Jewish Camps

Temple Emanuel wholeheartedly supports the Jewish summer camping experience. We know that children who attend Jewish youth programs grow up to strengthened adult Jewish engagement and a more fulfilling academic experience in high school and beyond.

A 2011 report from The Jewish Week magazine found that camp alumni, when compared to other Jews of similar family, educational, and denominational backgrounds, show higher levels of Jewish engagement in everything from ritual observance, to Jewish charitable giving, to marrying within the faith.

Behaviors on which camp has the greatest impact include: emotional attachment to Israel (55 percent higher for camp alumni), attending synagogue at least monthly (45 percent higher), and always/usually lighting Shabbat candles (37 percent). Camp alumni are 30 percent more likely to donate to Jewish Federations and 26 percent more likely to affiliate with synagogues.

Our temple provides opportunities for funding assistance for families interested in Jewish youth programs. Contact the Temple Emanuel office regarding the Helen and Joe Davis Fund, or the Temple Emanuel Sisterhood at sisterhood@templeemanuelws.com.

North Carolina offers a variety of Jewish camping experiences:

Camp Blue Star
Hendersonville
Unaffiliated
www.bluestarcamps.com

Camp Judea
Hendersonville
Sponsored by Hadassah
www.campjudaea.org

Six Points Sports Academy
Greensboro
Union for Reform Judaism
6points.urjcamps.org

North Carolina also has a number of Jewish Day Camps:

Camp Mindy
Levine JCC Charlotte
www.charlottejcc.org

Camp Ruach
Asheville JCC
www.jcc-asheville.org

Camp Shelanu
Charlotte and Dick Levin JCC-Durham
www.levinjcc.org/

Camp JCC
Jewish Federation of Raleigh-Cary
www.shalomraleigh.org