Campers love receiving mail, so write often.

If you tire of writing letters, be creative and send

comics from the newspaper, sports articles, funny cards, etc., each with a short note. Rotate
through your family, with parents writing one day, and grandma the next.

What you include (and don’t include) in your letters is also important. Try not to write about
great family parties you attended or amazing movies you saw. It’s in your camper’s best interest
not to feel like they are missing too much at home. Be careful not to elaborate about how
desperately you miss them, or how terribly quiet the house is without them. While at camp, your
camper need not feel anxious about your well-being. Instead, ask lots of questions about
activities and friends. This will help your camper structure letters back to you. Keep the closing
of your letters simple: “I love you and miss you,” is great. “I’m so lonely without you. I can’t
believe you’ll be gone for so long,” is not!

On Opening Day, please make note of your camper’s bunk number and include it when
addressing letters:
Camper’s Name
Unit, Cabin #
Eisner Camp
P.O. Box 569
Great Barrington, MA 01230

If you would like to write a letter to your camper before they leave for camp, so it will arrive
during the first few days, it is okay not to include the bunk number on these first letters.

EMAILS TO CAMPERS
You can also email your camper through your CampInTouch account. Each morning, we print
hundreds of eLetters and eLetter Replies and place them in our campers’ cabin mailboxes. Here’s
how it works:
1. Log into your CampInTouch account
2. Scroll down to Online Community
3. Click on EMAIL - Your camper’s name will appear with a box next to it. If you have more
than one camper, each camper’s name will appear.
4. Place a check in the box next to the camper to whom you would like to send an eLetter.
5. Type your eLetter in the message box, and click SEND. It’s that easy.

If you’d like, before you click SEND, you can check the box that says, “I would like a handwritten
eLetter reply.” If you click this box, we will attach an eLetter Reply to your eLetter. The eLetter
Reply is a blank piece of paper with your name and a barcode on it that is unique to you. Your
camper receives two pieces of paper: one is your eLetter, and the other is this blank eLetter Reply.
Your camper writes you a letter on the eLetter Reply and gives it to us. We fax it to CampInTouch
and the eLetter Reply appears instantly in your inbox.

If you choose to use CampInTouch’s eLetter and eLetter Reply system, you must purchase
CampStamps. You’ll see this option under Your Account when you log into your CampInTouch
account. To purchase CampStamps, click on BUY MORE. CampStamps are $1 each, or slightly less
if you buy them in quantity: $10 for 10 CampStamps, $14 for 15 CampStamps, $18 for 20
CampStamps or $25 for 30 CampStamps.

Each eLetter you send costs one Camp Stamp. Each eLetter Reply we fax to you costs one
CampStamp. Since you are charged a CampStamp only when your camper completes and returns
the eLetter Reply to you, we recommend you print a whole stack of eLetter Replies before your
camper leaves for camp so the eLetter Replies will be familiar. You can do this by clicking on the
eLETTER STACK option when you’re in the email screen. Pack this stack of eLetter Replies with
your camper’s belongings. Remember, you will only be charged a CampStamp for the eLetter
Replies your camper completes and gives us to fax to you.

Our gift to you is several free CampStamps to get you started. We’ve already paid for two
CampStamps per camper, per parent, per week at camp.

PACKAGES TO CAMPERS
Eisner Camp does not accept any camper packages. This includes boxes or large mailing
envelopes of any size. Camp will only accept up to a standard #10 size business envelope (4-1/8"
x 9-1/2").

We made this change two years ago because:

• The volume of packages that arrived in camp each day created a community of “have and
have-nots,” undermining our efforts to create a Jewish community in which each camper
feels that he or she is valued and treated equally.
• Some campers didn’t receive any packages, which led to feelings of sadness and jealousy;
others received so many packages they literally could not manage all the “stuff” in their
cabins.
• Our staff spent hours organizing and sorting hundreds of packages daily, giving them less
time to spend with campers.
• Empty packages produced a tremendous amount of waste.
• Campers sacrificed much of their free time in the afternoon retrieving packages from the
mailroom.
• UPS and Fed Ex trucks drove in and out of camp several times a day, forcing campers from
the roads.
 • Sadly, many parents did not respect our no-food policy, and others forgot to share that
policy with extended family members. The food, candy and gum that arrived in these
packages (hidden or otherwise) had to be taken away, disappointing the camper.
• Parents told us that it is expensive and burdensome to fill and mail packages, and that
they often felt pressure to do so.

Of course, we understand that sometimes sending items to camp will be necessary. If your
camper has forgotten something (e.g., a teddy bear) or needs something new (e.g., sneakers or
more sunscreen), you will be able to send these items to camp. Please email us at
eisnerpackages@urj.org to let us know that a package is on its way, and what your camper can
expect to find inside when opened with a staff member.

Please note that this will be done on an exception-only basis and unless we know a package is
coming, we will refuse to accept it at camp. We will respond to your email letting you know that
it is indeed okay to send the package. Last summer we received many emails from parents telling
us that they were sending things that were not truly necessities and were in conflict with our
package policy (i.e. nail polish, water guns, Maccabiah clothing) and we asked them not to send
the package.

This policy puts us in line with the policies of many other camps. We are grateful for your
cooperation.

PHONE CALLS / EMAILS TO CAMP

There may be times during your child’s stay at Eisner when you’ll call camp. Our phone number
is (413) 528-1652. When calling camp with a question about your bill, ask for our bookkeeping
office. If you have a concern about your child’s health or medication, ask for the Health Center.
If you have a specific concern about your child, ask for Laura Gurvis or email her directly. Laura,
our Associate Director, works with our newly expanded and highly-trained Community Care Team
which oversees every aspect of our camp community. The team focuses much of its time on
campers who need extra support while at camp, those who struggle with adjusting to life at camp
and anybody who might need an additional helping hand and compassionate ear. Either Laura or
a Member of the Community Care Team will respond to your call or email with information about
your camper.

Our other Directors, Louis Bordman, James Gelsey, Rabbi Liz Hirsch and Catie Melemed are also
available to help you. With over 500 campers, we receive many phone calls/emails each day.
Please be patient with us -- most of the day we’re out of our offices and around camp with your
children. Your call/email will be returned as soon as possible.

Please don’t call just to check on your camper. If we have any concerns, rest assured, we’ll call
you. Remember that the first letter from your camper may take up to a week to arrive. Don’t
assume that something is wrong just because you haven’t heard anything right away.

Here are camp’s summer office hours:

Sunday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Our offices close for Shabbat at 4:00 p.m. on Friday and re-open at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday. In case
of a true emergency, you will always be able to contact one of the Directors. Just call camp’s main
number and follow the prompts on the recording.

PHONE CALLS FROM CAMP

It is our policy that campers are not permitted to use the phones at camp to call home. However,
the Directors or Medical Staff will call you if there is a question or concern about your camper.

A member of our Medical Staff will call you if your camper is ill and must spend the night in the
Health Center. If your camper is injured, and the injury requires a visit to the hospital Emergency
Room, a member of our Medical Staff will call you. If we cannot reach you, we will call the
emergency contact you designated on your Health History form. It is up to the discretion of our
Medical Staff whether or not to call you if your child visits the Health Center complaining about
a headache, an upset stomach, mosquito bites, or any minor injury requiring only minimal first
aid.

