Seeking a great new camp option this summer? The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan offers an amazing camp in Pomona (Rockland County), just over the Tappan Zee Bridge. Camp Settoga, located in the foothills of Harriman State Park, allows campers ages 4-12 the chance to explore, grow, and discover outdoor adventure on 21 lush, green acres.
Besides being a great experience for kids, Camp Settoga celebrates values that parents hold dear; they engage children through experiences that build, support and reinforce positive personal identity, strong peer relationships, skill development, and a powerful sense of community responsibility. The JCC believes summer camp should be a life-changing experience for campers and staff alike, a place where building and nurturing community are paramount.
Settoga has been bustling with construction to ready new and renovated facilities for summer 2022, including a brand-new mini-golf course, sports courts, and amphitheater. Other top-notch facilities include an Olympic-sized swimming pool, zipline and challenge course, garden, and studio art centers.
Camp Settoga celebrates Jewish life in vibrant, upbeat, and energetic ways all summer long. Each week features a theme grounded in core values, with a Values Squad that works with camp staff and specialists to integrate themes into all programs and activities. Each Friday, at Shabbat celebrations, bunks lead songs and stories to share their experiences from the week. Campers bake challah over the campfire, talk about the week coming to a close, and discuss their hopes for the week ahead, immersing the camp in the spirit of Shabbat.
Settoga reinforces its values in the following ways:
Community. Settoga takes pride in allowing and encouraging its campers to play active roles in creating their communities, from individual bunks to the Settoga family as a whole.
Curiosity. Settoga is the perfect setting for experiencing wonder, believing that the process of inquiry, driven by curiosity, is at the heart of daily interactions.
Patience. Camp provides the perfect backdrop to learning about practicing a new skill many times over, waiting for one’s turn, and slowing down to allow a friend to catch up.
Gratitude. Settoga seeks to create a culture of gratitude by regularly expressing appreciation to its counselors, specialists, and peers and working to acknowledge a deeper appreciation for each other as it builds a camp community together.
Self-confidence. The JCC sees camp as a place where campers and staff can be their best selves. By encouraging all community members to try new things in a safe and supportive environment, Settoga cultivates each person’s belief in themselves.
Responsibility. For many young people, camp is their first experience away from their home and families, which serves as an excellent opportunity to develop a sense of personal responsibility — from looking after their belongings and picking up trash to experiencing what it means to be a responsible member of a community.
Creativity. Settoga seeks to provide opportunities to promote creativity both within and outside of its activity areas, from holding “Open Mic” sessions at morning Flagpole to allowing older campers to use electives to personalize their weekly schedules.
Leadership. In many ways, camp can be viewed as a long-term, immersive education experience in leadership. Through summers at Settoga, campers grow into leaders by serving as role models for their younger peers, and counselors hone their leadership skills as they lead their campers.
