Here are some frequently asked questions about Noam Summer Camp. If the answer you are looking for isn’t here, please email [email protected] for more information!
What we do on camp varies from day to day. The structure of each day remains largely the same; we start each day with breakfast before Shacharit (morning prayers), we have lunch and dinner at the same time each day, before ending with Ma’ariv (evening prayers) and then some time to get ready for bed.
Most days will include some dedicated time in Kvutzot. These are small groups of the same people each time, to help participants make friends and meet new people more easily.
Multiple days a week participants will have a chance to work on Chuggim. These are projects that they can choose and work on throughout camp. In the past, they have been painting, sports, dance, and music. The options available are led by participants so that we can help them hone the skills that they’d like to develop.
All activities are created and run by our brilliant, homegrown Madrichim (leaders). They are trained within Noam to curate activities which are both fun and educational, and incorporating the interests of the participants on their specific camp.
Please find a sample timetable of a day on camp below:
| 8:00 | Breakfast |
| 8:45 | Shacharit (morning prayers) |
| 9:15 | Kayaking |
| 11:30 | Kvutzah time |
| 12:30 | Lunch |
| 13:30 | Educational activity |
| 14:30 | Wide Game |
| 16:00 | Chuggim |
| 17:45 | Dinner |
| 19:00 | Megakef! |
| 21:00 | Ma’ariv (evening prayers) |
| 21:30 | Dorm Time |
| 22:30 | Bedtime and lights out! |
Our madrichim (leaders) are the friendly faces who will be looking after the chanichim (participants) every day!
We train all of them ourselves on a two-year course where they are given all the skills they will need. They are trained in pastoral care, wellbeing and SEN, and in creating brilliant activities.
They are managed by our roshim (head of years), who are first aid trained and are always overseeing the day-to-day running and structure of camp.
The roshim are managed by rakazim (supervisors). Their role is to support the roshim in management of their particular year group and have a particular oversight of behavioural and wellbeing structures.
The overall management of camp is in the hands of the Noam movement workers. These are full time members of staff who are responsible for oversight, management, and risk assessment on camp.
Camp is also supported by qualified paediatric nurses, SEN practitioners, and mental health professionals, who will be there on camp for the duration.
Noam is proud to be an inclusive movement and camp. We support many participants with SEN, mental health challenges, and a range of disabilities. With the help of our nurses, SEN practitioners, and mental health professionals, we have the infrastructure to support the unique needs of many children.
Upon receiving the medical form for each child, we make a note of everything that has been highlighted by parents within the form. The more information we receive, the clearer a picture we can put together of what support structures need to be in place in order to best support each child.
We may then create a Care Plan or Additional Support Document which highlights the areas where the child needs support and what will be in place to help them. These will also include any relevant contexts that should be noted when supporting them. These documents are then shared only with the relevant people who will be looking after them.
In the event that we discover that a significant information has not been disclosed to us before Machane, this puts your child’s participation in camp in jeopardy. Without the full information prior to camp itself, we may be unable to support your child’s needs and therefore we would not be able to responsibly take care of them.
This year, camp is fully catered by professional chefs. All the food on camp is vegetarian, and it is prepared in a kosher kitchen.
Here is a sample one-week menu:
| Breakfast | Cereal, toast, fruit | Cereal, toast, fruit | Cereal, toast, fruit | Cereal, toast, fruit | Cereal, toast, fruit | Cake, juice and cereal | Cereal, toast, fruit |
| Lunch | Roasted vegetable lasange with salad and garlic bread | Jacket potato with toppings, salad | Fajitas and tortilla chips | Baguettes, crisps and salad | Falafel, pitta, salad | Sandwiches, crisps and salads | Breakfast for lunch (eggs, toast, beans, hash browns) |
| Dinner | Chilli and rice with corn on the cob | Burgers and chips with coleslaw | Pasta bake and roasted vegetables | Tagine and cous cous with roasted vegetables | Vegetarian sausages, mash and peas | Pizza and chips with chopped vegetables | Vegetarian Bolognese with pasta |
Please note that we also provide an option of a more plain meal at every meal times for fussy eaters.
Chanichim will hand their phones upon arrival at the coach stop. They will receive their phones in allocated slots to phone home throughout camp.
Parents/guardians are welcome to send letters or emails that will be printed off and given to chanichim regularly. Any packages sent to chanichim may be opened before being given to the chanich/a/ol. This is in the interest of security and safety.
Chanichim are allowed to bring vegetarian, nut-free snacks on Machane, these must be handed in to madrichim (leaders) at the start of camp. Throughout camp, their snacks will be shared during kvutzah time or dorm time. Any snacks/food that is posted will also be handed in and shared out.
Parents/guardians will receive regular updates from the rakaz (coordinator), each year group has their own rakaz. These updates will include a run through of the day’s activities and photos of the fun.
There will also be scheduled time to phone home every few days on camp. This is when the chanichim will be given their phone for a short period. Parents will be notified about when these slots are.
We go through extensive measures to ensure the safety of all people on site. Our sites are checked by CST during camp to ensure that they are up to standard. This involves an assessment of location, safety and on-site measures such as locking the gates.
We hire external security personnel to monitor the site and we do not share the address of the site unless necessary.
Noam is the youth movement of Masorti Judaism, in accordance with this, we follow Halakah and say tefillah (prayers) every day. Each day on machane we say Shacharit in the morning and Ma’ariv in the evening. There is an optional Mincha service available in the afternoon for those who wish to join, but it is not compulsory.
Our madrichim (leaders) are trained in making tefillah more engaging. They use innovative techniques to engage in chanichim in the services.
On Shabbat, we are Shomrei Shabbat which means that all chanichim and madrichim are expected to observe Shabbat in public spaces. We also run a Torah service, which looks different depending on the age group.
For those over Bnei Mitzvah age, we encourage them to lead the service through leyning (reading from the Torah) or having an Aliyah. This is not restricted by previous experience or gender, and chanichim who wish to leyn will be supported by our educators through the process.
Copyright 2024 Masorti Judaism. All rights reserved
Masorti Judaism is a registered UK charity No. 117590