Where Kids Still Roam Free (and the Coffee Cake Is Still Perfect)

Remember when summer days seemed to stretch forever? When you and your friends made up the rules as you went, invented worlds out of nothing, and only came home when the sun disappeared? Most kids today don’t get much of that anymore. Schedules are packed, play is organized, and adults are always just a few feet away.

But at CYJ, something old and wonderful still happens.

Here, kids get that rare feeling of freedom—that mix of independence and belonging. They choose their own activities, wander (within reason!) from arts to sports to the waterfront, and spend Chofesh doing whatever calls to them: tossing a Frisbee, making friendship bracelets, or just laughing under a tree with their bunkmates.

It’s the kind of freedom that feels wild and endless to a camper—but it’s all held by an invisible structure. Madrichim (counselors) supervise, the schedule hums quietly in the background, and somehow, everything stays safe, steady, and just a little magical. At CYJ, the world still slows down just enough for kids to feel like they’re in charge of it—building friendships, solving their own problems, and discovering who they are. It’s freedom with a heartbeat, independence within a safety net, and the kind of summer that sticks with you long after the crumbs of coffee cake are gone.