Summer Youth Experiences

URJ camps provide a respite from the challenges of college life, offer a warm and affirming Jewish community, and allow students to cultivate skills they can use in their future careers.

This July, URJ 6 Points Sports Academy commemorated its fifteenth summer by inducting six dedicated individuals into its Hall of Fame. These exceptional lay leaders, faculty, staff, and supporters have played a vital role in shaping the camp into a premier Jewish sports institution in North America.

While camp is an oasis away from everyday life, it still exists in a world that has much work to do around harm prevention, particularly for Campers of Color, gender-diverse campers, campers with a variety of body sizes, and campers with disabilities.

Over the past 150 years, the impact of our youth has been nothing short of remarkable. As we reflect on the past, we can't help but take pride in the transformative influence of programs like URJ camps, NFTY, Heller High School in Israel, Yallah! Israel powered by NFTY, and L'Taken Social Justice Seminars.

NFTY founded Dream Street in 1975 with the belief that all kids should have the chance to have fun, make friends, try new experiences, and bring all of their identities to summer camp. Each summer, Dream Street accepts about 60 campers who have disabilities and/or mobility impairments like cerebral palsy, spina bifida, limb differences, and spinal cord injuries.