Short Sessions

Mini Mensch

3 Day Taste of CYJ

Mini Mensch is the perfect introduction to camp for our rising 1st and 2nd graders. The Mini Mensch campers will be in their own cabin and have a high staff-to-camper ratio. They will spend three days enjoying all the most special times at camp! Nothing beats the welcoming camaraderie of coming to camp, and our Mini Mensch-ers will get an introduction to everything that makes it special: our chuggim (electives), communal meals, fun activities, LOTS of pool time, and sleeping in bunks, just to name a few.

Opening Day: We will open the gates to welcome you through the check-in process, including lice and temperature checks, meeting the counselors, the Health Center staff, and Camper Care team. Once you say goodbye to your camper, we will help get them unpacked and settled into the bunk. We ask that parents try their hardest to be on time so that we can maximize your camper’s experience. We will communicate the specific drop off and pick up instructions privately for security reasons. To see the dates of your child’s program, click here.

Closing Day: We will open the gates to welcome and show you to our Shalom Center. You will pick up your camper and join for a short end-of-session ceremony - think of it as their first “graduation”. The pick-up time will be communicated privately for security reasons.

Want a Getaway? Now…What to do for the weekend while your camper is away? Why not enjoy the Texas Hill Country? Within 30 minutes of camp, you can find many great Beds & Breakfasts. Some favorites are: Sage Hill and Blair House Inn.

Nitzanim

9 Day Camp

Nitzanim is a special 9-day summer program for kids entering 2nd grade. The session is designed to be just the right length—not so long that our young campers feel uncomfortable, but not so short that they miss out on a fuller camp experience. It offers the same growth and adventures of camp, just in a kid-size meal! Participants get to be true members of the camp community, joining the rest of camp at evening programs, daily meals, Shabbat events, and more. A lot of the programing aims for them to become accustomed to camp. Many of the aidah’s (group) educational activities have some component to build comfort and learn the customs of CYJ. For example, they will learn songs, have adventures all around camp, try a variety of programs, and get a feel for what CYJ is all about!

We have 2 Nitzanim programs: Session 1 and Session 2. They both start on the Opening Day of their respective Sessions, and have their own unique closing day.

You can find this summer’s Nitzanim dates here. Camper pick up and drop off times will be emailed out to parents directly.

Alonim

Two Week Camp

Looking for a slightly longer camper program or your camper has done a shorter program and isn’t quite ready for a full session? Then Alonim is the program for your camper! Alonim is a 14 day camper program for incoming 3rd and 4th graders. Like Nitzanim, some of the programing is aimed to help campers become accustomed to camp, and in Alonim, campers get to experience a little more of camp and come out engrained in our CYJ community. Alonim is a special program only offered during 1st session.

Packing for a Shorter Session

Every year, we work to perfect the packing list for our Nitzanim and Alonim campers to make sure they have everything they need and still use just their allocated cubby space. As with all of our campers, we encourage you to have your Nitzanim or Alonim camper pack with you - we find campers feel more confident when they know what they have and where it’s packed. Check out our packing list to begin the summer preparations.

For our Mini Mensch Campers, we have pared down the packing list to the essentials you need for just a few days. As with all of our campers, we encourage you to have your Mini Mensch camper pack with you - we find campers feel more confident when they know what they have and where it’s packed. Check out the Mini Mensch packing list here.