1 KIBBU T*- SUMMER '6444 DAY page 127 NO PASSPORT REQUIRED! Ages 81/2 - 17 Co-Ed Kosher Kitchen Swimming & Canoeing Sports & Arts Music & Drama Israeli Song & Dance Hebrew & Games EAIDNIA4 CA.U1 TaVO,R 59884 A.L. JONES RD., (R-3) • THREE RIVERS, MI 49093 For more information call: Gadi Raviv, Shaliach at 810-358-3054 or Ron Sussman, Registrar 313-971-1147 Summer Discover PRE-COLLEGE ENRICHMENT • U.C.L.A. credit • • • • VERMONT MICHIGAN CAMBRIDGE U. GEORGETOWN through Birmingham Schools. Reva also has been to the camp in Farmington's Heritage Park, which Mrs. Berman says is "a little more outdoorsy. It's more nature oriented, with campfires and such." This summer, Hannah will try some of this. "We'll send her to Safety Town," says Mrs. Berman. "It's offered by differ- ent school systems to get the children ready for kinder- garten." Public officials come to Safety Town to talk to the children about many safety concerns. "They talk about bicycling, talking to strangers, neighbor- hood help ... I think these things are real important for them," says Mrs. Berman. formative years," Mrs. Berman adds. Most temples and syna- gogues also offer day camps which, says Dottie Levitsky, director of Adat Shalom's nurs- ery school and day camp, of- ten will feature the camp environment but with a pro- fessionally trained and li- censed staff, instead of high school or college students. Adat Shalom's day camp, in addition to a variety of secular programs, places its emphasis on Judaism and nature. "We celebrate Shabbat with challah and grape juice," says Ms. Levitsky. "We're also geared very much to the outdoors. We plant gardens, help endan- gered species ... we paint out- Trips, Drivers Ed, Community Service Musiker Tours ACTIVE STUDENT TOURS & ADVENTURE TRAVEL 31st Year Musiker Family's ex.s. ACA Accredited USA CANADA EUROPE . Catalogs: [888] 8-SUMMER (toll - free) • Fax: 516-625-3438 or write 1326 Old Northern BI. Roslyn, NY 11576 E-mail: info@summerfun.com • Website: http://www.summerfun.com Call today for a home visit! Kensington's petting zoo is a JCC day camp highlight. VC T avA Nvfr% CALL for Free Brochure ACA ro,„,\° 30 Galesi Drive • Wayne, NJ 07470 Call Toll Free 800-831-131 3 . Reva will try sleepover camp this summer for the first time. "We thought 8 was a lit- tle young. Basically, we were just hoping they had fun. It's something to do during the summer that's different than school, but still provides a lit- tle structure. "Some of the day camps are reasonable in price, so we were able to think ahead and save up for overnight camp. And it gets the children used to the camp experience. I think it is important for their doors, have sprinklers and a pond with ducks and geese. There's a lot of wildlife on the grounds. "Nature is, after all, another way of discovering God," she adds. But the camp has all the ac- tivities and special programs that would be found at other day camps. "We have Winter Wonderland, when [pup- peteer] Maureen Schiffrnan brings in penguin puppets; there is Storybook Friends, In- ternational Week ... and Natu- rally Wonderful, where the children explore the plants and animals on our grounds with a naturalist," says Ms. Levitsky. On the softer side of reli- gion-influenced day camps would be those offered by the Jewish Community Center, whose Maple-Drake and Jim- my Prentis Morris campuses are excited about many new changes, says Director Stan Trompeter. "We offer pro- grams from pre-school up to high school, on-site and off- site. There is Star Trax Dance Camp, a Teen Caravan that takes a three-day trip to Ohio, Young Chagall Art Camp — we're very excited. "These changes are going to be unbelievable; this will be a drastic change to the camping situation," Mr. Trompeter says. Ganeinu Day Camp, in West Bloomfield, similarly has regular day camp fare, such as athletics, says Director Chaya Bergstein. But everything is "highlighted by Jewish con- tent," she explains. Programs are "based on Jewish values, customs ... even games may be based on mitzvahs or holi- days. [These things] are incor- porated into daily activities. We bake challah on Friday af- ternoons, say blessings ... "Our program tries to rein- force Jewish values and ex- press the opinion that Judaism is not just Hebrew school, but a yearlong encompassment of our life, all seasons. "Sometimes summer is more effective. There is a dif- ferent spirit, more connected. The children don't have to fo- cus on school work. In the summer, [Judaism] becomes part of having a good time." ❑