Frequently Asked Questions

  
What grade does my child need to be entering to attend Anisfield Day Camp?
Anisfield Day Camp is for campers entering Grades 1 through 6.  During the last two weeks of camp we invite campers entering Kindergarten to attend Anisfield A La Carte.  This is a great introduction for our youngest campers to all that Anisfield has to offer.

What is Anisfield Day Camp?
Anisfield Day Camp is The Mandel Jewish Community Center of Cleveland's traditional day camp that begain the the 1960's.  All campers start and end their day at The Mandel JCC's camp site (located next to the outdoor pool.)  Our youngest campers, entering Grades 1 and 2 (Shoresh Village) remain at The Mandel JCC while our campers entering Grades 3 - 6 (Geza and Anaf Villages) travel together daily to our country camp site in Burton.

What are the names of the villages and what do they mean?
Shoresh Village is for campers entering grades 1 and 2.  Shoresh is the hebrew word for ROOT.  Geza Village is for campers entering grades 3 and 4.  Geza is the hebrew word for TRUNK.  Anaf Village is for campers entering grades 5 and 6.  Anaf is the hebrew word for BRANCHES.  The Maccabi Sports Village is for campers entering grades 2 through 6.  The Maccabi Sports Village is named after the Maccabi warriors made so famous in the story of Chanukkah.  The Maccabis' were known for the strength, honor and integrity.

What are the qualifications of Anisfield Day Camp's professional staff?
No other day camp can match our combination of caring, experience, dedication and expertise.  Our Camp Director, Jill Davidson is an experienced and enthusiastic full-time, year round, camp professional who will be happy and able to meet all of your family's needs.  Jill has worked at The Mandel JCC for over 14 years in the children and day camp departments and has attended or been involved in camp every summer since she attended Playland Day Camp herself!  She has been the Director of the Day Camps for over seven years and the Anisfield Day Camp Director for the last four summers.  Jill has a master's degree in social work from Case Western Reserve University and an undergradaute degree from Indiana University.  She has a certificate of Jewish Studies from Indiana University and a certificate of Jewish Communal Service from Siegel College of Jewish Studies.  Jill's priority is creating a safe and incredibly special camp environment for your camper that values strong relationships with parents and campers through frequent communication and an open door policy.

How long is the bus ride to Burton?
The ride is about 20 minutes long, but flys by for our campers; as counselors lead daily bus games, songs, cheers and other fun activities that the campers look forward to!  The Mandel JCC has been using Precious Cargo as our bus provider for over 10 years and has an excellent relationship with the company and is extremely pleased with their record for safety, timeliness and professionalism.

How many weeks can my camper attend Anisfield?
We recommend coming to Anisfield for 8, 6 or 4-weeks.   We work hard to create a strong sense of community throughout the summer and believe that young people benefit most from the consistency of a full summer camp program.  However, we realize that often other family plans can interfere with sending your child for a complete session, in these situations we will work with families to accomodate their schedules.  Please contact Laurie, Day Camp Registrar at 216-593-6251 to discuss the accomodations we can make for your family.

My camper wants to attend Anisfield and The Francine and Benson Pilloff Family Playmakers Performing Arts Camp, how can we do that?
We recommend that your camper attend the 4-week session of Anisfield from June 16 - July 11 and then attend the second 4-week session of Performing Arts Camp from July 14 - August 8.  As Anisfield is designed to start on June 16th your camper will experience a full sense of community and camping enjoyment at Anisfield and then continue on to a brand new session at Performing Arts Camp.

My camper wants to attend Anisfield Day Camp and The Mandel JCC's overnight camp, Camp Wise, how can we do that?
We are happy to adjust the session dates for your camper to complement the time that they spend at Camp Wise.   If this will be your camper's first time at Camp Wise we recommend you take advantage of B'Yachad (hebrew for together) which combines 5 weeks of Anisfield and then culminates in a 2 week overnight camp experience at Camp Wise.   To find out more about B'yachad or in figuring out how Camp Wise and Anisfield can complement each other please contact Laurie, Day Camp Registrar at 216-593-6251. 

What are the camp hours?
Drop off begins at 8:35 AM with morning circle starting promptly at 9 AM.  Pick up begins at 4:00 PM and is typicallyl over by 4:15 PM.  Morning  (begins at 7:30 AM) and afternoon (ends at 6:00 PM) extended care hours are available if you are need of additional care.

