Comments on: Why Jewish Summer Camp? http://www.InterfaithFamily.com/blogs/Network/marketing-judaism/why-jewish-summer-camp/ Everything you always wanted to know about intermarriage, but were afraid to ask. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:30:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: h. http://www.InterfaithFamily.com/blogs/Network/marketing-judaism/why-jewish-summer-camp/#comment-295 h. Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:40:09 +0000 http://www.InterfaithFamily.com/blogs/Network/marketing-judaism/why-jewish-summer-camp/#comment-295 this is a great article, but i must say these parents are thinking just a little too ahead for now. the typical age for attending sleepaway camp is between 11 and 14. at that age, kids are certainly not thinking about marriage and neither should their parents. are they thinking about the opposite sex? perhaps. but marriage? no. we are all taught the importance of marrying Jewish from the time we're born, but parents should hold off on the "find a nice Jewish boy or girl" spiel until the kids actually have the opposite gender on the brain (typically around the same age they go off to overnight camp). kids don't generally begin dating until they're about 15 anyways (unless they have super strict parents who won't let them date until they're 18), and they don't always marry the first person they date. but it usually helps to be prepared. i went to Jewish overnight camp when i was 11 and then again at 13. the latter had a lot of kids from interfaith families. you had the Cohens and Adlers mixed in with the O'Donnells and Morrisons. but the fact that interfaith parents choose a Jewish camp signifies their desire to raising strongly-indentifying Jews. there are always possiblities that people meet at camp and ultimately marry. i know someone who met her soon-to-be husband in USY 8 years ago. i doubt at the time, either of them expected they'd marry each other. but like i said, possiblities are endless. but the most important reasons why Jewish parents should send kids to Jewish camps are to have fun, develop social/creative/athletic skills, get to know people from a variety of Jewish backgrounds, and indulge in the fresh air. save the shidduch for later on. this type of pressure can lead kids to become resentful as adults, and chances of their actively seeking out a Jewish spouse might decrease. this is a great article, but i must say these parents are thinking just a little too ahead for now. the typical age for attending sleepaway camp is between 11 and 14. at that age, kids are certainly not thinking about marriage and neither should their parents. are they thinking about the opposite sex? perhaps. but marriage? no. we are all taught the importance of marrying Jewish from the time we’re born, but parents should hold off on the “find a nice Jewish boy or girl” spiel until the kids actually have the opposite gender on the brain (typically around the same age they go off to overnight camp). kids don’t generally begin dating until they’re about 15 anyways (unless they have super strict parents who won’t let them date until they’re 18), and they don’t always marry the first person they date. but it usually helps to be prepared.

i went to Jewish overnight camp when i was 11 and then again at 13. the latter had a lot of kids from interfaith families. you had the Cohens and Adlers mixed in with the O’Donnells and Morrisons. but the fact that interfaith parents choose a Jewish camp signifies their desire to raising strongly-indentifying Jews.

there are always possiblities that people meet at camp and ultimately marry. i know someone who met her soon-to-be husband in USY 8 years ago. i doubt at the time, either of them expected they’d marry each other. but like i said, possiblities are endless. but the most important reasons why Jewish parents should send kids to Jewish camps are to have fun, develop social/creative/athletic skills, get to know people from a variety of Jewish backgrounds, and indulge in the fresh air. save the shidduch for later on. this type of pressure can lead kids to become resentful as adults, and chances of their actively seeking out a Jewish spouse might decrease.

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