A Note About COVID-19

We work hard to make sure every detail is in place so each camper can have the time of their life—every single summer.

This summer, in the midst of a global pandemic, there are more details than ever! Given all the uncertainties in the world right now, we recognize that much may well change between now and June. Even so, we’re hard at work planning for a great season together at Camp Havaya.

With an eye towards COVID-19, here’s some of what we’re already doing:

• Thanks to the American Camp Association, Foundation for Jewish Camp, and JCamp180, we’re learning from camps that successfully opened this past summer. 
• We’ve included funds in our budget to cover additional medical staff and supplies, as well as professional cleaning services as needed. 
• Given what we anticipate being significant cleaning and disinfection requirements due to the coronavirus, we’ve slightly tweaked our session dates, so that our full sessions (Aleph and Bet) end after lunch on Saturday, rather than Sunday, to give us the time we need to get everything ready for the next session.

Of course, there are still many questions that can’t be answered yet: When will there be a widely available, effective vaccine? Will camps have access to rapid testing? Will campers from certain states have to be quarantined? Will international staff members be able to enter the country? Exactly what kinds of mitigation, cleaning, and health services will be needed? The list goes on….

As always, we’re deeply committed to living by our values – and transparency is at the top of that list. With that in mind, we want to be as upfront as possible: we expect things to change between now and the summer. We know that session length, dates, and tuition may all have to change – and we’re already planning for potential alternative scenarios. In the meantime, we’ve updated our cancellation and refund policy for this summer so that for cancellations before March 1, 2021, all payments – including the $750 deposit – will be refunded or held on account for future summers.

Suffice it to say, whatever next summer looks like, we’re excited to welcome you home to Camp Havaya! We promise to keep our families (and website) updated on any significant changes and to work together to make Summer 2021 unforgettable. Of course, we look forward to being in touch with any questions you may have along the way.