LETTERS FROM CAMPERS

Our campers are required to write home twice each week. Although they may also choose to
write to their friends or grandparents, they are required to write two letters addressed to a
parent each week. A check list for each bunk will be checked by one of the Directors to make sure
that every camper has written a letter and addressed it to you. Please discuss your letter writing
expectations with your camper prior to Opening Day. This is especially important for children
who live in separate homes with each parent.

It’s a good idea to send envelopes and stamps in a zip-lock bag to protect them from the humidity.
For our younger campers, we ask that you send at least 8 stamped envelopes that are already
addressed to you (K’tanim 1 and 2 campers need to bring only 4 or 5). This will ensure that the
letters won’t return to camp because of an unclear address.

The first letter you receive may not be the happiest. Please remember that campers often take a
few days to feel completely comfortable at Eisner and we’re sure that subsequent letters will be
more upbeat.

Your camper’s letters may be short and with little information. Try sending a letter template with
blanks for your child to fill in. When the blanks are filled in the letter can be returned to you (My
favorite activity is...My new friends are..., etc.).
Remember that mail from Great Barrington can truly be “snail mail.” In the past, some letters
have taken only two days to reach home while others have taken as long as five.

Campers may send eLetter Replies to you instead of letters on our biweekly mandatory letter
writing days.

Our cabin counselors will send you a postcard a week or so into your child’s session, letting you
know how and what your camper is doing.
TRANSPORTATION
All our campers arrive at camp on Opening Day in a family car with a parent or another adult. We
do not offer any busing to camp. We want our parents to meet their camper’s counselors, see
where their camper will be living, help them unpack and hopefully join other parents for our
Opening Day coffee and nosh. None of this would be possible if our campers traveled to camp on
a camp bus! If an adult other than a camper’s parent will bring them to camp on Opening Day,
we ask that this information be included in the travel form found on the camper’s CampInTouch
dashboard under Forms and Documents.

CAMP WEAR
We hope you’ll consider purchasing some fun Eisner clothing in our online Camp Store. It’s a great
way for campers to feel a sense of pride and belonging. On Opening Day you’ll help your child
choose the right size Eisner Camp T-shirt. We’ll then take the T-shirt for safe keeping and give it
to your child just before Trip Day. Requiring our campers and staff to wear the 2018 Eisner Camp
T-shirt is part of our safety plan for Trip Day.

Please be sure to pack plenty of durable and comfortable clothing appropriate for a rustic camp
setting. While we do not have a specific dress code at camp, we try to create a wholesome
environment that mirrors the ethics we attempt to instill in our campers. Please do not send
strapless dresses, string bikinis, T-shirts advertising alcohol, T-shirts with inappropriate language
or images, or any garments that are too tight, too short, or too revealing. Campers are expected
to dress appropriately for their activities. They must wear long pants for hiking, sneakers for
sports, bathing suits for swim, and a white top for Shabbat. See our Packing List for more detail
about what your camper should, and should not, bring to camp.

LAUNDRY
On Opening Day each camper will receive an Eisner laundry bag. This laundry bag will be picked
up from camp once a week by a professional laundry service. The bags of clean laundry are
returned to the bunks the next day. The entire contents of your child’s laundry bag is washed as
one load in hot water, so clothing with colors that won’t run is best. Delicates, linen, wool, suede,
and dry clean only items should NOT be sent to camp. Eisner camp is not responsible for missing
or damaged clothing.

LABEL, LABEL, LABEL

We want our campers to return home with everything they brought to camp. Therefore, please
LABEL, LABEL, LABEL! EVERYTHING that comes to camp must have your camper’s name on it.
Whether you sew the labels in, iron them on, use permanent marker or a stamp, you must label
EVERYTHING. Each summer we find dozens of towels, sweatshirts, shorts, tennis rackets, water
bottles, and goggles that we cannot return to our campers because the items are not labeled.
We donate bags of your children’s belongings to local charities at the end of the summer.
Although we love to engage in this act of Tzedakah, we would rather send the clothing back home
to you.

Please write your camper’s whole name and do not put their initials on anything. Too many
campers have the same initials! If you have a common last name, please make sure you include
your camper’s entire first name as well (not J. Cohen, but rather Josh Cohen). Each day we find
clothing around camp and happily return it to its owners -- but only when it is properly labeled.
One of the best labeling products we’ve seen are the labels available from Label Daddy. You can
buy them directly from the company. When checking out, please be sure to put in Camp Code
EISNER to get a 10% discount on your order!

BIRTHDAYS
If your camper celebrates a birthday while at camp, we make sure it’s a special one. After
breakfast or lunch, a birthday cake is presented to the birthday camper along with a birthday
crown, and the entire camp sings “Yom Huledet Sameach” (Happy Birthday). The birthday cake
is shared by bunkmates as a special dessert.

If you would like to speak to your camper on their birthday, please call or email Laura Gurvis a
few days prior to the birthday so we can make arrangements to bring your camper to the phone
at a designated time. You know your camper best -- if you think hearing your voice might be
upsetting, a birthday phone call might not be the best idea. Please have all family members
present for the short birthday phone call. Separate calls from parents, older siblings, grandma
and grandpa cannot be allowed since the calls would be too disruptive to the camper’s schedule.

Your camper cannot call you on your birthday, or on the birthday of other family members. Again,
as little disruption as possible to your camper’s day is best.

Please do not offer your camper’s counselor extra money for a bunk birthday party or send a
package with birthday favors for your camper’s bunk. We will not accept the money or the
package. All birthdays at Eisner are celebrated the same, special way. We ask that you not send
flowers or balloons or attempt to drop off packages (or have others send/drop off birthday
packages on your behalf). Please let your camper know that they will receive all presents when
returning home.

Remember, we will not automatically bring your camper to the phone on their birthday. We
will call only if you have contacted camp to arrange a mutually convenient time for the call.
CABIN PLACEMENT
Cabin assignments are made by the Camp Directors after careful consideration of appropriate
placement. The Directors must consider:
• the balance of new and returning campers,
• the numbers of one session and full summer campers,
• how many bunk beds fit in each cabin,
• the recommendations of Unit Heads and counselors from previous summers, and
• camper requests.

Juggling all this information and making everybody happy is quite a challenge! When you
registered your child, we asked you for the names of two campers with whom your child would
like to share a cabin. Although we are interested in knowing the wishes of parents and campers
regarding cabin placement, our experience has shown us that part of the fun of camp is to
experience meeting new people and learning to live in a group situation. A successful new
friendship can be the most rewarding aspect of the camp season. At camp, friendships come
quickly.

If you decide not to make a cabin request for your child, we will surely place them in a cabin that
we feel is best.

We do not accept negative cabin requests (“Please do not place my child with...”). This is counter
to the values of inclusion and tolerance that we teach at Eisner. V’ahavta L’rayacha Kamocha,
Love Your Neighbor as Yourself, is a Jewish value that we embrace. At camp, as in life, we do not
all have to be best friends, but we must get along and treat one another with kindness and
respect. Living these values is part of our Mission Statement and paramount to the community
we create at Eisner. We teach campers the importance of getting along with EVERYBODY in their
cabin and continuously teach and model the social skills to help them do so.

