Those final weeks of summer are typically pure bliss for children, soaking up their last days without school. But that may not be the reality for parents as they scramble to find childcare during the gap between when summer activities end and school begins.
That’s why Beata Abraham, executive director at Congregation Beth Israel New Tamid (CBINT), started CBINT “Gap Camp” at the synagogue last year. It was so successful that the program is “already growing exponentially in just one short year,” according to Abraham.
Abraham seeks to alleviate parents’ stress of finding childcare during the awkward gap at the end of summer. “I wish I had had something like this when I was a working mother with four young kids,” Abraham said.
With a flexible schedule and discounts available, the goal is to make the camp as accessible as possible while providing kids with fun activities rooted in Jewish values.
“When I picked them up, they would just ramble the whole way home,” said Tracy Borkin about her two children, ages 5 and 8, who attended the camp last year. “They never really had done that with other programs they had been in. So, yeah, they loved it.”
Because of the positive feedback from last year, this year the camp will include an additional week and run from Aug. 19-30. Attendance has also more than doubled, going from 10 kids last year to 22 kids registered this year, with more enrollments expected.
Abraham said the success of the CBINT Gap Camp is not an accident. Passionate staff – Jake Rosenberg and Talia Bertman – and madrichim – Adam Bertman and Matan Steigmann, – play a huge role. There is also a schedule centered around what activities the kids enjoy and optimal use of the synagogue’s indoor and outdoor space. All of these ingredients make the perfect recipe for a fun time, according to Abraham.
CBINT Gap Camp this year will have a “water bounce house” in the open grass, Abraham said. It includes slides and a “wet bouncy space” with shallow water.
“That, to me, is a perfect summer day for a kid – when the weather is perfect, you’re with your friends, and you’re jumping and sliding and running,” Abraham said. “It’s really pure joy to see kids engaged in summer fun.”
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CBINT Gap Camp accepts potty trained 3-year-olds to fourth graders, whether they are members of CBINT or not. The camp runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and families can choose between full day or half day sessions, with discounts available for campers who attend a whole week. Earlycare, 8 to 9 a.m., and aftercare, 3 to 5 p.m., options are offered. Kosher lunch and snacks will be provided. For more information, contact beataa@cbintmilwaukee.org.
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