(Courtesy of OHEL) Another amazing year at Camp Kaylie has come to a close after two incredible months of inclusive summer fun. Girls and boys ages 10 to 16 have had the chance to shatter stigma in a truly unique camp built on the premise of “inclusion” and have the summer of a lifetime.
Kids from all over the country and beyond come to build lasting friendships and forge the memories that will last forever. Camp Kaylie has top-of-the-line amenities including water slides, arts and crafts pavilions, and fantastic food in the cafeteria and canteen. But seeing children of all abilities interact together on thrilling ropes courses, amazing water sports and exhilarating go-karts is what ultimately sets this camp apart.
A huge part of the groundbreaking success at Camp Kaylie is the wide range of children who attend from all over the tri-state area, including 25 percent of campers hailing from Bergen County and other northern New Jersey cities. Boys and girls from different shuls and schools merge together into a unit centered on the idea that everyone can and should do anything they want.
Daniella Burack, 10, of New Milford and a student of Yavneh Academy in Paramus returned this past summer for her second summer at camp. When asked to reflect on what it is like to be in an inclusion model-based camp with kids of varying abilities, Daniella had this to say: “At Camp Kaylie, no one treats anyone else as if they have special needs. We treat everyone like they are one of us…because they are.” The ideals and midot of all of Bergen County’s schools are actualized each summer.
The best way to experience Camp Kaylie firsthand is as a camper, or as part of the three-day trial. In fact, that is how Daniella initially got introduced to camp, and this year her younger sister, Daphna, an incoming fourth grader at Yavneh, did the trial as well. It was her first sleepover camp experience and being only three days, is a great way of introducing younger campers to the idea of a sleepover camp without having to be ready for a full month.
Ora Hochberg of Teaneck, an incoming sophomore at Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls, came to Camp Kaylie for the first time this past summer and had a blast in the teens division. She had a great chance to spend the summer with kids from beyond her local school and shul, whom she does not have the chance to spend much time with during the school year. But when asked why she chose Camp Kaylie instead of other great options for camp, Ora responded, “Camp Kaylie is so unique in that everyone can have an amazing time, no matter their abilities. You can’t get this inclusion experience in any other camp—where everyone is a part of everything. You develop a true acceptance for everyone.”
This opportunity to broaden your horizons and to learn to consider the feelings of other children from all backgrounds and levels of ability is one of many reasons parents continue to entrust Camp Kaylie as a key step in their children’s emotional, social and spiritual growth.
