JCC Rockland partners with 92nd Street Y summer programs

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There was some concern that JCC Rockland's 60 campers - who hadmade up about a third of the JCC on the Hudson's group last year -would get lost among the nearly 1,000 campers that the 92nd StreetY sends to camp each day. Those concerns were greatly off set,however, by the quality and magnitude of the 92nd Street Y'sprogram. Being able to offer Rockland participants such acomprehensive and superior camp experience made the move the rightone, Kirschtel said.

"The 92nd Street Y, with it's stellar programming, is able toprovide far more for our campers than we've been able to offer themin the past," he said.

The partnership also provides the 92nd Street Y with a way ofreaching Rockland campers to compete locally with other area campsthat market heavily in Manhattan, said Alan Saltz, director of campStrategic planning and program development at the 92nd Street Y.
In addition, the camp is one of only a handful of Jewish camps inRockland County, which is a key tool for recruiting, he said, whenparents have a choice of among the many private camps in Rockland.

"We're always looking to infuse more Jewish content in a way thatfeels natural for everyone," Saltz said. "We rarely get feedbackthat it's 'too Jewish' or 'not Jewish enough.'"

The camp relies heavily on the 92nd Street Y staff as a resource inprogramming and specialty instruction. Counselors are college ageand older and campers are in groups of about 15 children, with atleast three counselor per group, according to Saltz. Groups arecoed up until the fourth grade.

Children entering grades kindergarten through fourth attend campYomi, the 92nd Street Y's flagship camp, with more than 700participants. Those entering fifth and sixth grade attend CampHaverim, where they participate in weekly trips and a five-day,four-night sleep-away at the New Jersey "Y" Camps in Milford, Penn.

But for JCC Rockland campers, it just means that next summer got awhole lot better.
"This is a camp of high quality. It's a Jewish camp, and it's gotan established name," said Kirschtel. "We're offering somethingthat is competitive with any camp in the county."
This year's camp session begins Monday, June 29 through Friday,Aug. 21. There are three spots for bus pick up, JCC Rockland at 450West Nyack Rd. in West Nyack; Pearl River Lanes at 100 MiddletownRd. in Pearl River and a third destination to be determined in theSuffern/Airmont area.

For more information, including price please contact MonicaRosenbaum, JCC Rockland camp administrator, 362-4400 ext. 173 or monicar@jccrockland.org