Weekly Pre-Camp Emails

Week 4: May 2, 2024

Hello, Camp Barney Medintz Family.

We are thrilled to share that Newsweek magazine has selected Camp Barney Medintz as one of America’s Best Summer Camps of 2024! Recognizing just how formative the camp experience is, Newsweek set out to help parents identify the right camp for their child. Out of more than 15,000 U.S. summer camps nationwide, we are proud to be identified as one of the 500 best. Included in these rankings are 200 day camps, 300 overnight camps, and only 6 Jewish camps! You can read the article here.

In other exciting news, our pop-up store is open until May 9. Shop for awesome new CBM swag and have it delivered to you before camp. Shop now.

We also want to give you a glimpse into Summer 2024 and the FUN that is in store for our campers. One of the highlights of Camp Barney Medintz is our extensive and diverse range of activities.

There are many activities that all campers enjoy every summer, like swimming, tubing, campouts, lake activities, music, dance, theater, crafts, and field and court sports. We also program sequentially, so that every summer campers eagerly anticipate participating in new activities, such as leading Shabbat services, technical climbing wall, vertical challenge course, videography, horseback, mountain bikes, zip line, and scuba diving. Our campers also look forward to their unit trips like water skiing and hiking the Appalachian Trail, and of course the JITS’s 6-day trip!

Campers in 5th, 6th, and 7th grades can participate in chugim (choice-based activities), choosing two activities of interest that meet multiple times throughout their session, like art, music, sports, and more. Our Teen Village campers enjoy supervised free play sessions throughout the summer, which gives them a little extra time to do the activities they love and hang out with friends from other cabins.

There are also several meaningful special events throughout the summer which bring our whole community together! Color War surprises campers when it “breaks” and brings electric energy as the camp community splits into four teams, competing in various games and culminating in a spirited relay race. Winning Color War is an unforgettable experience, marked by the loudest cheers and lasting memories for campers.

Barneyroo is our version of a fun summer festival. Campers visit different “booths” which each feature activities and experiences like face painting, crafts, fortune telling, sand art, and more. A highlight of the day is a staff performance for the campers, which always brings tons of laughs!

Israel Day is led by Israeli counselors who we are fortunate to have work at camp every year. These staff members passionately share aspects of Israeli culture, sports, music, food, and art. Campers are transported as they taste Israeli food, enjoy song and dance sessions, and so much more. It’s moving to be part of a sea of blue and celebrate Israel in such a special way.

Performances are a great option for our 4-week campers with a theater bug to audition for a role in our camp-wide musical that takes place the last week of camp. There are rehearsals throughout each session, and when it’s showtime, the entire camp comes together to watch and applaud how amazing our performers become in such a short time.

We intentionally weave Jewish customs, traditions, and culture into the fabric of daily camp life. From singing blessings in the dining hall to the serenity of Shabbats at the Zaban Chapel, our campers make lasting memories and deep connections. The MJCCA’s Experiential Jewish Educator, Kelly Cohen, works closely with our CBM team to enhance our integration of Jewish values, deepen engagement with Shabbat services, and create meaningful Oneg programming, ensuring that our campers strengthen their sense of belonging to the Jewish community. We recognize this difficult moment in time facing Jews around the world. Now more than ever we can’t wait to come together for a summer of excitement, growth, and pure FUN.

As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at summer@campbarney.org.

Sincerely,
Danny and The Camp Barney Medintz Team

Week 3: April 18, 2024

Hello, Camp Barney Medintz Family.

As we are preparing our homes for Pesach, we want to wish all of you a joyful and meaningful holiday. May you be surrounded by family and friends around the seder table. Our team is grateful and ecstatic that summer is near, and that we will soon be surrounded by our Camp Barney Medintz family.

Every day at Camp Barney Medintz is action-packed as our campers swim, climb, cheer, hike, and play. We hope that this email will provide you with insight to important areas in camp that allow us to care for your camper during these adventure-packed days.

Ensuring our campers are fueled for their days with nourishing and delicious food is a responsibility we take great pride in! This summer, campers can expect to see numerous food stations available at every meal. Campers will have a variety of options should they want an alternative or a supplement to their main meal which include an extensive sandwich bar, a pasta bar, and a plentiful fresh salad bar. Of course, we cannot mention the food at camp without including our nightly tradition of “Milkline”- ending the day together with a warm cookie is such a sweet moment!

In consideration of the safety of our campers and staff, Camp Barney is a nut-free camp. We know this provides comfort and added assurance for our many campers and staff members with nut allergies. For our peanut butter-loving campers: not to worry, we have Wow Butter available at every meal!

Your camper’s physical health is always a top priority to us. Our Marcus Health Center team, led by year-round MHC Administrative Director Courtney McAlister, is currently preparing for the arrival of staff and campers. The team includes a doctor, multiple nurses, and health center assistants, all living on-site and available 24/7. We take the same care and consideration with our community’s mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Our Community Care team, comprised of licensed therapists and mental health professionals, is also on-site all summer to provide support and nurture our inclusive and welcoming environment.

