Camp Photos

We will be posting pictures and videos through the summer of all the fun we’re having at camp. Please register with our Bunk1 through the invitation code you receive when registered for camp. Any questions about Bunk1, please contact Kristin Grapes.

Info For Parents

Our Dates & Rates for 2024

Camp dates for 2024 are subject to change. Scholarship aid is available for qualified applicants.

If interested, please complete the Scholarship Application by February 15, 2024.

  1st Session 2nd Session Full Season*
Dates 6/21/2024 - 7/15/2024 7/19/2024 - 8/11/2024 6/21/2024 - 8/11/2024
Apply By
10/31/2023

3,400

3,400

6,600

Apply By
2/28/2024

3,700

3,700

6,900

Apply After
2/28/2024

3,900

3,900

7,100

 

* Full season dates include a break for campers between sessions

Multi-child Discount: a $200 discount for each camper, after the first, will be applied to your tuition when two or more children from the same household are enrolled. Medical form processing fee of $25. (waived if submitted by 4/15/24)

Financial Assistance

At Golden Slipper Camp, we aim to provide fun and enriching overnight camp experiences to all children, especially those from families for whom camp wouldn’t be possible. Although our resources are limited, we maintain the position that any deserving child should be able to attend Golden Slipper Camp despite financial circumstances.

If you’re serious about sending your son or daughter to Golden Slipper Camp, we’re ready to help. If you qualify, scholarships may be available from several Jewish philanthropies supporting the camp, and we will assist you with your applications to those funding sources.

To speak with our Enrollment Coordinator, Kristin Grapes, please call 610-660-0520 (ext. 102) or email her at [email protected].


Our Facilities

Golden Slipper has been a charity since 1922. It is situated on over 600 beautiful acres in the Pocono Mountains. Our private lake and surrounding woods are an ideal setting for the celebration of summer. In that spirit, our modern facilities were designed to complement the beauty of this natural setting, not to intrude upon it. You’ll find every building isn’t just functional, it’s aesthetically pleasing, too.

Our Facilities Include:

  • A man-made fresh water lake

  • Riflery range

  • Heated swimming pool

  • Playground

  • Playing fields for softball, soccer, kickball, football and Ultimate Frisbee

  • Field hockey

  • Tennis courts

  • Blum Amphitheater

  • Activity buildings for crafts, drama, gymnastics

  • Overnight camping site

  • Mountain biking trails

  • Skate park

  • Dance studio

  • Canteen

  • Gross Recreation Hall

  • Counselor retreat

  • High ropes adventure course

  • Sand volleyball

  • Climbing wall

  • Archery range

  • Hockey arena

  • Laser tag


    Cabins & Villages

    Golden Slipper Camp accommodates children ages 7 to 15. We’ve created six villages that function as mini camps, with campers bunking in cabins with kids in their age group. Vogelson Village and Strauss Village are for boys and girls, respectively, ages 7 to 10. Kadden Village and Friends Village are for boys and girls 11 to 13. Council Boys Village and Council Girls Village are for teens, ages 14 and 15.

    Each village has its own Village Leader, a trained supervisor with specialized knowledge of that age group. Clustering the kids in villages ensures that the groups are small enough to get personal attention, at the same time providing convenient access to a variety of age appropriate programs and activities.

    Golden Slipper campers sleep in spacious, well-ventilated cabins with plenty of windows and ample room for belongings. Each cabin has full bathroom facilities – sinks, toilets and showers, with hot water, electricity, and round the clock supervision.


    Health & Safety

    While your child is at Golden Slipper Camp, you can be assured that his or her safety is our first priority. We take every precaution to ensure that the well-being of your child is paramount in every activity.

    Here are some of the practices we follow:

    As an accredited camp through the American Camp Association (ACA), Golden Slipper Camp adheres to and often exceeds, ACA safety guidelines.

    We maintain a ratio of five campers to every counselor or staff member to create optimum conditions for both their physical and emotional safety.

