Did Jewish summer camps do enough to support kids' mental health this summer?

The CJN Daily with Ellin Bessner

As Jewish overnight camps' summer 2024 sessions come to a close this week across most of Canada, several camp communities in Ontario have had to deal with sudden tragedies: the unexpected death of a councillor at one camp, and an accident at a different camp that took the lives of several cleaning employees.

In each case, camp directors quickly called for outside help, which included bringing in alumni to offer support, inviting in a therapy dog, holding yoga sessions and even arranging candlelight memorial prayers at the waterfront.

How well are Jewish summer camps prepared to deal with these crises? Did they give the support that was needed? Should parents race to bring their children back home when something tragic happens, or leave them up at camp, where they're among friends?

The CJN will not be naming the victims out of respect for their families, but Toronto grief counsellor Lynda Fishman has some advice about the important role that summer camps can play in developing a child's resilience in the face of hardship. She spoke to The CJN Daily a year ago, in July 2023, to explain why so many Jewish summer camps began adding mental health experts last year; today, we're re-airing that episode today to help families navigate these tragedies.

What we talked about

• Therapist Lynda Fishman’s advice on how summer camps can actually help campers and staff deal with tragedies, on Everything Jewish Toronto’s Facebook page
• How Jewish summer camps in 2024 prepared to face the topic of Oct. 7 and antisemitism at home, in The CJN
• After nine months of war, some Israeli kids are finding respite at Jewish summer camps in Canada, in The CJN

Credits

• Host and writer: Ellin Bessner (@ebessner)
• Production team: Zachary Kauffman (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer)
• Music: Dov Beck-Levine

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