Click here to download the Parent Info (PDF)
Staff
Junior Gan Israel Day Camp is staffed by a full complement of successful early childhood educators who have worked extensively with preschool-age children. Your child will receive individualized attention and care in a loving, Jewish environment. We are very proud of our Division Heads, each of whom is a dedicated and capable professional educator.
All of our Division Heads are certified in emergency health procedures. Certification is provided by Titan CPR Associates, www.titancpr.us
If you are seeking a staff position, please click here:
Location
Junior Gan Israel is located at Middleton Elementary School, 8300 St. Louis Ave., Skokie, 60076.
Orientation
To help your child adjust to camp, there will be an Orientation Session which you can attend with your child. It will be held at camp, on Sunday, June 21, 2026, from 11:00 - noon. This will provide your child with the opportunity to get acquainted with our facilities and staff. We strongly encourage you to bring your child, even if he has been to camp before.
- Please bring your child without siblings so that he will gain the most from the Orientation.
- If your child has particular needs, or if there are any issues that call for in-depth discussion, please email or phone your child's Division Head. We want to talk with you, but during Orientation there will not be time for long conversations.
- If this is your child’s first experience in camp and the Sunday Orientation does not allow sufficient time to acclimate your child, please contact your child’s Division Head to schedule an additional session. At starting time on the first day of camp we ask all parents to please leave.
- If your child will be attending second session only, you are welcome to contact your child's Division Head to schedule a visit before your child's first day.
Carpooling & Camp-Provided Transportation:
Please fill out a Pickup Information Form for each camper, completely and accurately. Carpooling helps reduce traffic congestion at drop-off and pick-up.
Camp-provided transportation to and from camp is available for a fee and by prior arrangement only.
Arrival & Dismissal Procedures -
- Please don’t use the school’s main entrance.
- We use the entrance on St. Louis St., which is called Door #2, exclusively.
- At Arrival and Dismissal times, please don’t enter St. Louis Ave. directly from Main St.
Option 1 – Parent Escort - You park & escort your child into the building.
Approach on Madison St. from Trumbull Ave or from Central Park Ave. and park curbside on either side of Madison St.,
(For drop-off and pick-up it is permitted to park in the bus parking area on Madison St.) or park in the Staff Parking Lot off
of Madison St., or turn from Madison St. on to St. Louis Ave and park curbside on the northbound side of St. Louis Ave.
Use Door #2 to enter and exit the building.
Option 2 – Staff Escort - Camp staff escort your child from your car into the building
Approach from Trumbull Ave, turn west into the alley (Drake Ave. alley), and then head south on St. Louis.
Cars line up curbside on the southbound side of St. Louis Ave. Pull forward as close as you safely can to the car in front of
you. If there is back-up the line will extend down the alley and on to Trumbull.
At arrival, when you are close to the front of the line, you will be told when take your child out of your car. A counselor
will come to you and ask for your child’s name and division. She will then escort your child to their room using Door # 2.
At dismissal a counselor will come to your car and ask you for your child’s name and division. She will then come back to
your car with your child.
Please drive away as soon as safety allows to enable the line to move quickly.
Arrival Time
Arrival is no earlier than 9:25, and no later than 9:40 each morning. Parents, please leave by 9:45.
Dismissal Times
Dismissal begins at 12:55 for 1:00 dismissal, and 3:25 for 3:30 dismissal. There is a charge for unscheduled late pick-ups.
Drop-Off or Pick-Up at Other Times
Please phone us at (847)452-7770, and a staff person will greet you at Door #2. You may park on St. Louis Ave., as long as
it is not during the scheduled pick-up and drop-off times listed above.
Here is a brief orientation video about where to drive and park.
Here is a PDF including picture about where to drive and park.
Your Child's Stuff
Please provide your child with the following:
1) Shoes that can be put on and taken off easily, preferably slip on or Velcro. No Crocs or flip flops are to be worn in camp, please.