We also cannot accept requests for particular bed placement (bottom bed, top bed, must be
away from the bathroom, not near the corner of the cabin…). These requests, if accepted, would
make it impossible for us to effectively place campers in cabins. If, for medical reasons, your child
needs a top or a bottom bed, you may make a bed placement request.

There are times when, in the best interest of the child and other children, cabin requests cannot
be honored. In these few cases, we hope that you will trust our professional judgment.

We will not accept any cabin requests after June 1, 2018. Cabin assignments are given out on
Opening Day when you check your child into camp. Absolutely no cabin changes will be made
at that time.
CANTEEN or “MO”
The canteen operates like a small candy and sweets shop. Visiting the canteen, known at camp
as the “Mo” (a shortened form of the Hebrew word “Mo’adon” which means “lounge” or “social
place”) is a favorite camp activity. Campers love coming to the “Mo” to select a candy bar, granola
bar, bag of pretzels, slushie, or other sweet treat. The “Mo” provides all this to campers free of
charge.

GRATUITIES
Parents often ask if they can tip their camper’s counselors. While it is the policy of all URJ camps
that staff members may not accept gratuities, we encourage you to make a contribution to the
Eisner Camp Scholarship Fund in honor of your camper’s counselors and the good work they have
done. Your contributions are tax-deductible and the counselors being honored will be notified of
your generosity. After your camper’s session begins, we will send you more information about
how you can make these contributions.

Please do not offer your camper’s counselors any tips. When you do, you compromise the staff
member’s integrity and jeopardize his or her position at camp. Staff members may be dismissed
for accepting a gratuity and breaking this camp policy.

SECURITY
Your camper’s safety and security is a top priority at Eisner. Our professional security staff is on
duty 24 hours a day to insure the safety of the entire Eisner community. The front gate remains
locked at all times and can only be opened by our security staff who also makes periodic checks
throughout the entire camp grounds. We have a security fence around our Visitor’s Parking Lot
as well.

Working in partnership with our 18 URJ Camps across North America and our Israeli security
consulting firm, we have created, over the last 15 years, thoughtful and sophisticated safety and
security protocols and procedures that address a wide range of concerns. These protocols are
updated annually, and we train our camp supervisors and camp staff prior to every summer so
that they are prepared to work as a team to ensure a secure camp environment. We have a close
relationship with the Great Barrington Police and Fire Departments, so we can work
collaboratively if need be. The confidence of our camp community in our professionalism is
essential to our success.

If you’ll be coming to camp during either session, with the Senior Director’s advance permission,
please pass both the lower and upper gates to camp and park your car in the Visitor’s Lot. Call
security from the call box by the gate, and they’ll buzz you into camp. Walk into camp to the
security gazebo, sign our Visitor’s Log, and place a Visitor’s Pass on your shirt. Please be patient
as our security staff contacts one of the Directors to let him/her know of your arrival in camp and
receives permission for you to enter camp.
PETS
It is our policy that no pets are allowed on camp grounds at any time. Please be sure to leave
your pets at home on Opening Day, Visiting Day, and Closing Day.

SHABBAT T’FILAH, UNIT PLAYS

Parents cannot attend Shabbat T’filah or unit plays while their camper is in camp. This policy was
created in the best interest of our campers. We want to avoid campers becoming distraught
when their parents leave, other campers being sad that their parents couldn’t attend, and
parents becoming angry when asked to leave camp after T’filah or the play. (We record each
camper show and will send out a link in the days immediately following each production.)
Please respect this policy and do not come to camp while your camper is there. Parents who
ignore this policy and come to camp will be asked to leave. We also ask that you do not attend
Shabbat T’filah during second session with your first session camper, or vice-a-versa. The
presence of any camper who is not enrolled for the session is very distracting and disruptive to
those campers in attendance.

BAR/BAT MITZVAH PREPARATION

Campers who will become Bar or Bat Mitzvah in August, September, October, November or
December 2018 will meet bi-weekly with our Bar/Bat Mitzvah tutor and faculty members. Each
student will meet with our tutor for individual lessons each week and with our faculty for a group
lesson each week as well. Please make sure you complete the Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation form
(found on the “Forms & Documents” page of your CampInTouch account) and that you send two
copies of all study and preparation materials. Our goal is to help your camper maintain what they
have already learned prior to coming to camp, not to teach new material.

BLOG, PHOTOS AND COMMUNICATIONS

We will post pictures on CampInTouch, write blog posts and send weekly emails to you so that
you can get a feel for what is going on at camp. You can access our Blog on our website under
the Blog tab. Please check our Blog periodically so you can watch videos, read about special
happenings at camp and be a virtual part of our camp activity.

Please have reasonable expectations and do not expect to see your camper in a photo every day!
We have a team of photographers and videographers at camp, but they cannot snap a shot of
each camper each day. Parents often call after viewing a picture of their camper without a broad
smile, or not standing with their friends, or not seemingly engaged in the activity at hand, or
wearing long sleeves on a hot day, or wearing someone else’s sweatshirt, or standing alone, or
on a different team from their best friend, and so on and so on. Please don’t worry and remember
that each photo is a snap shot of one moment in a very long action-packed day at camp. We do
our best to give you a taste of what is going on at camp each day. Please remember, it’s only a
taste and not photo journalism!
EVALUATIONS AND SURVEYS
Halfway through each session we ask our campers to complete a “How Ya’ Doing” evaluation so
that we can make sure that each of our campers is having an amazing time at camp. This survey,
completed by the campers with no staff present and read only by the Directors, allows campers
to be completely honest. Some of our campers will share information in writing that they might
not be comfortable expressing to a staff member. Getting this information from our campers
mid-way through the session allows us to make changes and improvements while the campers
are still at camp.

At the end of the session, campers complete yet another survey evaluating their session at camp.
The results of this survey help us plan for the next summer. Our mid-session evaluation and our
end-of-session survey are two tools we use to continuously improve our campers’ experience at
Eisner Camp.

BODY TALK
In order to create and maintain an inclusive Jewish Community at camp, one in which the Jewish
values of Derech Eretz (civility) and Chesed (kindness) are always present, we encourage our
campers to leave all “body talk” outside the gates of camp. By “body talk” we mean any mention
of another’s clothes, hair, weight or height, positive or negative. Avoiding such language creates
an environment of comfort and acceptance by all and for all. When campers feel they are not
being judged by their peers, they can relax and be themselves. This is when real personal growth
takes place and campers’ self-esteems flourish. As we eliminate “body talk” in our cabins, it is
remarkable to see how easily our campers spread the message of simple self-acceptance.

MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention to the present. Mindfulness means slowing down,
paying attention, being grateful, taking pauses to appreciate where you are, who you are, and
whom you are with. It’s also about forgiveness and compassion and evaluating what’s
important. It’s about acting as individuals while maintaining the perspective that we are all in this
together. Judaism, at its very core, is all about mindfulness. And so is Eisner Camp! We’ll teach
our campers some of the ancient wisdom of Jewish mindfulness and how they might include
these lessons in their daily lives. In a variety of age-appropriate and engaging ways, we’ll talk
about mindfulness while we eat our meals, enjoy the natural surroundings of camp, celebrate
Shabbat and embrace the Jewish value of Hodayah, gratefulness.
K’TANIM, BONIM, CHALUTZIM AND OFARIM
During both first and second sessions, K’tanim, Bonim, Chalutzim and Ofarim go on day trips,
enjoying exciting local attractions and nearby amusement parks.

CHAVERIM, TZOFIM AND OLIM

During first session, our Chaverim and Tzofim campers will leave camp for an action-packed
overnight trip. Chaverim will travel to Lake George, New York and Tzofim will travel to Cape Cod,
Massachusetts. On both trips, campers will enjoy time at the beach, an evening cruise, mini-golf,
a water-park and much, much more. They will spend the night sleeping at a URJ synagogue in the
city of their destination. Our counselors form an overnight security rotation making sure that
every camper is safe and sound and sleeping.

Our first session Olim campers cross the border into Montreal for 4 fun-filled days of touring and
exploring. Our Olim campers must remember to bring their passports to camp on Opening Day.
We’ll take them in the Beit Am and keep them in our safe until the day of departure. We’ll return
the passports to parents on Closing Day on the way out of camp. Olim parents -- please sign and
return the Montreal permission letter found on the “Forms & Documents” page of your
CampInTouch account. Please complete the form and MAIL it back to us by April 15, 2018. (This
is the one form we need you to mail to us instead of scanning and uploading since we need the
original signatures at the border crossings.)

During second session, our Chaverim, Tzofim and Olim campers will leave camp for a fun day
trip to a local attraction. Chaverim will enjoy a day of White Water Rafting with Zoar Outdoor in
Charlemont, MA. [Requires separate permission form below.] Tzofim will enjoy a day of climbing
at Ramblewild, a tree-to-tree aerial adventure park, in Lanesborough, MA. [Requires separate
permission form below.] Olim campers will choose from a list of local Trip Day venues and design
their own unit trips.

The second session Chaverim and Tzofim trips require additional parent permission forms:
• Click here for the CHAVERIM Second Session White Water Rafting Trip permission form.
• Click here for the TZOFIM Second Session Ramblewild Adventure Park permission form.
Permission forms must be uploaded to your Forms & Documents dashboard of your
CampInTouch account before your child comes to camp this summer.

SAFETY AND SECURITY

Prior to Trip Day each camper receives an Eisner Camp T-shirt. Wearing the Eisner T-shirt while
out of camp is an important part of our safety plan; we also provide each camper with an
emergency contact bracelet. On our overnight trips, the entire unit wears the same color shirt on
the second (and for Olim – the third and fourth) day of the trip. Our campers leave camp as a unit
but spend every moment on the trip in very small groups, usually 7 or 8 campers with 2 staff
members. Each trip day group sticks together throughout the trip, visiting the bathroom, gift
shop, carousel – TOGETHER. Our Unit Heads and other Leadership Team members accompany
the group and schedule regular check-ins all day long. A nurse accompanies our overnight trips
as well.

For security reasons, we do not share the dates of the unit trips with our families. We also do not
want parents to surprise their camper and appear at one of the venues – something which has
happened in the past and causes confusion and embarrassment.

The destination of each trip is included below and may change due to inclement weather or
availability. You can view our travel brochures for our overnight trips by clicking on each trip
below.

Unit Session One Session Two

K’tanim 1 Bosquet Water Park, SoCo ice cream
Windy Hill Farm, The Cove, SoCo ice
K’tanim 2
cream
K’tanim 3 Bosquet Water Park, SoCo ice cream
Bonim Quassy Park (Middlebury, CT) Quassy Park (Middlebury, CT)
Chalutzim Lake Compounce (Bristol, CT) Lake Compounce (Bristol, CT)
Ofarim Six Flags (Agawam, MA) Six Flags (Agawam, MA)
Chaverim Lake George, NY Zoar Outdoor (Charlemont, MA)
Tzofim Cape Cod, MA Ramblewild (Lanesborough, MA)
campers select from a variety of trip
Olim Montreal, Quebec
options

Campers in Chaverim, Tzofim and Olim should bring a large backpack or small duffle to bring
with them on Trip Day.

Camper Cash
Your camp fees cover the costs of all trips except for the Olim trip to Montreal. All meals and
admission fees will be provided on these trips, yet we know that campers enjoy purchasing snacks
and small souvenirs while out of camp. The appropriate amount of this extra spending money
varies from unit to unit and was included in your camp bill. Your camper will receive this money
on trip day.

In addition to our out-of-camp trips, once each session, each bunk enjoys a bunk party.
Counselors order pizza, Chinese food, bagels, sandwiches from Subway or other outside
“delicacies.” Campers and counselors pay for these bunk parties.
The appropriate amount of trip day spending money was added to the bunk party money and
the sum already appeared on your camp invoice as “camper cash.” The following is a breakdown
of “camper cash” as it appeared on your CampInTouch invoice:

Unit Session One Session Two

K’tanim 1 $5 trip spending money + $10 bunk
K’tanim 2 party money = $15 total
K’tanim 3
$20 trip spending money + $10 bunk
Bonim
party money = $30 total
$20 trip spending money + $10 bunk
Chalutzim
party money = $30 total
$20 trip spending money + $10 bunk
Ofarim
party money = $30 total
$50 trip spending money + $10 bunk
Chaverim
party money = $60 total
$50 trip spending money + $10 bunk
Tzofim
party money = $60 total
$120 trip spending money + $10 bunk
Olim
party money = $130 total
$5 trip spending money + $10 bunk
party money = $15 total
$20 trip spending money + $10 bunk
party money = $30 total
$20 trip spending money + $10 bunk
party money = $30 total
$20 trip spending money + $10 bunk
party money = $30 total
$20 trip spending money + $10 bunk
party money = $30 total
$20 trip spending money + $10 bunk
party money = $30 total
$20 trip spending money + $10 bunk
party money = $30 total

When our campers return from Trip Day, we give them the option to donate their left-over money
to our Tzedakah fund. Throughout the summer, campers learn about a variety of Tzedakah
organizations and have the opportunity to decide to which Tzedakah organizations the camper
fund will donate.

Please do not send any money or credit cards to camp. We’ll give your child the camper cash
that you already sent us. It will be more than enough for Trip Day!
 We understand children and teens very well.
That’s why we deliver this message with total respect for their feelings as we ask
our campers and staff:

Please unplug your electronics and plug into your friends, the outdoors and Jewish
life at camp!

Al tifrosh min hatzibur

Do not separate yourself from the community!

Please leave your electronics at home…where they will be perfectly safe until you return!

Exceptions: You are welcome to bring any of the following:

• an mp3 players without touch screen
• a CD player
• an inexpensive digital camera
And those are the only electronics that are welcome at camp.

Like all camps, we have given serious thought to this issue. Like many camps, we have chosen to
differentiate between time at camp versus the rest of the year. We have learned that camp is
very different…and that is what makes it so special.

