Jewish education is a dynamic field with a singular mission: to nurture engaged, knowledgeable, and connected Jewish individuals. Yet, within this ecosystem, two of the most impactful settings for Jewish learning — Jewish camps and Jewish day schools — often operate in parallel worlds.
After presenting at the JCamp180 Summit, a gathering of Jewish camp leaders, I was struck by the similarities and differences between these institutions and the untapped potential for mutual learning.
Full disclosure, none of these insights were particularly new (to me or the field). While I have never worked at camp, I did start my path in Jewish education as a youth director and spent five years at Shabbatons and overnights and lounge nights and conventions in the middle of nowhere Midwest. I fell into Jewish day school education through the Pardes Educators Program.
And I’ve always strongly supported the camp/day school partnership. I am a proud day school and camp parents myself, personally. And, professionally, I used to organize a “Camp Shabbat” program each year, where camp representatives were encouraged to spend time at the day school to share about their programming, and we asked students to sing camp songs and talk about highlights of their time – showing how camp and day school truly complement each other.
Being at the JCamp180 Summit reminded me of the interconnectedness of our (Jewish educational) world.
Through focusing on these connections, we can strengthen Jewish education as a whole by fostering greater collaboration and cross-pollination between camps and schools.
Similarities: Shared Mission and Core Values
Jewish camps and day schools share a commitment to Jewish identity, community, and education. At their core, both strive to provide young people with transformative experiences that inspire lifelong Jewish engagement. They emphasize:
It’s All About People: Relationships are central in both contexts. Camps foster deep bonds among peers and between campers and counselors, while schools prioritize student-teacher relationships and community-building. Both create environments where individuals feel connected and valued.
October 7’s Impact: The tragic events of October 7, 2023, in Israel have deeply affected how Jewish organizations approach their work. Camps and schools alike have responded by prioritizing safety, community support, and opportunities for meaningful conversations about Jewish identity and resilience. Additionally, both camps and schools have navigated supporting Israeli staff members and all of the complexities involved.
Shared Challenges: Camps and schools face similar structural challenges, including financial sustainability, talent pipelines, leadership succession planning, and fostering effective partnerships between professional and lay leadership. These shared struggles highlight the need for mutual learning and shared solutions.
Passion for the Mission: Whether at campfires or in classrooms, the passion for engaging the next generation in vibrant Jewish life drives the work of camps and schools. This passion fuels innovation, resilience, and a deep commitment to Jewish continuity.
Differences: Structures and Strategies
Despite their commonalities, significant differences in their structures, strategies, and operational contexts create unique strengths and challenges:
Time and Scope: Camps compress their impact into a few short weeks, creating an intense, immersive experience. Day schools, by contrast, operate year-round, requiring sustained engagement over time. This difference influences everything from program design to relationship-building strategies.
Informal vs. Formal Education: Camps thrive on informal education, creating organic opportunities for Jewish learning through daily activities. Day schools, rooted in formal education, follow curricula and standards that demand a more structured approach.
Staffing Models: Camps often rely on young, energetic staff who are close in age to campers, creating a unique peer-mentorship dynamic. Day schools depend on professional, certified educators who bring expertise but may not always connect with students in the same informal way.
Flexibility and Tradition: Camps are often seen as laboratories for innovation, willing to experiment with programming and pedagogy. Schools, with their curricular requirements and community expectations, may struggle to adopt this level of flexibility.
What Camps Can Teach Schools
Jewish camps have a long history of creating joyful, immersive Jewish experiences that many alumni describe as life-changing. Day schools can learn several key lessons from camps:
Joyful Jewish Engagement: Camps infuse joy into Jewish learning through music, art, and celebration. Schools can adopt this spirit to make Jewish education feel less like an obligation and more like an opportunity for connection and creativity.
Community Building: Camps excel at creating tight-knit communities where everyone feels a sense of belonging. Schools could prioritize rituals, traditions, and team-building exercises to foster this same sense of community.
Staff Culture: Camps invest heavily in cultivating a culture of teamwork and positivity among staff. Schools might benefit from adopting similar practices, such as regular team-building activities and professional development that emphasizes community and well-being.
Risk-Taking: Camps’ willingness to experiment with new ideas can inspire schools to take calculated risks, piloting innovative approaches to teaching and learning.
What Schools Can Teach Camps
Day schools, with their year-round structure and educational expertise, also have valuable lessons for camps:
Depth of Learning: Schools’ ability to engage students in rigorous, in-depth exploration of Jewish texts and ideas could inform camps’ educational programming, deepening the Jewish learning that happens during the summer.
Continuity: Schools’ focus on long-term learning and relationship-building can help camps think strategically about maintaining connections with campers and staff throughout the year.
Professionalism: Schools’ investment in professional development for educators could inspire camps to create more robust training programs for their staff, enhancing the quality of their educational impact.
Inclusion: Schools often lead the way in developing inclusive practices to support diverse learners. Camps could adapt these approaches to ensure all campers can thrive in their environments.
Opportunities for Collaboration
To maximize the impact of Jewish education, camps and schools must work together, building bridges that allow for shared learning and resources. Here are a few ideas:
Year-Round Partnerships: Camps and schools could collaborate on joint programming, such as Shabbatonim or holiday celebrations, creating opportunities for students and campers to connect.
Shared Professional Development: Offering cross-institutional professional development sessions could allow educators and camp staff to learn from each other’s strengths, fostering innovation and alignment.
Leadership Pipelines: Creating pathways for camp alumni to enter the field of Jewish education, including teaching in day schools, could strengthen the overall talent pool.
Joint Advocacy: Together, camps and schools could advocate for increased communal investment in Jewish education, demonstrating the value of a comprehensive approach to lifelong Jewish learning.
Jewish camps and day schools each play a vital role in shaping the future of Jewish life. By learning from one another and working together, they can create a more unified and impactful ecosystem of Jewish education.
The challenges we face as a community — from engagement to sustainability — are too great to address in silos. When camps and schools combine their strengths, they create opportunities for deeper, more meaningful Jewish experiences that will resonate across generations.
Let’s gather around the metaphorical campfire and start building a brighter future for Jewish education together.