Camp Havaya

Camp Havaya is all about the joy of summer camp with the freedom to be who you truly are. All kids, no matter their race, sexual orientation, gender identity, family structure, or Jewish background are more than welcome. They’re celebrated!

On 120 acres of beautifully wooded land in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, the Aaron and Marjorie Ziegelman Campus has a kosher kitchen, heated six-lane swimming pool, private pond, arts center, indoor and outdoor theater, multiple athletic fields and courts, hight and low ropes courses, fully equipped Wellness Center, and streams and hiking trails throughout the property.

Campers and staff from all over the world—different races, cultures, practices, abilities, sexual orientations, family structures, and gender identities—come to Camp Havaya year after year because they know they’re more than accepted. They’re celebrated!

Summer Camp: Campers entering third through tenth grades join for three or four weeks, or all summer, to take part in all aspects of the Camp program: swimming, sports, boating, the challenge course, camping, singing, dancing, field trips, and more. They explore Jewish Reconstructionist values and discover how they can live as part of a 24/7 Jewish community. As campers get older, they are able to dig deeper, climb higher, explore more, and try ever new and exciting opportunities – including taking on leadership roles and living in Camp Hayava’s Eco-Village. First-time campers are welcome for the first two weeks of either session and entering second graders can join for a week.

Teen Programs: Teens entering eleventh grade have the incomparable opportunity to spend four weeks on the No’ar Hadash Israel Experience – climbing, swimming, singing, hiking, learning, and exploring their way through Israel. And for those high school juniors and seniors who only have a week to spend at Camp, the No’ar Hadash Leadership Experience is a perfect end to the summer.

Camp Havaya is one of the Havaya Summer Programs — proudly Reconstructionist communities open to all.

Family Camp: After the season ends, join with your whole family for five days of swimming, sports, arts, experiential education, singing, dancing, flying on the zip line across the lake, and celebrating Shabbat.

Our daughter sees Camp Havaya as her true-est turf, a place where she can be her true-est self, make her true-est friends, explore her true-est Jewish path. That’s only possible in a place that values and embraces so many vectors of diversity, so well.– Camp Havaya Parent

We work hard to make sure that each camper can play hard. Every detail is in place so that they can have the time of their life—every single summer.

Campers go tubing during morning pontoon boat rides, participate in inter-camp sports tournaments, sleep under the stars on overnight camping trips, dress up for Pirate Night and other theme nights, perform in the Camp “Sing,” build team spirit for Maccabiah (Olympics), and travel the world on International Day. They go on fun field trips (can you say waterpark?), sing their hearts out at amazing concerts, learn from skilled artists-in-residence, have late night pool parties, and perform in “Shabbat Unplugged”, their weekly all-camp talent show.

With so many things going on, the biggest challenge at Camp Havaya is figuring out what’s the most fun! Note: kids say the food is terrific.