About Day Camp

The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan opened its doors in January 2002, after a number of years of planning and dreaming. For many years we were a JCC “without walls,” running sports leagues in the parks and parent support groups, Ulpan, and other programs around the city. Once we moved into our 14-story building at 334 Amsterdam Ave., we opened our nursery school and fitness center, and, that summer, Day Camp @ the JCC.

Day Camp @ the JCC served campers ages 3-9 in our first few summers, in both traditional and specialty programs. In 2006, we opened Day Camp @ Pearl River, and, in 2016, we bought and opened Camp Settoga. Our current camps include the Day Camp @ the JCC for children ages 3-5 and Camp Settoga for children ages 4-12.

Our camps truly live the mission of the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan to create opportunities for people to connect, grow, and learn within an ever-changing Jewish landscape.

The physical safety and emotional well-being of our campers and staff are our top priorities. We have a wonderful registered nurse on site daily, who is available and equipped to care for any camper and staff member needs. A counselor always accompanies a child to the nurse’s office, and the nurse or child’s unit head will follow up after any medical-related visit (sometimes campers just need an emotional-support bandaid!). Our staff pays great attention to the general health, wellness, and safety of our campers, with a special emphasis on keeping them hydrated during the hot summer days.

At camp, the emotional well-being of our campers and staff is a top priority. Our experienced Care Team works to support all members of our community before, during, and even after the summer. They work with each counselor team to recognize and support a variety of campers’ needs, while also serving as partners in developing unique strategies to encourage self-confidence, strong communication skills, positive conflict resolution, and overall social-emotional well-being. This team often reaches out to families in advance of the summer to better understand any camper needs or unique situations so the entire Day Camp @ the JCC team is best equipped to support each camper the moment camp begins. While a camper’s unit head is a family’s primary point of contact during the summer, Care Team members are always available to connect with camp families directly. Our Care Team works closely with all leadership team members, counselors, and campers to provide personalized guidance, support, and supervision for every member of the camp community, ensuring that personal growth is a key aspect of all Day Camp @ the JCC summers.

Day Camp @ the JCC is committed to providing a safe and comfortable environment for every camper. Our groups are gender-inclusive and we do not use gender as a way to define or limit individuals. By doing this, we strive to create a space of belonging and self-expression.

We all thrive because every camper and staff member brings something special to our accepting and dynamic community. Camp is a warm and loving place that sees each of our community members for who they are as individuals. We’re proud of this deep commitment to diversity and aim to set the standard for creating a Jewish camp culture that is open and inclusive of everyone who wishes to participate.

Creating a celebratory, truly representative community is an ongoing process. Be in touch to ask us the hard questions; be honest with us and we promise to respond in kind. We know it takes a village to raise a child and we want to be part of your village.