Our Electronics Policy is designed to:

✓ encourage our campers to spend more time off their beds and outdoors
✓ promote socialization between campers
✓ remove the divide between “the haves, and the have-nots”
✓ reduce the stress associated with the damage to and loss of electronics
✓ give campers a much-needed break from the world of technology
✓ allow campers to fully embrace and “plug into” the connections they make with other
campers as they “unplug” from their electronics
✓ ensure that our campers are not exposed to age-inappropriate material

Now for the details about acceptable electronics.

iPOD/MP3 Players
If your child must have his/her music at camp, either for fun or Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation,
please send
• a CD player and CDs,
• an inexpensive mp3 player, or
• an older generation iPod that does not have a touch screen.
We will not allow any mp3 players/mobile devices with touch screens. This way we will ensure
that our campers cannot watch videos, TV shows, movies or access the internet. As such, we will
not allow any Smart Phones, even if the SIM card has been removed. We feel so strongly about
not allowing our campers to have any touch screen devices in hand, that we will confiscate any
iPod/mp3 player with a touch screen and return it to you on Closing Day.

DIGITAL CAMERAS
You may send an inexpensive digital camera or disposable cameras. (Make sure you pack enough
memory cards and batteries.) Please discuss proper handling of the camera and how pictures
should be taken of bunkmates only with their permission. Again, please leave expensive cameras
at home.

GAMEBOYs, PSPs, NINTENDO DSs

No electronic held-hand game devices will be allowed in camp. Our cabins have board games and
card games for the campers to play. These games allow our campers to socialize, interact with
one another, and build community within the cabin. We will confiscate any Gameboys, PSPs,
Nintendo DSs or other hand-held electronic devices and return them to you on Closing Day.

CELL PHONES
It is our long-standing policy that campers are NOT PERMITTED to have cell phones at camp. We
believe that being at camp is an opportunity for your child to experience a world beyond home
and a chance for you and your child to practice “letting go.” “Letting go” allows children to
develop autonomy, independence, and a stronger sense of self. It allows them to make new
friends, take responsibility for themselves and their bunkmates, problem solve, and mature a bit.
These things cannot be achieved when parents are only a phone call away.

Although cell phones have been strictly prohibited at camp for many years, a number of families
choose to ignore this policy. The consequences of this are disastrous…
• leading to conflicts within the cabin
• allowing campers to focus on their friends at home rather than their friends at camp
• enabling campers to call parents when they need advice instead of turning to their
peers or counselors
• preventing campers from problem solving.
We feel cell phone use at camp is counter to the values we teach and uphold at Eisner Camp and
interferes with an important peer aspect of the overnight camp experience. When you allow
your child to break the rules and take a cell phone to camp, you’re teaching your child that the
rules do not apply to you and your family.

As a result, we maintain a zero-tolerance cell phone policy: If we learn that any camper has a
cell phone in camp, we will
• take it away,
• call the camper’s parent, and
• require the parent to come to camp to take their camper home for 3 days.
There will be no reimbursement of camp tuition for this suspension.

Please take the time to discuss this policy with your camper. In the past, campers have hidden
their cell phones in their bags without their parents’ knowledge. Parents will be held responsible
if their camper does not comply with the cell phone policy regardless of how the cell phone
arrived at camp.

LAPTOPS, NETBOOKS, iPADS, KINDLES, NOOKS

Campers are not permitted to have these, or similar electronic devices, in camp. Please make
sure you purchase, and pack, any books your child might be required to read for school. For our
avid readers, we have a library with dozens of fiction books available to borrow and read.

ONE LAST WORD ON ELECTRONICS

We recommend that your child powers down, unplugs, and takes what we’re certain is a well-
needed break from the world of electronics. We recommend that if your child enjoys listening to
music, that you send an inexpensive mp3 player without a touch screen. We recommend
disposable cameras or an inexpensive digital camera, a deck of cards, and a game of chess or
scrabble. Please be respectful of the usage and content limitations we have in place. If you have
any questions or want further clarification, please contact one of the Directors at (201) 722-0400.
 FOR FULL SUMMER CAMPERS ONLY
Saturday, July 28 from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00/7:00 p.m.

VISITING DAY BEGINS

At 10:00 a.m. we’ll open the gates to welcome families with full summer campers. After parking in one
of our parking lots (we’ll direct you!) you’ll walk over to the Beit T’filah, our Outdoor Sanctuary. All
campers will be in their cabins cleaning up after breakfast and will join you in the Beit T’filah at around
10:30 a.m.

Together we’ll enjoy a short Shabbat morning T’filah. We are so excited for you to join us for a camp-
style Shabbat morning T’filah so you can experience the ruach, joy and energy, of our T’filah at camp.

After T’filah, each unit will gather for a Kiddush, a Shabbat snack, so parents and counselors can spend
some time together and your camper can introduce you to their bunkmates and their families. After
the Kiddush, you are welcome to go and see your child’s cabin.

We’ll serve a BBQ lunch (we’ll ask for RSVP’s early July) or you can bring your child’s favorite lunch for
a family picnic. We hope that you’ll stay on camp for a while! Visit our various specialty areas and meet
our coaches and instructors, all of whom would love to meet and greet you.

The pool will be open, and we’ll have tennis racquets, basketballs, and soccer balls available to you.
Last year many families took advantage of all that camp has to offer, enjoyed meeting their child’s
counselors and coaches and instructors and told us what a wonderful day they had with their children.
Avoid a day of shopping and spend a relaxing day enjoying camp with your children. Don’t leave!

Although you are more than welcome to spend the afternoon on camp, after lunch our staff will have
some well-deserved time off and then begin final preparations for the next morning when we’ll
welcome nearly 300 second session campers. Our staff will not be available to you after lunch.
However, we will have lifeguards at the pool all afternoon.

While we’d prefer you that you stay on camp because we believe you and your camper will have a
wonderful day together, here are some things you can do in the Berkshires if you choose to leave:

HIKES: Bartholomew’s Cobble • Bash Bish Falls • Kennedy Park • Monument Mountain •
Mount Greylock • Notchview • Umpechini Falls • Others
MUSEUEMS and HISTORIC SITES: Berkshire Museum • Chesterwood • The Clark Art Museum
• Crane Museum of Papermaking • Mass MoCA • The Mount • Naumkeg • Norman Rockwell
Museum • Williams College Museum of Art
MOVIE THEATERS: Beacon Cinema • Berkshire Mall • The Triplex
 SHOPPING: Berkshire Mall • Lee Outlets • Outlets at Pine Cone Hill
PERFORMING ARTS: Barrington Stage Company • Berkshire Theater Group • Shakespeare &
Company • Tanglewood
RESTAURANTS: 20 Railroad Public House (sandwiches, salads, burgers) • Baba Louie’s (fancy
pizza) • Barrington Brewery and Restaurant (sandwiches, salads, burgers) • Four Brothers Pizza
Inn (pizza and Greek specialties) • GB Eats (upscale diner) • Great Barrington Bagel Company
(bagels, sandwiches) • La Fiesta (Mexican) • Manhattan Pizza (pizza) • Bistro Box (sandwiches
and amazing fries) • Shiro (Japanese) • The Marketplace (sandwiches and healthier fare) •
SoCo Creamery (ice cream)

VISITING DAY ENDS

5:00 - Please return to camp at 5:00 p.m. and join us for an early Havdalah so we can say good-bye to
Shabbat as a camp community. When Havdalah is over, it’ll be time to say good-bye to your camper
with some final hugs, so our staff can escort campers back to their cabins to get ready for dinner.

