More Options for Jewish Day Camps

In the City Camp is only one of several Jewish options for campers who don’t choose to spend four or eight weeks at a sleepaway camp.

Among the others:

• The Marcus Jewish Community Center has the biggest day camp operation (www.mjccadaycamps.org), running programs at Zaban Park in Dunwoody, Emory University intown, Congregation Dor Tamid in Johns Creek and Temple Kol Emeth in East Cobb, with free bus transportation offered throughout metro Atlanta.

The Marcus JCC has more than 100 options to meet the needs of rising pre-kindergartners through rising 10th-graders. Aside from traditional camp activities at Zaban Park and Dor Tamid, the programs include sports, performing arts and a range of specialties.

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Among the new options this year are Pokémon Adventure, whose activities include hunting for the friendly monsters using the Pokémon Go app; an introduction to golf, with at least one visit to a real golf course; a boot camp for Broadway-style musical theater, culminating in a showcase for families and friends; Marine Mania, whose focus on the seas and oceans will include a visit to the Georgia Aquarium; and a construction camp.

The day camp program also has added a weeklong sleepaway sports camp and a space camp that takes participants to Huntsville, Ala., for the final three days.

Registration opens at 10 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 8, for returning campers and one week later for new campers.

• Chabad of Cobb hosts Camp Gan Israel (www.cgicobb.org), serving 2½-year-olds through rising fifth-graders, for four weeklong sessions from June 26 to July 21.

Activities, divided into several age groups, include water play, kosher cooking, gardening, music, sports, science, art and a weekly Shabbat party, as well as two field trips a week. The oldest campers go on an overnight camping adventure.

Campers also get to choose one elective activity per week.

In addition, the camp has room for rising sixth-grade girls to participate as counselors in training.

Registration is open.

• Registration is also open at Chabad of North Fulton’s Camp Gan Israel (www.cginf.com), which is part of the same Chabad-based camp network as the East Cobb camp but operates independently. The Alpharetta/Johns Creek camp also offers four weeklong sessions from June 26 to July 21, providing sports, games, crafts and other activities to children ages 2 to 11.

One difference, aside from location, is that the East Cobb camp provides a hot kosher lunch each day; in North Fulton, campers bring a kosher bag lunch from home.

A grant in memory of camp director Rashi Minkowicz has lowered tuition in North Fulton to $200 per week for a limited time.