2) Gym shoes (not sandals) when your Expanding Horizons camper is scheduled for Sports or Gymnastics.
3) A change of clothing in a zip-lock bag, labeled clearly with your child's name, to be left in camp.
4) A picture of your child to help identify his cubby.
5) If your child is not toilet trained - a package of diapers and a package of swim diapers, with your child's name on both packages.
6) Boys over the age of 3 are encouraged to wear kippot and tzitzit.
7) A coin for Tzedakah each day. Your child can have this in his pocket or taped to his shirt.Please bring to the Orientation all items that are to be left in camp so that everything will be ready for the first day.
Everything that your child brings to camp must be clearly and accurately labeled, e.g. kippot, hats, jackets, towels, bathing suits, etc. Please do not send any unnecessary or valuable items to camp, as things do get lost.
Please put waterproof sunscreen on your child before sending him to camp in the morning.
Swimming
Please provide your child with: a bathing suit, a towel or a terry cloth robe (but not both), and water socks (or water shoes or swim sandals).
Expanding Horizons campers need footwear that can be worn on the bus to Oakton Water Playground, in the water, and then on the bus back to camp. Flip flops, Crocs, and most sandals cannot be worn to the pool, as they do not stay on when the children go in the water, and are likely to get lost. If you want your child well covered while swimming, provide your child with a swim shirt or a full body swim suit (or swim dress), but not a cotton tee shirt. Please provide swim things and a back-pack that are clearly labeled, and easily recognized by your child.
Bright Beginnings campers need swim gear daily for water play at camp.
Expanding Horizons campers go to Oakton Water Playground for private swim time. In addition, Expanding Horizons campers enjoy our Water Wonderland at camp. The Expanding Horizons calendar tells you which days your camper needs swim gear at camp.
Snacks and Drinks
All campers are provided with morning snacks. Afternoon Enrichment campers receive afternoon snacks. It is not recommended to provide your child with a water bottle, as it is likely to get lost, and we serve water to the children throughout the day.
Lunches
You can purchase catered lunches for your child, by prior arrangement only, for 2, 3 or 5 days per week. Click here to see the menu.
Alternatively, please send lunches from home for your child. Please note: Food from home must be in a clearly labeled bag or lunch box. Send food that will remain fresh at room temperature. Food must be kosher. Please include bread in your child’s lunch. For most children, a sandwich and two other food items are sufficient. All children are served water at lunchtime.
Accommodating Children with Food Allergies
Our camp is a nut free zone. Please do not send your child to camp with foods that contain any kind of nuts, including peanut butter.
Mitzvah Notes
Feel free to send "Mitzvah Notes" to camp, so your child can be praised for the good things he does.
Birthday Celebrations
If you would wish to celebrate your child's birthday in camp, contact your child's Division Head.
Health
If your child is not feeling well, please do not bring your child to camp.
If your child has fever or has vomited, please allow 24 hours to pass before bringing your child back to camp.
Before bringing your child back to camp after any sickness, please ascertain that his condition is not contagious, and that he is well enough to enjoy camp.
Lice
Campers are screened for lice on their first day of camp. You can avoid surprises and missing the first days of camp, by having your child checked in advance. Please contact Mrs. Zeesy Posner for the name of a qualified lice checker with whom you can schedule an appointment.
If you find that your child has nits or lice before or during the summer, it is imperative that you notify Mrs. Zeesy Posner immediately. More details on the camp’s lice policy is here .
Social Media and Privacy
Over the course of the summer, we post pictures and videos of camp in action on our website and social media pages. Be sure to follow Facebook.com/JuniorGanIsrael,
and Instagram.com/JuniorGanIsrael. We sometimes use images of campers in our promotional materials. Of course, no names are used.We post pictures and videos of campers on our website and on our Facebook page and use some images of campers in our promotional materials. No names are used. If you object to having your child’s image seen, please notify Mrs. Zeesy Posner.