7:00 - If you’d like, you can extend your Visiting Day and have dinner in town with your camper. Please
bring your camper back at 7:00 in time for our evening program.

It is essential that ALL our campers return to camp at 5:00 or 7:00 p.m. Only at these times will our
staff be ready to greet campers and welcome them back into camp. We respectfully ask that you
plan for this schedule so that all our campers can be properly welcomed, ensuring a smooth
transition for each one.

After first session begins in July, we will send you more detailed information about Visiting Day and
we’ll ask you to tell us your family’s plan for the day, so we can properly prepare our kitchen staff with
numbers for both lunch and dinner.
You may pack in a trunk, suitcase, or duffle bag - it’s entirely up to you. On Opening Day, after all
our campers have arrived, camper luggage is removed from the cabins and safely placed in
storage. No trunks, suitcases or duffle bags remain in the cabins as extra storage for campers.
Please do not take your camper’s empty luggage home with you; we need the luggage at camp
so we can pack to go home at the end of the session.

LINENS
 3 bath towels (to use for showering)
 3 beach towels (to bring to the pool)
 2 face towels (for hand and face washing)
 2 wash cloths (to use in the shower)
 2 fitted sheets (twin size)
 2 flat sheets (can also be used as light blankets)
 2 pillow cases (bring an extra if you want your bunkmates to sign it!)
 1 pillow (or two if that’s what you’re accustomed to)
 1 blanket (light to medium weight)
 1 sleeping bag (for camping out) K’tanim campers do not need to bring
 1 laundry bag (to use when camp-provided bag is at laundry service)
 1 mattress pad or egg crate (for those who like to pad their mattress)
PLEASE LABEL ALL LINENS WITH YOUR CAMPER’S NAME!

CLOTHING
 12 pairs of underwear (older girls include bras)
 16 socks (or more for serious ball players)
 10 t-shirts (or tank tops or any short sleeve shirt)
 3 long sleeve shirts (for cool evenings)
 2 sweatshirts (for very cool evenings)
 1 light jacket (for very, very cool evenings)
 8 shorts (gym, cargo, Soffes, etc.)
 2 pairs of jeans (for cool evenings, hiking)
 1 raincoat/poncho (must have a hood)
 3 pairs of pajamas (or sleeping shirts, etc.)
 2 nice Shabbat outfits with white top (skirts or nice shorts, or slacks)
 4 bathing suits (girls - 2 must be one-piece suits for instructional swim)
 swimming goggles (for those with chlorine-sensitive eyes or contacts)
 1 sun hat (baseball hat, etc., not a visor)
PLEASE LABEL ALL CLOTHING WITH YOUR CAMPER’S NAME!
SHOES
 2 pairs of sneakers (for everyday wear, sports)
 1 pair of sturdy shoes (for hiking and rain-only if you already own, don’t buy!)
 1 pair of swimming shoes (to wear to the pool)
 1 pair of sandals/flip-flops (if you wear them)
 1 pair of soccer/baseball cleats (only if you already own, don’t buy!)
 1 pair of Shabbat shoes (optional, some girls wear nice sandals, NO HEELS HIGHER
THAN TWO INCHES PLEASE!)
PLEASE LABEL ALL SHOES WITH YOUR CAMPER’S NAME!

TOILETRIES
 comb and brush
 clips, hair bands
 toothbrush and toothpaste, plastic drinking cup
 soap and soap dish or body wash for shower
 liquid soap dispenser for bunk
 shampoo, conditioner, gel, etc.
 deodorant
 Q-tips
 razor and shaving cream (for shavers only)
 nail clipper
 pads, tampons (for older girls)
 sun block (lots!)
 insect repellant
 tissues
 caddy to store and carry toiletries
PLEASE LABEL ALL TOILETRIES WITH YOUR CAMPER’S NAME!

MISCELLANEOUS
 flashlight, extra batteries
 back pack, or small duffle for trip day(s)
 pens, pencils, stationery, envelopes, stamps, eLetter Replies
 family addresses, printed labels, pre-addressed envelopes
 2 sturdy refillable water bottles (item most often lost at camp!)
PLEASE LABEL EVERYTHING WITH YOUR CAMPER’S NAME!

OPTIONAL
 playing cards, Pokemon cards, Magic: The Gathering cards, etc.
 fan to clip on bed post (can be electric or battery operated)
 plastic drawer unit (approximately 3’ high) to hold small items (only one please!)
 baseball mitt, tennis racket, shin guards
 inexpensive digital camera or disposable cameras
 musical instrument
 lovies (teddy bears, blankies)
 summer reading books (we have a camper lending library!)
 western-style clothing for Rib Night (session 1 only)
 dressy outfit for banquet (many campers like to dress up!)
PLEASE LABEL EVERYTHING WITH YOUR CAMPER’S NAME!

If your child wear glasses or contact lenses, we encourage you to send an extra pair of glasses
and an extra set or two of contact lenses.

 Full Summer/First Session Olim: You’ll be traveling to Montreal, so remember to bring

your passport with you to camp to give to us in the Beit Am on Opening Day as well as a
small bag to pack your belongings for the trip.

 Full Summer/First Session Tzofim: You’ll be traveling to Cape Cod, MA, so remember to
bring a small bag to pack your belongings for the trip.

 Full Summer/First Session Chaverim: You’ll be traveling to Lake George, NY, so

remember to bring a small bag to pack your belongings for the trip.

 Entire Eisner Community: Please bring a non-perishable food item to donate to Jerry’s
Food Bank. Jerry’s Food Bank was created to honor Jerry Somers, a long-time supporter
of Eisner Camp who is passionate about Tikkun Olam (repairing our world). All food will
be donated to the People’s Pantry in Great Barrington.

 Entire Eisner Community: please bring any books, appropriate for children in grades 3-
10, that your child has finished reading. We’ll put them in our camper lending library.

WHAT NOT TO PACK…

X night lights (we’ll place one in the bathroom of every cabin)
X tube tops, strapless dresses, inappropriately short, tight or revealing clothing
X expensive clothing requiring special washing
X Ugg boots
X shirts with inappropriate language or that advertise/celebrate alcohol, drugs or tobacco
products
X shoes or sandals with heels higher than two inches
X super soakers
X chewing gum, candy, or food of any kind
X any over-the-counter or prescription medication
X bottled water or flavored powder or drops to add to water
X valuable jewelry, Apple Watch
X iPod/MP3 player with screen
X electronic hand-held game devices, i.e. Gameboy’s, PSP’s, Nintendo DS’s
X cell phones
X walkie-talkies
X laptop computers, iPads, portable DVD payers, Kindles, Nooks
X expensive digital cameras
X hoverboards, skateboards, scooters, Heelys
Opening Day is, of course, very exciting! To avoid long lines on Opening Day, we stagger our
arrival times, and rotate them each summer. For Summer 2018, campers with last names
beginning:
• A to G arrive between 9:45 and 10:30 a.m.
• H to P arrive between 10:30 and 11:15 a.m.
• Q to Z arrive between 9:00 and 9:45 a.m.

