Judaism and Shabbat
Eli and Bessie Cohen founded the Cohen Camps with a mission to combine the experience of living Jewishly within a residential camp environment.
Our goal is to establish a community of Jewish youth where we not only encourage campers to explore their individual and collective Jewish identities, their heritage and their community, but also prepare them for their role in the larger Jewish community and the world. We do this by educating campers about their heritage and our Israeli mission through daily prayers in the dining hall, culture classes, Jewish music, learning about Israel, Israeli dance instruction, and special programs designed by our staff including the very popular annual Israel Day.
Shabbat is a special time at Camp Pembroke…one that alumnae and visitors warmly remember as the most memorable part of camp. We welcome Shabbat each week with services in the outdoor chapel. After a traditional Shabbat dinner the entire camp participates in a spirited session of song and dance. Shabbat evening and morning services are led mostly by campers, afternoon activities encompass a variety of Jewish and Zionist themes for all campers, and Shabbat ends with Havdalah, led by campers and the Head of Jewish Culture.
