Directors of the YSP and Gan Yisroel New York, are considering a variety of options that will allow them to operate safely and still provide the full camp experience.
By Anash.org reporter
Directors of the YSP Yeshiva Summer Program located on the beautiful grounds of the Rabbinical College of America said they are looking into a variety of camp grounds in locations that will allow them to operate safely and still provide the full YSP experience.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced last week that residential and overnight camps are as of now prohibited from operating. Summer day camps will be permitted to open beginning Monday, July 6, 2020, provided that they comply with the COVID-19 Child Care and Youth Summer Camp Standards.
In an email to parent, directors of the premier summer program for Talmidim leaving eighth grade and entering Mesivta wrote that they’re still waiting to hear from the state of New Jersey regarding whether we will be allowed to open our grounds.
“We are therefore exploring our options, and are looking into a variety of camp grounds in locations that will allow us to operate safely and still give the full YSP experience,” they wrote.
“The transitional time between elementary school and Mesivta has traditionally been spent in YSP and has B”H made a lasting impact on so many Bochurim. We look forward to be able to continue the tradition, no matter where we will be located. We understand that everyone needs to know details very soon. We hope to be able to update you very shortly with good news.”
Rabbi Yossie Futerfas, director of Camp Gan Yisroel in Parksville said he is still hoping that overnight camps will be allowed to open, but the circumstances will demand that many changes will have to be put in place.
“If we are permitted to open we understand that there will be some needed changes regarding the number of children that we can have per bunk, as well as other changes that are not clear as of yet,” he wrote.
“Under these new circumstances in order to accommodate all those that have already registered we have decided that we will only be able to offer one month to each camper instead of a full summer. In this way, we don’t have to turn away any camper who has already registered due to space.”
Campers that have registered for a full summer in the camp’s regular division or BMD division, will be given first the choice of which month they would prefer to attend.
It is important to stress that no word has been given yet from the governor’s office if camps will be allowed to open at all, but camp directors want to be fully prepared in the event that permission will be granted.