We count on everybody’s cooperation. It is a challenge to welcome 500 cars into camp and still
maintain a safe environment for our campers. Please be prepared to show your driver’s license
to our greeters as you enter camp.

(K’tanim 2 campers arrive between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 15. We’ll send you
special Opening Day directions in late June.)

MERKAZ HASPORT
When you arrive at camp at your designated time, you’ll drive into camp and be directed to the
Quad where you’ll park your car. You’ll go straight to Merkaz HaSport (sports facility) for a lice
check and a health screening. The health and safety of our campers and staff is always our
greatest concern. We will take each camper’s temperature and ask each camper about his/her
recent health and contacts. If, during our health screening, your child is found to have a fever,
we will ask you to see our camp physician, and we may ask you to take your child home to see
your physician. Your child may return to camp after he/she has been fever-free for 24 hours.
Upon returning to camp, our camp physician will make the final decision about whether or not
your child may stay.

Each camper will have a lice check as well. We have hired a professional company to conduct
these lice checks for us. Any camper with head lice or lice nits will either be asked to leave camp
to go home for treatment or be treated on the spot by the professionals. Eisner Camp is
responsible for the cost of checking our campers for lice. However, the family of any camper with
lice or nits who chooses not to take their camper home for treatment, but to have the
professionals treat their camper at camp on Opening Day, will be responsible for the cost of the
treatment, paid directly to the company. Of course, any family who chooses treatment at camp
will be treated privately to avoid any embarrassment to the camper.

While you wait on the line for your camper’s temperature and lice check, please consider visiting
our Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation table and participate in the Speed Swabbing program.
Over a decade ago, Gift of Life started collecting cheek swabs for their bone marrow donor
recruitment program. Now, Gift of Life offers Speed Swabbing which enables them to enroll
donors without the need for up-front paperwork. Donors provide limited information, swab their
cheeks, and go on their way! Later, donors receive an e-mail asking them to complete their
registration online. Please consider taking 7 minutes to participate in our Gift of Life Speed
Swabbing drive. You never know – you could be a match and save another’s life!

BEIT AM
After the lice check and health screening, you’ll walk over to the Beit Am and accompany your
camper through several registration stations:

Station 1: Eisner T-shirts – We’ll ask you to select the proper size T-shirt for your camper and
write their name on the tag. We’ll keep the T-shirt and give it to your camper just
prior to Trip Day.

Station 2: Registration – We’ll check our camper lists. If your camper’s medical forms are in
order, and our bookkeeping office does not need to speak with you, you’ll receive
your camper’s cabin number and some luggage tags and proceed to the next
station. If our bookkeeping office needs to speak with you, we’ll send you right
over to them. If our Health Center is missing medical forms, a copy of your Health
Insurance card, or your signature on your camper’s medical form, we’ll send you
right over to them. Please avoid these extra steps and make sure all your signed
medical forms have been sent to us, and that you’ve paid your bill in full BEFORE
Opening Day.

Station 3: Olim Class Bracelets – You’ll meet some Camp Board volunteers who will give your
camper a Olim Class bracelet printed with the year your camper will be in Olim
(rising 10th graders). It is our hope that our campers will stay with us through their
Olim Summer--and beyond as Machon and Staff! We also have a group of
volunteer parents who organize Olim Class activities throughout the year so that
campers can see their friends. During this past year, we’ve had class parents
organize a bowling party in Westchester, a visit to a Trampoline Park in Boston,
and more. Our hope is to get more Olim Class Parents who will volunteer to get
their camper’s Olim class together for a fun activity. Consider stepping up and
signing on to be an Olim Class Parent!

Our Bar/Bat Mitzvah tutor will be in the Beit Am all morning. Feel free to visit with her for a few
moments to review your camper’s plan for practice and tutoring while at camp.

We will also be selling yearbooks in the Beit Am. If you did not already purchase one when you
registered your child for camp, you can stop by the yearbook table to complete an order form
and leave a check (or cash) for $25.
Members of our Community Care Team will be in the Beit Am all morning as well.

Louis Bordman, our Senior Director, will be outside the Beit Am all morning to welcome you to
camp!

THE HEALTH CENTER

If your camper will take medication while at camp, please check in with the nurses in the Health
Center. We want you to see your camper’s bubble packs from CampScripts so that you can verify
that the medicine, dosage, and dispensing times are correct.

If you would like to speak privately to one of our nurses about your camper’s special medical
needs, they will be available in the Health Center all morning.

It is best to visit the Health Center AFTER you’ve settled your camper into the cabin. There is no
need to bring your camper with you to the Health Center to check on medication or speak with
one of our nurses.

If you feel that you would like your camper present, please visit the Health Center BEFORE moving
your camper into the cabin.

Please remember that absolutely no prescription medication in pill form or over-the-counter

medication, vitamins, herbals or supplements in pill form taken daily, will be accepted by the
nurses in the Health Center on Opening Day. All prescription medication taken in pill form
either daily or as needed, and all over-the-counter medication, vitamins, herbals or
supplements in pill form taken daily must be provided by Campscripts.

DROPPING OFF A SON AND A DAUGHTER

If you’ll be dropping off a son and a daughter on Opening Day, we recommend that you drive to
your son’s cabin first so you can then easily drive to your daughter’s cabin. Because of the one-
way flow of traffic on Opening Day, driving to your daughter’s cabin first would require you to
exit camp, come back in through the front gate, wait in the line of cars entering camp, and then
drive to your son’s cabin.

YOUR CHILD’S CABIN

After completing the health screening and visiting the stations in the Beit Am (and for some, the
Health Center), you’ll take your luggage tags, return to your car, and drive to your camper’s cabin.
There, counselors will greet you and show you to the bed and cubby that have already been
assigned and labeled with your camper’s name. Much time and thought goes into deciding bunk
placement for each camper, and specific bed assignments within each cabin. Please respect this
process and do not change, or ask to change, the location of your camper’s bed.
Once you’ve unloaded your car, please move it to our parking lot and walk back into camp to
unpack with (not for!) your camper. By moving your car, you will allow other families to park
near the cabins to unload their cars. Remember, hundreds of cars will be in camp on Opening
Day along with hundreds of children. Please drive slowly and cautiously. The safety of our
campers is our greatest concern - we’re counting on everybody’s cooperation.

After your camper is unpacked, secure the luggage tags to the outside of your camper’s empty
trunk, suitcase or duffle bag. Later in the day, we will remove all the tagged-luggage from the
cabins and place it in our storage facilities where it will remain until your camper packs to go
home. Do not take your camper’s empty luggage home with you.

