FAQ

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1. How can I best prepare my child for their first camp experience?
• Speak with your child about being away from home for an extended amount of time. It is important to emphasize that if your child is homesick at first, they should not dismiss camp right away. They should remain at camp, and in almost all cases, the feeling disappears after a few days. In addition, emphasize how much fun they will have, the different activities offered at camp, and the amount of new friends they will be making. Often, a child’s first letter home may sound distressing. Keep in mind that being homesick in the first few days is common and the letter you have received is likely close to one week old.
• Consider organizing sleepovers with friends in and out of the house as to acculturate your child to sleeping arrangements at camp. Also, participating in the free family weekend in early June will familiarize your child with the site and make the transition easier.
2. How long are the camp sessions?
• The first session is three weeks beginning in late June and ending in mid-July, the second session is three and a half weeks starting in mid-July and ending in mid-August. The Ofarim program (Taste of Gesher program) occurs during the second session and lasts for an optional 12, 15, or 26 days.
3. How does my child's luggage get to camp?
• At the beginning of each session, campers are picked up from central locations in Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal by busses and/or vans. Your child’s luggage is brought to camp with these busses in trailers or rented trucks. If you do not live in these cities and cannot bring your child to a pickup point, it is your responsibility to bring your child’s luggage to camp.
4. Can I communicate with my child via phone/e-mail?
• You can contact your child via fax or e-mail, however it is suggested that you send faxes/e-mails at the same rate you would send regular mail. We recommend one fax or email per week, as this amount takes into account the time, resources, and environmental cost associated with the printing of e-mails on a daily basis. Phone calls to campers are reserved for birthdays and emergency situations.
• Your child may send letters via regular mail throughout the summer.
• You may send your child packages via mail, however, any food that is sent to camp cannot contain nuts or traces of nuts. Any packages containing food are expected to be shared among the group by the child receiving the package.
5. What is Kupa?
• At Gesher, food and money are collected into a common pool for each group (known as “kupa”), and shared among all members. This practice is used to educate campers about sharing and equality, and provides other campers who have not received packages the opportunity to feel included.
6. Should I send money with my child to camp?
• You may send with your child whatever amount you feel comfortable giving. It is recommended that you send $30 per session to camp with your child for the purpose of kupa. This is a communal pool of money shared within each group, used to educate campers about equality and collective empowerment. It allows campers to engage in activities as a group that otherwise would not be possible (e.g., going to a nearby municipality to see a movie).
7. Can I visit camp?
• In early June, there is a free family weekend when parents are encouraged to come with their campers to see the grounds and assist in preparing the camp for the children
• As a regular practice, we do not allow parents to visit camp other than on our predetermined visiting day, which is the last day of first session. Under extenuating circumstances, parental visits are considered on a case-by-case basis. To visit camp outside of visitors day you must first communicate with the staff at camp.
8. Can my child leave camp?
• As a regular practice, we do not allow campers to leave camp. Under extenuating circumstances (e.g., a family wedding), campers are allowed to leave for varying amounts of time.
9. What if I need to cancel my registration?
• Please notify our office immediately if you wish to cancel your child’s registration to camp and a full refund will be issued to you immediately.
10. What should I pack for my child?
• Please consult the packing list provided in the Guide to Gesher, which presents a recommended packing list.
11. Is there camp laundry?
• Camp provides off-site laundry service twice each session and once during inter-session (the three days between first and second session). Laundry is provided roughly once every 10 days. There are also on-site washers and dryers if needed.
12. What is sold at the camp tuck shop?
• Gesher does not have a tuck shop on site. Any candy that campers bring is put into the communal kupa, as described earlier.
13. What should I NOT send with my child to camp?
• If any of the following items are brought to camp they will be immediately confiscated:
  1. Food containing nuts or non-kosher food
  2. Pornography or similarly explicit material
  3. Dangerous toys such as capguns or slingshots
  4. Lighters or matches
  5. Electronic games (e.g. Gameboys etc.)
  6. Weapons (including knives, Leatherman, etc.)
• A camper bringing cigarettes, drugs, or alcohol to camp will be immediately dismissed without refund.
• In an attempt to be environmentally conscientious, Camp Gesher discourages campers from bringing disposable water bottles. Nalgenes or other reusable bottles should be brought up instead.
