Family FAQ

You may request up to two placement requests through the Camper Information Form provided to families prior to the summer. We do our very best to place your child with at least one of their requests. Please note that placement requests are not guaranteed.

Yes. Financial assistance is available to any family that registers a camper and also completed our online Financial Assistance form. All financial assistance applications are treated confidentially and reviewed thoroughly by a committee. Additionally, Camp Harlam partners with congregations in giving fee assistance and recommends talking with a local Federation in your geographic area. An added asset is the availability of “One Happy Camper” grants of $1,000 for first-time campers throughout our region. These incentive grants are not needs-based and are for first-time campers that attend either of our 3.5-week sessions. In some areas, campers attending our Intro Experience are eligible for a “One Happy Camper” grant in the amount of $700. For more information about ANY aspect of financial assistance, please contact our camp office.

All of the URJ Camps are dedicated to providing safe and secure environments for our campers and staff. Harlam conducts regular safety and security reviews and evaluation, and works closely with local law enforcement officials to make sure our safety standards and practices are the best they can be. The health and welfare of our community will always be our top concern.

We dress informally at Camp, and it is not necessary to buy new clothing for your child. Camp is primarily an outdoor setting; simple and modest clothing is the most appropriate. Campers usually wear t-shirts with casual shorts. High-heeled shoes, designer clothes and expensive jewelry are neither necessary nor encouraged. We strongly discourage campers from wearing “inappropriate attire.” Clothes that are intentionally tight or revealing should be left at home. All clothing and personal belongings should be clearly marked with the camper’s full name. One of the most important times at camp is our observance of Shabbat. In keeping with our tradition, we ask that our camp community dress in white for Friday evenings. White tops are required; they can be paired with jeans, khakis, etc. or be part of an all-white ensemble.

Harlam is a place that celebrates living Jewishly every day with all members of our community no matter the experience or background they bring with them. We seek to engage all family members in being a part of the camp family. There is an enormous amount of pride and identification with being a Harlamite – and that will include you. Through our communications with you, we will seek to educate and onboard so that you feel immersed in our community. Whether you know the words to Hamotzi (blessing over the bread) or not, we will help you feel “in the know” at camp.

During the course of the session, your child will have many opportunities to learn or develop new skills. In almost all cases, the camp supplies the necessary equipment and supplies to participate. In particular instances where your child is seeking mastery of an activity, he/she may desire his/her own special equipment, such as a baseball glove or a tennis racket. Be selective, and remember that Harlam is not responsible for loss or damage of personal items.

Camp Harlam gives each and every camper a t-shirt (corresponding to their camper unit) to use throughout the summer. Other camp “gear” is sold online through our eStore.

Campers should have enough clothing with them to last at least 10 days. Laundry is sent out of camp every Wednesday and returned every Friday. The laundry comes back washed, dried, and folded. Each laundry day, campers should also send out their linens to be washed. It’s important to label all clothing for the rare cases in which laundry gets lost.

Parents have the option to drive campers to camp on opening day or send their children on a camp-provided bus. Bus
transportation is an option for all campers for Opening Day for both first and second session for no additional charge.
There will be bus transportation on closing day for campers living in the DC/VA area ONLY for both first and second
session as well.

Camp offers kids and parents the chance to develop a rarely practiced skill – letter writing. We strongly recommend that parents write to their campers multiple times a week. A card, letter, or e-mail – arriving regularly – does more for camper morale than anything else. We try to ensure that campers write letters or postcards to their parents at least twice each week. We also use a special service to supplement communication in the summer that allows parents secure access to a site with daily uploads of photos from camp and a way to e-mail letters to your child (they are distributed like mail through our camp office).

Parents are welcome to call the camp during the summer to find out how their children are doing. After we receive your call, the parent contact or our Camper Care team will call you back within 24 hours.

Camp Harlam’s kid-friendly menu offers campers plenty to eat. Almost all meals are served family-style in the dining hall, with bunks eating together at assigned tables. Breakfast usually includes a hot item, with cereal and hard boiled eggs always available, as well as a breakfast bar with yogurt, granola, and fruit. Lunch and dinner usually include a hot entrée, and a salad bar is always available. Fresh fruit is available at all times. Whenever meat is served, a vegetarian option is offered. We make accommodations for campers on special allergy or health-related diets. Camp Harlam is not a kosher facility and we do not have a kosher kitchen or kosher plates and utensils. However, we do not serve pork or shellfish, or products containing them, and do not permit such products on camp grounds. Campers receive fruit between breakfast and lunch, a snack between lunch and dinner, and milk and cookies at the end of their evening programs.

We have a no package policy at Camp Harlam. We found that packages create a culture of haves and have-nots with our campers and their families, and have created a healthier bunk culture since their elimination.

We will continue to accept standard flat business size (#10) or greeting card envelopes so that families can correspond with campers, but anything larger than this will not be accepted or delivered. Packages will either be held at the office to be picked up on closing day or will be returned to the sender.

If your camper needs something like a piece of clothing or an important toiletry that was forgotten at home, lost, or is something that they ran out of while at camp, you can call our camp office at 570-629-1390 or email HarlamOffice@URJ.org and we will be able to discuss the need. If you child has a birthday while at camp, you will be able to send them one birthday package.

It is our hope that every camper will remain healthy and fully able to participate in all aspects of camp life all summer long. Just in case, though, Camp Harlam has a range of systems in place to manage health care issues that may arise. Our modern, well-equipped infirmary is staffed by medical professionals all summer long – usually one doctor and five nurses at any given time. We supervise the dispensing of medication four times a day and are able to accommodate other timings as needed. Comprehensively filled out medical forms will ensure we have what we need to take great care of your child while at camp.

Ever had a birthday party with 750 friends in attendance? Birthdays that occur during the camp session will be celebrated, and this observance is not only a treat for the camper, but a lot of fun for everyone. Campers will receive a cake to share with their bunk and will get to spin the Birthday Wheel to win a prize. Your child will be able to call home the evening of the birthday, and families may send one package to a camper for their birthday, but it must not contain food and should be just for that child and not the entire bunk.