J Camps Parent Information
Parent Information Series
General Registration Questions
Only active J members with a Fast Pass will be allowed to register for J Summer Camps on Camp Registration Day, Sunday, February 5. Active members without a Fast Pass and the public will be allowed to register for J Summer Camps beginning on Wednesday, February 8.
A $50 deposit is required for each week of camp at the time of registration.
AM Care
$50 per week AM Care begins at 7:30AM. Your camper will enjoy quiet activities such as coloring and board games until the camp day begins. This summer AM Care will be held in the Weingarten building for all campers who are kindergarten age and older. Camp Bami campers will need to go to the Bertha Alyce Center for AM care drop off. The J will provide transportation for Kaleidoscope campers from the Weingarten building to the Merfish Teen Center.
PM Care
$75 per week The camp day does not need to end at 3:30! Campers can continue to enjoy the excitement of camp until 5:30PM with sports, arts & crafts, games, and other fun activities throughout the afternoon. A kosher afternoon snack will be served. The J will provide transportation from the Merfish Center to the Weingarten building for any camper signed up for PM care. Kindergarten and older campers will be picked up at the Weingarten Building. Camp Bami campers will be pick up at the Berth Alyce Center.
Teen AM/PM Roamers
This program is an alternative to traditional AM/PM care and allows teen campers to be on their own before and after camp. This program is free to those enrolled in camp. Below you will find the Summer 2023 roamer policy.
Who can be a roamer?
- Any camper entering 6th to 8th grade can be a roamer.
- Teens and parents must sign a roamer agreement.
Rules and expectations:
- Teens and parents must have a signed roamer agreement on file.
- Teens must check in with an assigned camp staff member in the game room if they arrive before 8:30 AM.
- Teens must check out with an assigned camp staff member in the game room between 3:30 PM and 5:00 PM.
- There will be a “three strikes and you’re out” policy on forgetting to check in/out.
- On the Monday of each week (or the first day the teen is present that week), roamers must sit with a staff member for five minutes to go over expectations.
- If a camper cannot handle the responsibilities of being a roamer, they will be asked to leave at 3:30 PM carpool or will need to be signed up for PM Care with 3rd – 5th grade.
Families with a balance on their account will not be able to register until the balance has been paid.
When you register for camp, payment options include:
- Payment can be made in full -OR- in 4 auto-debited monthly installments via ACH (bank account) or credit card.
- Deposits are required regardless of the form of payment, at time of registration.
- If you choose to pay in monthly installments via ACH or credit card, the deposit is due immediately upon registration, after which four equal payments will be auto-debited on the following dates: Friday, March 17; Tuesday, April 18; Wednesday, May 17 and Monday, June 19.
- Registrations made on or after March 17 will pay the deposit and the monthly installment amount for the month(s) that have passed.
- All credit card transactions for J Camps will include a 3% credit card transaction fee which is non-refundable.
Yes.
Registration will be confirmed with an e-mail once the process is complete. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please call us so we can check your registration status.
If a camp is full, you will be placed on a waitlist in the order that you register. You will not be charged at that time. The Camp office will notify you if a space becomes available.
Yes. Any changes in enrollment need to be done through the Camp Office. Contact Jessica Chatman at jchatman@erjcchouston.org. Please note that some camps sell out quickly, and changing them at a later date may not be possible. Changes made after May 1st will incur a $10 change fee.
Friend requests are part of the Camper Forms.
Camp provides a wonderful opportunity to meet NEW friends, however we understand the importance of friends at this time and will do our best to honor up to 2 friends requests with priority for mutual requests. Friend requests are only for Camp BAMI, Kinder Camp and Camp Kaleidoscope.
If your child attends a Jewish sleep-away camp and the dates conflict with J Camps, we will prorate the camp accordingly. Otherwise, we do not prorate.
We strive to make everyone feel welcome, regardless of their cultural or religious background. We are a Jewish Day Camp that offers a Jewish component to each Day Camp. The Jewish programs are integrated in such a way so that no one is left feeling uncomfortable.
Health & Safety
The J has been successful at implementing a comprehensive health and safety plan. Our health and safety protocols were created by and are evaluated on an ongoing basis by our Medical Advisory Board and the J leadership team.
Children are not required to be vaccinated. The J is asking parents to share if their child(ren) are vaccinated on the camper health form.
ALL J staff is required to be vaccinated including camp counselors and any outside vendor that the J brings on to campus for programming.
Dates/Facilities/Logistics
The J will provide transportation from the West Houston Building to the Weingarten and Merfish facilities.
The J will have transportation for any camps that are off campus.
There will be a “Meet the Counselors” day prior to the first day of camp for traditional day camps (BAMI, Kinder, and Kaleidoscope). More information on this day will be sent in the months ahead.