GOOD-BYE!
Once your camper is unpacked, you’ve written down their cabin number, and made sure your
camper’s cell phone is WITH YOU, it will be time to say good-bye. Experience has taught us that
long good-byes by lingering parents are not best. Hugs and kisses and encouraging words are
terrific, and the sooner you leave, the sooner your camper will begin acclimating to camp. Over
the years, we’ve learned that the best way for our campers to adjust to camp is for them to begin
establishing a relationship with their counselors as soon as possible, and to begin our camp
program almost immediately. Please remember to leave your dog at home, and that smoking is
never allowed anywhere, at any time in camp. All parents must be on their way by 1:00 p.m.

PARENT GET-TOGETHER
When it’s time for you to leave camp – don’t go straight home! Please join us at the VFW (across
Route 7 at the end of Brookside Road) for some coffee and a nosh with members of our Camp
Board and other Eisner parents. You’ll share camp stories, learn from veteran parents, and enjoy
a short break with other members of your extended Eisner Camp family before hitting the road.
You’ll find it all at the VFW James A. Mododlo Post 8348, right outside of camp. When you leave
camp, turn right onto Brookside Road to Route 7, turn right onto Route 7, and make a left almost
immediately at the VFW sign.

CLOSING DAYS
K’tanim 1: Friday, July 13
Although we will send you an email during the second week of K’tanim 1 with greater detail, for
now, please note that the pick-up time for K’tanim 1 is between 10:00 and 10:30 a.m. on Friday,
July 13.

First Session Campers and K’tanim 2: Friday, July 27

Although we will send you an email near the end of first session with greater detail, for now,
please note that to avoid long lines at the exit gate on Friday, July 27, we will once again stagger
our pick-up times (and rotate them each summer). For Summer 2018, parents with campers with
last names beginning…
 • A to G arrive between 9:30 and 10:00 a.m. for pick-up.
• H to P arrive between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m. for pick-up.
• Q to Z arrive between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. for pick-up.

Full Summer Campers and K’tanim 3: Sunday, August 19

Although we will send you an email near the end of second session with greater detail, for now,
please note that to avoid long lines at the exit gate on Sunday, August 13, we will once again
stagger our pick-up times (and rotate them each summer). For Summer 2018, parents with
campers with last names beginning…
• A to G arrive between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. for pick-up.
• H to P arrive between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. for pick-up.
• Q to Z arrive between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. for pick-up.

Families with a camper and a Machon: Sunday, August 19

Although we’ve asked that our Machon be picked up between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on
Sunday, August 19, you can pick up your Machon at the same time you pick up your camper as
outlined in the pick-up times above.

On each Closing Day, all campers will be packed and ready to go prior to their pick-up time.

OPENING DAY DRIVING AND LINE-UP PROCEDURES

On Opening Day session one (Sunday, July 1) and Opening Day session two (Sunday, July 29), we
will open our front gates at 9:00 a.m.

Please DO NOT arrive more than 30 minutes prior to your assigned arrival time. With our
staggered registration times, it is not necessary to arrive early. We will only be able to welcome
you into camp at your designated time. Since cabins have been assigned and beds have been
labeled there is no reason or advantage to arrive at camp early.

To ease the flow of traffic and to ensure your safety and the safety of our Great Barrington
neighbors, we have the following driving and line-up procedures in place. Please follow the
procedure as outlined below. This is only for Opening Day (July 1 and July 29). K’tanim 2 campers
arriving on Sunday, July 15, do not need to follow these procedures.

BECAUSE OF THE HIGH VOLUME OF CAR TRAFFIC ON OUR OPENING DAYS, YOU WILL NOT BE
ABLE TO ENTER CAMP FROM BROOKSIDE ROAD. THE POLICE WILL TURN YOU AROUND.

GPS Address: 53 Brookside Road, Great Barrington, MA. Find printable directions here.
Driving South on Route 7:
Continue south on Route 7 past Brookside Road, for about 1 – 1 ½ miles. Turn left onto Kellogg
Road at the Jehovah’s Witness Center. At the next intersection, turn left onto Boardman Street.
Boardman Street becomes East Sheffield Road and brings you right into camp!

Driving North on Route 7:

Coming from Sheffield and Canaan, or Route 7 South, continue on Route 7 North about 2 – 2 ½
miles past the center of Sheffield. Turn right onto Kellogg Road at the Jehovah’s Witness Center.
At the next intersection, turn left onto Boardman Street. Boardman Street becomes East Sheffield
Road and brings you right into camp!

MAP TO CAMP ENTRANCE ON OPENING DAY (From Route 7)

By April 1
 Is your bill paid in full?

By April 16
 Have you completed all of your online forms found on the “Forms Dashboard” in your
CampInTouch account (required: Camper information form for Parents and Camper
Health History, and optional: Travel Form and Grandparent Connection)?

 Have you printed, completed with your child and uploaded the Code of Conduct, Anti-
Bullying Pledge and Camper Information Form (including a photo) to your
CampInTouch account?

 Have you printed the URJ Camps Immunization History Form and Medical Examination
Form, had your child’s physician complete and sign them, and uploaded them your
CampInTouch account?

 Have you printed, completed and uploaded the URJ Camp Insurance and Authorization
Form (including a copy of the front and back of your insurance card) to your
CampInTouch account?

 If applicable, have you printed the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Form, had your rabbi or cantor or
educator complete it and uploaded it to your CampInTouch account?

 Olim parents – have you printed the Montreal permission letter found on the “Forms &
Documents” page of your CampInTouch account? Have you completed it and mailed it
back to us (this is the one form we need you to mail us instead of scanning and
uploading since we need the original signatures at the border crossings).

By June 1 for Session One, K’tanim 1 and 2 campers

By June 29 for Session Two and K’tanim 3 campers
 If your child takes medication, have you registered with Campscripts?

One Week Before Your Session Begins

 Have you double-checked your camper’s clothing with the packing list? Sun screen?
Summer reading? Pillow? Envelopes addressed to you? Raincoat?
 Does your camper have appropriate clothing for Shabbat? White shirt?
 Does your camper have an extra pair of sneakers? Eyeglasses? Contacts?
 Is all clothing and linen clearly marked with your camper’s full name?
 Did you pack enough toiletries, marked with your camper’s full name?
 Did you remember to leave out all expensive items that may be lost at camp?
 Did you remind relatives about our “no package” policy?
 Have you reminded your camper about Eisner’s “no bullying” policy?
 Have you checked for head lice, and the health readiness of your camper? If you have
concerns, did you address them?
 Have you learned about the CampInTouch on-line email system? Printed eLetter
Replies?
 Have you discussed your expectations about letter writing with your child?
 Have you moved all of your camper’s music onto an MP3 player with no touch screen?

On Opening Day
 Is all your camper’s luggage in the car? Pillow? Teddy bear? Toothbrush?
 Have you taken your camper’s cell phone/hand-held electronic game device/Kindle/
Nook/iPad/laptop/Netbook and stored them safely at home?
 Have you left your dog at home?
 Did you remember that there is no need to give your camper any money?
 Session one and full summer Olim: do you have your passport?
 Did you assure your child that they will have an amazing time at camp!?
 Did you leave your child’s luggage at camp so we can repack at the end of the session?