We’re honored to get to train the staff members who are dedicated to taking care of your children and look forward to making many safe, meaningful, and fun memories with them during their time at camp!

As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at summer@campbarney.org.

Chag Pesach Sameach,
Danny and The Camp Barney Medintz Team

Week 2: April 4, 2024

Hello, Camp Barney Medintz Family.

Allow us to start today’s pre-camp email with a friendly reminder that there are forms we need you to complete prior to your child’s arrival at Camp. These forms are imperative to providing a safe, healthy, and successful summer for all our campers. Please check your CBM account, which you can access here or through your Campanion App, to confirm all your forms have been completed. Thank you!

As Camp is excitedly and rapidly approaching, you may have questions, and we have the answers! Our camp team is always available, and our Parent Handbook is a valuable resource for much of the important information you need to ensure a successful summer at Camp. Please click here to view the Parent Handbook and know that we are also always available to answer your questions at summer@campbarney.org.

Our year-round team deeply values our partnership we share with our camp families. We devote all year to planning for an amazing and unforgettable summer experience for your campers, and we couldn’t realize the magic of Camp Barney Medintz without our exceptional summer staff.

Our counselors play a pivotal role in shaping your campers’ experiences, fostering strong bonds, and imparting valuable lessons and inspiration. They guide campers through a diverse range of activities, from building friendships to trying new skills, all while ensuring a safe and supportive environment filled with fun and excitement. Additionally, our dedicated specialist staff members bring expertise to their activity areas, enriching each camper’s journey with specialized instruction and encouragement.

One of our biggest priorities at Camp is the mental, emotional, and social well-being of our campers and staff. Our Community Care team, composed of licensed therapists and mental health professionals, ensures a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment throughout the summer. They offer various programs, from mindfulness to stress management, and oversee “The Den,” a sensory cabin equipped to help campers process emotions and take breaks when needed. This team not only supports campers but also provides valuable resources for our staff. We encourage you to discuss these resources with your children, emphasizing their availability and the importance of seeking assistance or visiting The Den if necessary. We are proud of this amazing support network at Our Summer Place.

We are also immensely grateful for the diverse team of professionals and support staff who work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure a smooth and enriching summer for our camp community. From healthcare professionals to administrative staff, their dedication is instrumental in creating a nurturing environment in which campers can thrive.

We invite our Atlanta-area CBM families to host international staff on their days off so they can relax, recharge, and be enveloped by the Camp Barney community. For these staff who have come from all over the world to give our campers an awesome summer, being hosted by our camp community allows them to strengthen their bond to CBM even when they are away from Camp. For host parents and campers, it is a highly rewarding experience and an opportunity to build life-long relationships. To learn more and sign up, visit campbarney.org/hoststaff.

The finishing touches are being put on the new facilities constructed during the off season and our year-round staff are beginning to move up to Camp. Staff training is not far off and the best days – when we welcome our campers – are right around the corner, and we can’t wait!

Thank you for being an integral part of our Camp Barney Medintz community.

Danny and The Camp Barney Medintz Team

Week 1: March 21, 2024

Hello, Camp Barney Medintz Family.

With the first day of first session less than 75 days away, we want you to know that the Camp Barney team will be communicating with you regularly leading up to the start of your session and throughout the summer. A successful summer is a collaboration, and we endeavor to partner with you in ensuring a transformative, memorable, safe, and fun summer for our campers.

Starting today, you will receive a pre-camp email from Camp Barney Medintz every two weeks with important information and insight into summer at CBM. Please add summer@campbarney.org to your address book to be certain you don’t miss any important details.

Additionally, for all new families, please plan to join us virtually on April 15 at 7:00 pm for our First Time Family Webinar. We will be sharing detailed and comprehensive information pertinent to a successful first summer and will introduce you to the CBM staff member fully dedicated to our first time campers and their families. Register now to receive the zoom link.

We can’t wait for our campers to see and experience the new cabins, bathrooms, beds, and adult housing. We are thrilled to have completed these major improvements, which will ensure campers and staff have safe, comfortable, modern, and spacious accommodations.

We love our activities, programs, facilities, and each other, and are proud that our values are integrated into everything we do. Camp Barney has six core values. First is Community, and the notion that we are better together, and responsible for one another. Jewish Identity is central to our mission, and we encourage our campers to be proud of their Jewish identity and grow each summer as Jews. Self-Discovery is encouraged every day, so campers gain the most from each activity, and set the intention to do so. Joy and fun are a big part of self-growth, so laughter, smiles, and happiness are abundant every day and bond our community. Integrity is another essential value, and being mindful that it is always the right time to be kind and do the right thing. Our goal is to have our campers understand that the outside world needs each of us to be the one to Make a Positive Difference and be the change that we want to see.

Our entire community—campers, counselors, specialists, staff — works to exemplify these values every day, to ensure a summer filled with new friends, acquired skills, and lifelong memories built during days lived according to our values.

Be on the lookout for these biweekly emails that will share our plans for the summer, answer your questions, and prepare you for another amazing summer at Camp Barney.

We can’t wait to be together in song, prayer, and community at Our Summer Place!

Danny and The Camp Barney Medintz Team