Dear Parents,
I’m Meryl Hattenbach, the director of Camp Shalom at the JCC of Greater Dayton. This will be my sixth summer as the camp director. I come from a robust background of Jewish camping. I grew up with the JCC summer camps: first in the day camp at the Cincinnati JCC, and then at Camp Livingston as a camper for five years and then a counselor for another four. Jewish camping has been one of the strongest influences for me personally and as a professional. I make sure to spend much of my time with the campers- exploring, playing and growing. There is no other feeling like witnessing a camper overcome an obstacle, whether it’s physical, social or imagined. Summer camp is a setting where amazing things happen everyday!
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused stress and uncertainty for many of us. We are concerned about our family’s health while at the same time, want to provide “normal” experiences for our children. Fortunately, our JCC has benefitted from close relationships with experts at the Association of Camp Nursing (ACN), American Camp Association (ACA) and other agencies who have kept us up to date with the most recent research on Covid-19 and best health and safety practices. In addition, we are committed to following guidelines set for camps by the Ohio Department of Health and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Camp Shalom is here for you. We are dedicated to serving parents’ needs while prioritizing the health and safety of our campers and staff.
Although we are required to make accommodations this summer, much of what you and your children love about Camp Shalom remains the same. Your camper will be assigned to a peer group, led by trained, caring counselors and will participate in a variety of enriching activities each day. They will play, learn, and grow and make great memories just like every other summer.
Our experience in summer 2020 has taught us many things. Most importantly, I learned that our staff is extremely resourceful and our children are incredibly resilient. Those two things give me confidence that summer 2021 will be amazing!
Finally, you are invited to join us for one or more of our camp information sessions which will be held on Zoom.
I look forward to seeing you then!
