Rock, Climb, Skate: What to Do Away From Home

Philadelphia, PA, USA  (2006-07-27)

Evan Heltay, president of MySummerCamps.com, a Web site that boasts a list of more than 16,000 camps across the United States and Canada, says that, of new camps that pay to be included on the site, the majority are specialty camps rather than traditional ones. "High school kids are becoming big professional athletes," said Heltay, referring to basketball player Lebron James, who is a star in the NBA after being drafted out of high school. "People think that getting involved at a much younger age is the best way to do this." Heltay also noted that many camp directors and owners across the country are Jewish, and they seem to be hip to the developing trend of specialty camps. "The teen tour and travel camps -- that industry is dominated by Jews," said Heltay, who also stressed that Jews are so closely tied to camps because some 50 or 60 years ago, there was no welcoming place for Jewish kids to go in the summer. "Jews have traditionally sent kids off to camp because there were two parents working and a need for children to be some place," explained Heltay, "and there was a non-availability to go to country clubs or resorts not allowing Jews." The Jewish Exponent reaches a readership of 162,000.