14. Is there cell phone reception at camp?
• There is no reception at Gesher. Campers are advised to keep cell phones and other expensive electronics at home.
15. What kind of medical facilities does camp have?
• Gesher has an on-site infirmary equipped with general medical and first aid supplies. In addition, any prescriptions brought from home are kept secure in the infirmary. A trained medical personnel is available on-site at all times during the camp season. For most of the summer, there is also a doctor at camp.
16. What if my child takes regular medications?
• All medications are kept in the infirmary, and campers take medication when needed on a daily basis. Only those who need to know are told about camper medication (e.g. the medic and the child’s counselors). Campers are escorted to the infirmary when taking medication by a counselor, and the medic dispenses the medicine. The medic keeps a detailed log of all campers’ medical information in a locked area, as well as a detailed record of medicine taken by campers who are on regular medication.
17. How do I make bunk requests for my child?
• On the camp registration form, there is space to write the names of two other campers that you wish to be in the same bunk as your child. We will try our best to accommodate your requests.
18. Where will my child live?
• Your child will live in a cabin with children of the same age and gender. Groups are split among three or more cabins if they are too large. If this is the case, the cabins are beside one another. In all instances, boys and girls cabins are next to each other. If your child is in one of the youngest two groups (grades two, three, or four), they will have bathrooms and showers in the cabin. Otherwise, bathrooms are located in separate facilities no more than a minute from the cabins. Every cabin contains shelving units.
19. How long does it take to drive to camp from the closest major cities?
• Gesher is about a three-and-a-half hour drive from Toronto, a five hour drive from Montreal, and a three hour drive from Ottawa.
20. My child is a picky eater, what kind of menu items does camp offer?
• Gesher offers a diverse menu that combines Middle Eastern cuisine with common North American dishes. Gesher offers a vegetarian option for each meat meal. Each meal includes a large variety of foods to satisfy picky eaters and provide a balanced diet. Gesher also accommodates for campers with dietary restrictions.
21. Do you have a kosher kitchen?
• All food products offered to the campers are Kosher. Also all eating and cooking utensils are separated for milk and meat meals. However, the food served at campers is not overseen by a mashgiach. We do not cook food on Shabbat.
22. Who sleeps in each cabin?
• This depends on how big a given group may be. If a cabin is full, the average amount of campers within each cabin is 12 to 14.
• A minimum of two staff members are assigned to each cabin. This includes counselors as well as specialists (e.g., lifeguards). Depending on the size of the group and the camp as a whole, this number can increase to three or four.
23. How does Gesher select and train its staff?
• Gesher’s staff is almost exclusively composed of former campers. After an interview process, in consultation with the Board of Directors and the Camp Director, the head staff of Gesher select the best candidates for each job position based on applications, interviews, and past performance evaluations. Staff members are trained one summer prior to their first year on staff in a summer-long counselor-in-training program. In addition, staff members undergo training for 10 days prior to the first session of each summer (including training with outside professionals about social issues and how to prevent child abuse). There are also training seminars throughout the year.
• The entire staff is trained in CPR and first aid every year. In addition, all waterfront staff have their National Lifeguard Service (NLS) qualifications.
24. How can I communicate to my child’s counselors?
• If at any point during the summer you’d like to discuss your child, the camp, or just get to know the counselors, feel free to call us at 613-336-2583 or you can send an e-mail to gesher@sympatico.ca.
25. Can my child take classes in order to receive swimming, skiing, or canoeing badges?
• Yes, Gesher has an extensive waterfront program. Your child can continue their swimming lessons at camp if they take lesson in the city and can attain the next badge level. If your child does not swim, they can learn to swim at Gesher. We also offer a bronze cross and bronze medallion course. Our swim program is affiliated with the Red Cross of Canada and the Lifesaving Society of Canada.
• We also offer a ski program in which campers can obtain badges in wakeboarding, water-skiing, and kneeboarding.
• Gesher has begun offering Ontario Recreational Canoeing and Kayaking Association (ORCA) certification.
26. Is your camp nut free?
• Yes. We are 100% nut free.
27. What happens if my child runs out of essentials (e.g., soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush)?
• Once notified, we will buy them whatever is needed.