What is the size of your camp groups and counselor to camper ratio?
There is 1 Anisfield staff member for ever 3.5 campers.  Camper groups have a maximum of 15 campers and 1 Senior Counselor (college age or older) and 1 Junior Counselor (entering 11th and 12th grade.)  Many groups also have a C.I.T. (Counselor in training, entering 10th grade) or an Inclusion Companion Counselor included.  Each camper group is part of a village.  There are 4 - 5 camper groups per village.  Each village is overseen by a Village Supervisor (College graduate.)  In addition, during specialty periods 1 or 2 specialists are with each camper group in addition to their group counselors.

Can you tell me more about instructional swimming classes?
Learning to swim is one of the most important aspects of camp.  Campers have instructional swim every day for 45 minutes in the morning.  At the Mandel JCC the classes take place in the outdoor pool (which is only open for camp swimming lessons during this time.)  At the Burton campsite the lessons take place in our outdoor pool.  The classes are all taught according to American Red Cross swimming guidelines and are taught by certified lifeguards, water safety assistants and water safety instructors.  Campers are tested for their swimming abilities during their first days at camp and are then placed in their ability levels.  Swim groups range in size from 6 - 12 campers with 1 instructor and 2 - 3 counselors assisting at all times.  The Head Instructor and a lifeguard are on deck at all times.  If at any time in the summer you have any questions about your child level, the skills they are working on or any concerns please call the camp office immediately so that we may address your question or concern.

Do I need to pack a lunch and a drink each day?
We do ask parents to pack a lunch and a drink each day which is refridgerated in your camper's shelter.  Subway at the J also offers a service that will deliver a preordered lunch and drink to your camper!  Information will be available in May regarding this service.  Each week the camp has either a cookout hot dog lunch or cookout dinner, the camp calendar will specify what days meals are being provided.

What do you do if it rains?
Camp goes on, rain or shine!  In a light drizzle we even try to keep our swimming times and continue playing outside on the fields.  We are prepared with rainy day programs that can be done inside the moadon (Hebrew for shelter.)  Of course, in the case of sever weather or lightening, everyone is under cover.  Late nights and overnights also go on, rain or shine.

Is the food served by The Mandel JCC Kosher?
All food provided by the Mandel JCC is kosher.  Campers are not required to pack kosher lunches, however in order to create a comfortable atmosphere for all, campers and staff are not permitted to share food. W e ask that parents refrain from sending pork products.  Dairy and Pareve Snacks will be served on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  Pareve snacks will be served on Tuesday and Thursday.

My child will have their birthday during the summer, will you celebrate with them?
Campers who have their birthdays during camp are made to feel special by being recognized during the camp day within their village and given a camp-provided treat.  Because we have many campers with dietary restrictions and because of the laws of Kashruth (Hebrew for kosher), we ask that parents not send birthday treats for distribution to the other campers in the group or village.

My child is very sensitive to the sun, will you remind them to apply sunscreen?
You may choose to send your camper with sunscreen and a protective hat, making sure to label both with your camper's name.  Throughout the day we have 5 minutes periods scheduled for sunscreen application.  Counselors stop the group and help campers remember to apply their sunscreen.  If your child needs special help applying their sunscreen, please send in a note so that we make sure the counselors are aware of it and offer help.

How will I know what is happening throughout the summer?
The Anisfield Newsletter, which contains all important information is sent home every Friday with campers.  We also send the newsletter via email for those families which have provided us with e-mail addresses.  Special notes about specific events are also sent home regularly with campers. We recommend that you ask your chld daily if they have received any Anisfield letters from their counselors.  In addition to these mass communications, it is important that communication lines between a camper's parents, the directors and the village supervisors are strong.  The confidential camper profile is provided to parents to begin this individual conversation.  Any information about the personal or general nature of your child assists our staff in helping plan a camper's smooth adjustment to camp.  If a parent has any concerns or questions about their camper's experience at camp, please call our camp office to arrange for either a telephone conference or a meeting with the village supervisor and/or camp director.  It is our priority to partner with parents to create the best camp environment for every camper.

What are the most important camp dates?
New Parent Orientation is on Thursday, June 5 at 7 PM. 
An Open House at our Burton campsite is on Sunday, June 8th from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM. 
Meet your Counselor is from 2:00 - 3:00 on Sunday, June 15th. 
And most importantly our first day of camp is Monday, June 16, 2008.

Do you have a suggestion for another frequently asked question?  Send it to Jill Davidson, Anisfield Director at jdavidson@clevejcc.org and she will reply to you directly as well as place the answer on this website.