    Each staff member is required to participate in a comprehensive training program to be prepared in case of an emergency, and more importantly, how to prevent an emergency.

    We’ve established accident and emergency procedures that we practice and put into place should the need arise.

    Our health care facilities are well equipped and staffed with an expert medical team available to your child at all times. We employ several full-time nurses, who are on staff at Golden Slipper Camp. We call upon the services of a physician for minor injuries or illness, and in the unlikely event of a more serious condition, we are less than 10 miles from a hospital.


    Jewish Life at GSC

    Every day at Slipper we model and live out our camp’s Foundational Jewish Values:

    • Respect - Kavod
    • Loving kindness - Chesedsed
    • Repairing the world - Tikkun Olam
    • Family - Mishpacha
    • Friendship - Chaverim
    • Community - Kehillah

    Along with sportsmanship, team work, honesty, leadership and many others. These values are a set of beliefs and practices that transcend any singular religion. Our dynamic foundation of cultural and communal acceptance is highlighted in our diverse staff, campers, and alumni.

    Each morning starts with a communal gathering. At our flag raising ceremony, we take inventory of each member of our community and recognize the significant value each person adds to our camp family. We start each day meeting as a community at our flagpole. Here, we symbolically make sure everyone is accounted for, honor our nation, and frame our day through the lens of one of our core values.

    While eating in the dining hall, we say the blessing in Hebrew and in English, helping our Jewish campers further cement their Jewish identity and exposing others to the Hebrew language. We also celebrate Shabbat each week with a special dinner time service for all on Friday evenings, and with a special schedule every Saturday which honors and sanctifies Shabbat through a schedule which is more relaxed and gives both campers and staff additional time to rest. Saturday evening includes service opportunities of multiple faiths and beliefs. Campers and staff are offered the opportunity to attend Jewish (Havdalah) service, Christian, and Non-Denominational services.

    We also host some Jewish programming throughout the summer with a Rabbi hosting various activities like havdalah and shofar creation. Our Israeli staff, (shlichim: emissaries) usually host an Israeli or International Day (in conjunction with our other staff from around the world) and bring programming which fosters a deeper connection and relationship to the modern land of Israel. Together, we build our own unique community different from any other camp. These relationships have kept the alumni and members beaming with GSC pride since 1948!


    Frequently Asked Questions

    1Where are you located?
    We are located on 600 acres in the Pocono Mountains near Stroudsburg, PA. We’re just 2 hours north of Philadelphia, 2 hours west of New York City, and within an hour of the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton community.
    2How many campers are there?
    We can accommodate up to 140 boys and 160 girls, for a total of 300 children in each of our 25 day sessions.
    3Do counselors live in cabins?
    Yes. Supervision is extremely important, so we assign a minimum of two counselors and one counselor in training (CIT), to each cabin of approximately 8 – 10 campers. The cabins are clustered in villages so that kids live and interact with peers.
    4What is your staff to camper ratio?
    We follow the ACA standard of approximately one staff member for every five campers.
    5Who are the staff members, and how are they trained?

    Many of our staff have grown up at Golden Slipper Camp and have been trained in our Counselor in Training (CIT) program. All staff are interviewed and carefully screened by the Camp Director on the basis of their enthusiasm, abilities, and experience. Cabin counselors are all high school graduates with most working towards a college degree in Education.

    Activity Instructors are qualified professionals or skilled students who understand the special responsibilities involved with younger children. Golden Slipper Camp staff is spirited and loyal. They form a dynamic team that makes our camp a special place for kids.

