JCC Camps at Medford

The JCC Camps, located in scenic Medford, New Jersey, in the New Jersey Pine Barrens opened in the 1940s which remains one of the most popular camps throughout Southern New Jersey. It is the largest Jewish daycamp in North America. There are many camps within the camp itself, separating by age group. Camp Hilltop is for pre-school to first grade, Camp Shalom is for second to fourth grade, & Camp Aaron is for fifth to eighth grade. The camp is part of the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey and is accredited by the American Camp Association.

Camps

There are three camps within the camp itself. The camps are based on age group. Each camp is also divided into divisions, with two divisions per age group (except for the oldest and youngest campers).

Camp Hilltop

Camp Hilltop is the youngest full-day camp at the JCC Camps at Medford. The age range is four to six year olds. The four-year-old division is Shoresh (boys and girls are together in bunks). The five-year-old divisions are Elon and Geza. The six-year-old divisions are Anaf and Bayit.

Camp Shalom

Camp Shalom is the middle-aged camp. The age range is seven to nine year olds. The seven-year-old divisions are Masada and Dimona. The eight-year-old divisions are Haifa and Eilat. The nine-year-old divisions are Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Camp Aaron

Camp Aaron is for the oldest kids at the camp. The age range is ten to twelve year olds. The ten-year-old division is Gilad. The eleven-year-old division is Arad. The twelve-year-old division is Tavor, however, before 2007, the twelve-year-old division was Sinai.

Chaverim

Chaverim is the travel camp for twelve- and thirteen-year-olds. Campers go on field trips daily, as well as a couple extended trips. Trips include theme parks, baseball games, bowling, etc.

Gesher

Gesher is the CIT (Counselor-In-Training) program. Fourteen-year-olds can train to become counselors, lifeguards, or specialists. In addition, there is a weekly field trip for the CITs.

Activities

The JCC Camps at Medford offers many activities that are fun for children of all ages. Some of these activities include:

If bad weather occurs, indoor activities are planned, including board games, arts and crafts, watching videos, toys, and reading.

Lunch Program

The JCC Camps provide kosher food for lunch. Some entrees include fish sticks, pizza bagels, macaroni and cheese, cold cuts, chicken nuggets, and hot dogs. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are served everyday. Juice is served with meat meals and milk is served with dairy meals. Water is served daily. Carrot and celery sticks are available each day. Ice cream and popsicles are served as a snack everyday. The 2008 Kitchen Staff is one of the finest to date. With Dave Allen as Crew Chief, and his brother Jim Allen in the Kitchen, the two have become an unstoppable kitchen force. Even with the recent loss of kitchen worker Evan, the staff remains strong. As well as Dave who is the finest crew chief and Jim a wonderful food preparer, Dave and Jim would not be able to do their jobs without the help of the rest of the staff. Mike Halcomb's first year on the job is this year but his brother and friends have taught him the ways and he rapidly made way to the top of the kitchen staff. Also with great fine help of the returning ice cream man Alex Salcedo (also known as SALSA) the culinary technicians of the JCC work as one to fulfill the work requirements to feed and take care of the JCC campers.

Facilities

The camp is located in Medford, New Jersey and is also located within the New Jersey Pine Barrens. The camp itself is surrounded by many lakes of Medford. Lake Atsion, near U.S. Route 206 is one of the few lakes closest to the camp. The campsite has a 4 acre lake and four in-ground pools. There are a number of gazebos or sheltered bunk areas where campers and counselors meet. The campers put their belongings in cubbies. Most bunks have changing areas and bathrooms. In the middle of the campsite is the air-conditioned Conference Center. This is where campers and counselors have lunch. There are four playgrounds and several athletic fields. Towards the front of the camp is the nature hut and petting zoo. Tennis and hockey courts can be found behind the Conference Center. The ropes course is located in the rear of the campsite.

Transportation

Most campers take a bus to camp. School buses are used to transfer kids to and from camp. Most of the campers live in the tri-county area (Camden, Burlington, and Gloucester counties). There are about 42 buses that operate during the camp season. Each bus drops off campers at the bus yard, located in the middle of the campsite near the Conference Center. When the camp day ends at 3:35 PM, campers are dismissed to their buses. A staff member is responsible for the campers to make sure they get on their assigned bus. Each bus has a counselor to supervise the campers and other staff members for safety.