J Camps Program Formalizes Relationship with Howard County’s Jewish Community

January 6, 2022 Staff Report

Stacy Deems, assistant director of J Camps for the JCC of Greater Baltimore, helps Liliana Persky, 6, participate in activities at a sensory sukkah. (Photo by Steve Ruark)

The Jewish Federation of Howard County announced Jan. 6 the creation of a formal partnership with the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore’s J Camps program.

The new relationship will provide additional busing options to residents departing from Temple Isaiah in the Howard County community of Fulton, in addition to a bus that departs from Bet Yeladim Preschool in Columbia.

J Camps is the summer day camp program operated by the JCC of Greater Baltimore. The program includes 10 weekly camp options for children between the ages of 2 and 15.

In addition to regular J Day Camp, families have the options of specialized camps in sports, arts, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), culinary, tennis and more.

“There is no better way to give kids a transformative Jewish experience than Jewish summer camp,” said Emily Peisach Stern, the JCC’s chief program officer. “J Camps is proud to partner with the Jewish Federation of Howard County to make J Camps accessible to more Howard County families by working together to market the importance and fun of Jewish camping.”

Formalizing this partnership with J Camps was a priority for the Jewish Federation of Howard County, said Joel Frankel, the Columbia-based organization’s executive director.

“Attending Jewish summer camp has proven to have a tremendously positive impact on a person’s feelings about being Jewish,” he said. “The camp experience leads to an increased likelihood of pursuing a fulfilling Jewish identity as an adult.

“We are thrilled to be able to find new ways to make Jewish camp experiences more accessible to families in Howard County so that we can help enrich campers’ lives now and in the future.”

For information, visit JCampsBaltimore.org.