COVID-19 Update

June 14, 2021 Update

On June 8, 2021 the BC Camps Association, in conjunction with the BC Government, released the long-awaited guidelines for operating overnight camps this summer.

After careful review of the guidelines, our priorities and our capacity, we have amended our summer offerings to include two sessions of overnight camp on Gabriola: from July 20 – 29; and from August 1 – 9.

This means we are cancelling our planned Vancouver 2^nd Session Kaytana (July 19 – 30) as well as the Tiyul week (August 3 – 6). The Victoria Kaytana and the Vancouver 1^st Session Kaytana will run as scheduled.  

We feel very fortunate to be able to offer overnight camping this summer. We know that many of our campers and youth leaders are eager to get back to our Gabriola home after a very trying year and we are counting on everyone to embrace our collective responsibility by complying with the health and safety guidelines and respecting physical distancing rules. We regret the inconvenience to some of our families caused by these last minute changes. 

Note that we are limited in the numbers of campers we can have at camp on Gabriola.

May 31, 2021 Update

We are waiting for the government to set the guidelines for opening overnight camps, in order for us to consider expanding the program to include overnight stays on Gabriola. We will update this page when we have an approved plan.

Please know that the Mazkirut and the Board are working hard to ensure that we all have the best summer possible.

March 26, 2021 Update

Our COVID-19 committee, comprised of medical professionals in our camp community, all of whom successfully guided us through Summer 2020, has advised us it does not believe overnight camp will be a realistic option. Without vaccinated campers (and possibly unvaccinated staff), the lack of testing availability in BC, the increasing variants around us, and unknowns such as a timeline for opening the economy and borders, we deem it unlikely that the provincial government will allow large numbers of people to gather at camp. We also feel we have social responsibility to limit the spread of COVID and be collectively responsible to the community around us, including the residents of Gabriola Island.

We plan to offer Kaytana (day camp) this summer, with an expanded program that will include out trips (tiyulim). We know that we can provide an exciting and meaningful Miriam experience in the city – we did it last year!!  The youth leadership is working to create programming for as many chanichimot as possible, in a safe and fun environment. 

This decision was not made lightly. We know that, for a variety of reasons, including if the border remains closed, some chanichimot will not be able to attend Miriam this summer. We share your disappointment that your children will miss another summer in our second home. 

Here’s hoping for Summer 2022 on Gabriola!

January 6, 2021 Update 

Preparations for Summer 2021 are underway and we will continue to update COVID-19 information here.

We are waiting for the BC health authority to make a decision whether to allow overnight summer camps to operate in 2021. We do not know when that decision will be made.

Non-Canadian residents living in the US and Israel, please note that the Canada-U.S. border remains closed to non-essential travel, and mandatory 14 days quarantine is still in effect.