critters into cabins. Campers receive balanced meals with many options, as well as snacks each day (and don’t forget the candy or soda they can choose occasionally!) Sending these items to camp and hiding them in packages teaches our campers the rules do not apply to them or their parents. Food, candy and other inappropriate items will be confiscated, disappointing the camper.
• Sustainable Environment. We have discovered that most of the waste, litter, and rubbish generated in our cabins comes from the contents and shipping materials of care packages. Many parents have told us it is expensive and burdensome to fill and mail packages with toys their campers would not typically use at home, yet they feel pressured to do so during camp. We would like to better model sustainable living by not consuming as much in such a wasteful way.

Of course, we understand that sometimes sending items to camp will be necessary and we will make accommodations for forgotten essential items or lost/broken essentials. More information is available in the Parent Manual.