Camp marks 30 years with ‘Challah and Sunscreen’

A young woman returning to a popular Jewish day camp unwittingly came up with the perfect slogan for the camp’s milestone anniversary this summer.

Walking through the halls of Temple B’nai Israel, the former camper turned camp counselor said Camp Chaverim smelled just like she remembered — of challah and sunscreen.

Pamela Richman, the camp’s longtime director, described the scene during a recent interview about Camp Chaverim’s 30th anniversary.

She said this year’s camp theme is “Celebrating 30 Years of Summer Friendship and Fun,” but campers and counselors will wear blue T-shirts emblazoned

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with the whimsical hashtag #ChallahandSunscreen all through the summer.

The camp offers three sessions for youths age 2-14 from June 5-23, June 26-July 14 and July 17-28. Daily activities include swimming, arts and crafts, sports and more. Specialty camps for older campers include “River Sports, Theater Arts, Horseback Riding, Kids in the Kitchen, Chaverim Unplugged and Amazing Athletes.”

Housed at Temple B’nai, 4901 N Pennsylvania, the camp is open to Jewish children, as well as nonJewish youths.

Roberta Clark, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Oklahoma City, said this purposeful inclusion is one of the aspects of the camp that federation leaders are proud about.

“Camp Chaverim is an important part of what the Jewish Federation does as an outreach to this Jewish community and also to the non-Jewish community,” Clark said. “It is pretty wonderful.”

Clark said the camp offers a safe warm environment for Jewish youths to connect to their Jewish identity, while exposing each youth, regardless of his or her faith beliefs, to new experiences and activities.

“It’s exciting to have this history of having a positive impact on the community,” she said.

Judaism is highlighted

Aspects of Judaism are woven throughout the camp curriculum in different ways. The challah that conjured up the fond memories of a former camper is made each Friday