Frequently Asked Questions

If camp cannot run due to restrictions on overnight camps in Ventura County, we will refund all of your camp fees.

We understand that our families are facing a great deal of uncertainty and have adjusted our 2021 Cancellation Policy to allow families a longer period of time to make decisions about camp before incurring cancellation fees.

All Camp Alonim summer sessions are fully refundable until February 1, 2021. The cancellation fee for First, Second, Third, Mini A, and Mini B Sessions, as well as CIT Summer between February 2 and May 31 is $200. After May 31, the cancellation fee for First, Second, Third, Mini A, Mini B, and CIT Summer is the entire tuition amount for the applicable session(s). Cancellation fee payments cannot be applied to other campers’ tuition, other sessions, or possible future enrollments. Any requested Camp Alonim cancellations must be submitted in writing to alonim@aju.edu.

The safety of our campers and staff is of paramount importance to the Alonim experience. We intend to follow all regulations and recommendations put forth by Ventura County Health Department, CDC, and the American Camp Association. As camp gets closer, we will be releasing more specific details.

We will be opening registration for Summer 2021 at 60% capacity, meaning we are planning to have approximately 8 campers per cabin (typically we have up to 14). Due to health department regulations, beds must be placed farther apart than in previous summers, thus requiring us to place fewer beds in each cabin. Should the regulations change, we are prepared to expand capacity for campers in each bunk.

In an effort to accommodate as many campers as possible within our new capacity guidelines, we have changed our session structure for Summer 2021. We examined several different models for camp to ascertain which structure allowed for us to enroll as many individual campers as possible. Though we know the change has impacted some families’ ability to send their children to the same session, we have overall created the most opportunities as possible for attendance in each age group.

At this time, we remain unable to operate an overnight camp program in Ventura County, meaning our traditional 5-night Winter Camp is unlikely to run. We are currently exploring what we may be able to offer this Winter, including in-person day camp for current 1st – 11th graders. Please complete this survey to let us know your interest level in a Winter Day Camp.

Every day, we at Camp Alonim are preparing for a tremendous summer filled with lifelong friendships, engaging and creative activities, the exploration of Jewish values, apple butter, and, of course, happy and healthy campers and staff. We recognize that we have all been impacted greatly by Covid-19 and that information surrounding Covid-19 continues to evolve, even months after we began lockdown procedures. The health and safety of our community is of the utmost importance. We remain vigilant as we prepare for next summer and are ready to adapt our programs as needed should there be a shift in policy or regulations.

We are working closely with the American Camp Association, Foundation for Jewish Camp, and local health officials to ensure we run a safe camp experience this summer.

The American Camp Association and Centers for Disease Control have released the following guidelines for operating overnight camps during the COVID-19 Pandemic. These guidelines are subject to change and may be superseded by directives from the State of California and the Ventura County Department of Health.

We are continually participating in seminars with health experts to further develop our policies and procedures for Summer 2021. We will update this page with more information as we have it.

There are many reasons to enroll early! Space is limited and enrolling now allows you to rest assured that your child’s space is secure for Summer 2021, giving you peace of mind, and your child something to look forward to.

Enrolling earlier also makes paying for camp a bit easier! If you sign up by November 30th, you can take advantage of Early-Bird savings. Also, the earlier you register, the longer you will have to pay in full by the May 1st tuition deadline, allowing for a lower monthly payment if you decide to pay in monthly installments. Enrolling earlier also gives you ample time to explore other options of payment assistance if need be (information about scholarships and One Happy Camper grants are below).

As we know this is an uncertain time for our families, and it may be difficult to invest your money in camp at this time, we have adjusted our cancellation policy for Summer 2021. Full refunds are available through February 1, 2021 and a flat cancellation fee of $200 will be charged for cancellations received after February 1st. Our full cancellation policy can be found in the second question of this FAQ Section.

Your first-year camper is still eligible for the One Happy Camper grant! However, the funds are not automatically rolled over, and you will need to apply again to secure the grant for 2021. Information and the application can be found here: www.onehappycamper.org.

As is our policy each summer, families must apply for scholarship each year. The scholarship committee evaluates your application based on your most current financial situation so that your family can receive as much assistance as possible given your family’s needs.

We never want finances to prevent a camper from experiencing the magic of Camp Alonim. Our scholarship application is available only after you enroll for camp. While completing the online enrollment application, be sure to answer ‘yes’ for this question: Need-based scholarships are available for Camp Alonim. Would you like to receive more information about how to apply for a scholarship? We will then give you access to the online scholarship application after confirming your enrollment.

For a more thorough explanation of our scholarship application process and what is required to apply, please visit our scholarship FAQ page.

Each summer, we are committed to supporting the needs of our campers. Our staff is trained on helping first-time and returning campers acclimate to the experience of being away from home and the process of settling into camp life. We recognize that our campers have experienced a major change in their daily life in 2020, and this disruption is likely to continue, causing stress for many of them. We are prepared to support campers with their social and emotional needs. We have a team of counselors, head counselors, camp parents, camp directors, and a dedicated mental health professional who will support your child through any challenge at camp, from homesickness to anxiety, so that your child will be successful while they are in our care.

Camp Alonim is a safe and wonderful place where kids can simply be kids! At camp, kids are able to relax, unplug from technology, have fun, try new things (from a new food to climbing to the top of the rock wall), make new friends, discover their connection to Judaism, and feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves; a community unlike any other. We feel strongly that camp is a place where your children will thrive and forget about the “outside world” for a little while.

If you are concerned about sending your child to camp and would like to discuss anything with us, please reach out to Karen Garelik, Associate Director, at karen.garelik@aju.edu.

Incoming 11th Graders in the Fall of 2021 are welcome to apply to be part of our CIT (Counselor-in-Training) program. For the application and more info click here.

Incoming 12th Graders in the Fall of 2021 will be invited to apply for the Gesher Gan Internship Program. While still remaining a selective leadership development program, Gesher Gan 2021 will be expanded in size and scope as we continue to adapt the Alonim program to the current moment. The Gesher Gan application will come out in January and we will notify all prospective applicants, and their parents, once it is available.

If you have any questions about Alonim’s Teen Leadership Programs and would like to discuss anything with us, please reach out to Jacob Martinez Raizman, Assistant Director, at jraizman@aju.edu.

We’re happy to answer any more questions you have, and we love talking about camp! Feel free to contact us any of the following ways: By Phone at 877-225-6646 or by e-mail at alonim@aju.edu. For answers to more general questions about camp life, click on the “General FAQs” tab at the top of this page.