    6Do campers have a choice of activities?
    Yes, campers have the opportunity to choose two electives per day. New choices are made weekly. In addition, there are at least four scheduled activities every day.
    7Are there medical facilities at camp?
    Yes. Golden Slipper Camp has a modern, well-equipped Health Center with several full-time nurses. For minor injuries and illnesses, we utilize the services of a local physician. In the event of serious injury, we’re minutes from the nearest hospital.
    8Are there visiting days?
    No, we do not offer a visiting day. However, we do encourage new and returning campers to take part in our Open House. Please see our camp calendar.
    9How do we get our child to and from camp?
    We provide round-trip transportation via highway coach buses in Elkins Park, PA. You’ll receive detailed information in our parent package about where and when to meet the bus.
    10What do campers need to bring to camp?
    You will receive a detailed list of recommended clothing and equipment in your parent package.
    11How Jewish is Golden Slipper Camp?
    While approximately 70% of our campers and staff are Jewish, all those involved with Golden Slipper Camp honor the Jewish values we have maintained since 1948. We stress the importance of community (kehillah), compassion (rachamim), friends (dibuk chaverim), and environment. Golden Slipper Camp believes these Jewish values not only make camp better but the world a better place in which to live.
    12Are campers allowed to “hang out” in their cabins?
    With over 25 exciting activities and the enthusiasm of staff and the other kids, campers rarely want to hang out. Our programming allows campers to be with their friends throughout the day. Each day is active and eventful, but we do set aside time after lunch (Rest Hour) for less structured activity. At Golden Slipper Camp, busy campers are happy campers.
    13What are the bunks like?
    Our rustic, comfortable bunks accommodate 8 to 10 campers, depending upon the age group, along with their bunk counselors. All cabins have multiple indoor bathrooms, sinks and showers, electricity, and single beds. Our full time maintenance staff provides yearly renovations and maintenance upkeep in our cabins and entire facility as well.
    14Is Golden Slipper Camp an accredited camp?
    We are a fully Accredited Camp of the American Camp Association and meet or surpass all required standards.
    15I am interested in sending my child to Golden Slipper Camp. Can I get a tour?
    Absolutely! We encourage new families who have not seen Golden Slipper Camp to make arrangements to visit us. Contact us by phone at 610-660-0520 or email [email protected] to set up a convenient time to visit camp in early spring or the summer.
    16Can I call my child at camp?

    Our experience shows that telephone calls home are almost always negative experiences, for both the camper and parent. Therefore, Golden Slipper Camp has a strict no-phone call policy. (We also have a no-cell phone policy for all campers.) We will always contact you if the situation requires it.

    We have your child’s best interest in mind.

    17How long are your sessions?
    Our camp season is 7 weeks in length, and campers may attend for the entire time (Full Season, limited number of slots available), the first 25 days (1st Session), or the last 25 days (2nd Session).
    18Is there a laundry service?
    Yes! Once a week campers send their laundry out in bags (lights and darks) to our camp laundry service. The service picks up the campers’ bags; washes, dries and folds their clothes; and returns it the next day to the cabins. Proper name tagging is important for this service to run effectively.
    19Can campers bring food to camp?

    Yes, all we ask is that you do not pack or send gum and know that your child will be expected to share with other campers in his/her bunk.

    In addition, campers go to the Canteen at least once each session for candy, drinks and chips. Please be mindful that additional food causes excess garbage, attracts insects and animals, and often causes conflicts within a bunk group, between the “haves” and “have-nots.”

    20How’s the mail?
    Every camper must write home at least two times a week. We ask that parents send self-addressed stamped envelopes. Allow 5 to 7 days for delivery of mail in either direction. We suggest parents send a couple of letters prior to the start of your child’s session so that there is mail waiting at camp when he or she arrives. You have the opportunity to email your son/daughter by participating in our “bunk1.com” program. Further details about this program will be provided in the parent package.
    21What do you do on rainy days?

    We are always prepared for a rainy day. Many activity areas continue in the rain because they are adaptable to either indoor or outdoor venues. We have two, large indoor recreation halls for group games. Many of our evening program activities are easily adaptable for rainy days.

    We always have a camp carnival, staff talent show, popular movie, or indoor activity program ready to go.

    If you have any more questions please feel free to refer to our family guide available for download below or email our office at [email protected].