We are considering sending our child to camp, when can we visit camp?  The best time to visit camp is while we are in session during the summer.  In the off season we invite you to attend one of our Open Houses or Camp Fairs.  We would also be happy to visit with you, in your home, at your convenience.  For more information contact us at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .

What are the dates for summer 2009?
Session 1   (3 1/2 weeks)         Wednesday, June 30 to Sunday, July 25              
Session 2   (3 1/2 weeks)         Monday, July 26 to Wednesday, August 18           
5 and 1/2 weeks                      Wednesday, June 30 to Sunday, August 8   
Full Summer                            Wednesday, June 30 to Wednesday, August 18   
CIT Summer                            Sunday, June 27 to Wednesday, August 18         

Introduction to Camping two-week sessions for boys and girls entering grades 3-5
IC Session 1     Wednesday, June 30 to Tuesday, July 13

IC Session 2     Monday, July 26 to Sunday, August 8

* NOTE:  Leventhal-Sidman JCC and Striar JCC members receive camp tuition discounts.  Some restrictions apply.  Please call the camp office for more information.

Do you offer Financial Assistance?
Financial Assistance up to 50% of tuition is available to every camper whose family applies for assistance and is awarded based on individual family need.  Applications for assistance are available from the camp office or at by clicking here Financial Application.  The deadline for applying for assistance in Friday, April 2, 2010.

How many campers attend JCC Maccabi Camp Kingswood?  About 300 boys and girls ages 8 to 16 attend JMCK each summer, not more than 200 at any given time.

Where do your campers come from?  The majority of our campers winter within an hour of Boston, MA.  We also have a number of campers from VT, CT, RI, NH. ME, Canada and Israel.

Where is camp located?  JCC Maccabi Camp Kingswood can be found in Bridgton, ME on a resource rich campsite that provides a wonderful laboratory for campers and staff to discover the outdoors through a Jewish lens.

We are located in the beautiful lakes region of Maine approximately a 1 hour drive both from North Conway, NH and Portland, ME and a 3 hour drive from Boston, MA.  We are not far from the wilderness of Maine and New Hampshire.

Are you accredited?
Yes.  We are accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA)  This means that we must meet all of the ACA requirements for being a camp and that we are visited by ACA evaluators every three years to confirm that we are meeting these standards.  We are also members of the Maine Youth Camping Association (MYCA)  and we are lisenced to be a camp by the State of Maine.

All of these organizations support our efforts to be the best Jewish Overnight Camp that we can be!

Where do you find your bunk and activity staff?
We hire staff from within, from the Internet and from Israel.  Each summer we promote 6 or fewer CITs to be Junior Counselors.  We hire a number of staff that we find or who find us through Internet camp staff WebPages.  We also hire Israeli staff through our annual participate in the Shlichim program run through the Jewish Agency.

All of our staff, except the Junior Counselors, are 18 years of age or older. 

About 1/2 of our staff return each summer.  

We run criminal background checks on all of our new staff.

What is the supervision like at camp?  Every child lives in a cabin with 8 to 12 campers and 2 to 3 counselors.  All of our counselors live with campers in bunks and go through an intensive week-long training seminar prior to camp.  At least one of the bunk counselors is with the campers in the bunk during cabin clean-up, free-time, Rest Hour and in the evening-- getting ready for bed and once the lights are out.

Each program area of camp is led by an excellent, well-trained specialist, some of whom work outside of camp in their specialty such as artists, sports coachs or actors.  Our swim area and boating programs are supervised by staff who are all American Red Cross certified lifeguards, sailing and canoe instructors and participate in a rigorous water safety training program at camp.  Our archery, ropes course and climbing tower staff are also appropriately trained and certified.

What are the bunks like at JCC Maccabi Camp Kingswood?  All of the bunks and bath/shower houses at JMCK have either been renovated or newly built in the past 5 summers.  The youngest and oldest girls live in bunks with bathrooms.  Showers and additional bathrooms are only a short walk on a well lit path.  All of the boy's bunks have bathrooms and they share on large, centrally located, shower house.

Can I request for my child to be in the same bunk with a friend?  YES!  We do our very best to insure that your child can spend their summer with their friends.  You will have the opportunity to formally request who your child is bunked with on their camp application.

What does a typical day at camp look like?
7:30 am.......................................................Wake up
8:05 am.......................................................Flag-raising
8:15 am.......................................................Breakfast
9:00 am.......................................................Cabin clean up
9:30 - 10:30 am............................................Period 1
10:45 - 11:45 am..........................................Period 2
12:00 - 12:45 am..........................................Period 3
1:00 pm.......................................................Lunch
2:00 - 3:00 pm.............................................Rest Hour
3:00 - 4:00 pm.............................................Period 4
4:00 pm.......................................................Snack
4:15 -5:15 pm..............................................Period 5
5:15 pm.......................................................Free Swim/Showers
6:20 pm.......................................................Flag Lowering
6:30 pm.......................................................Dinner
7:30 pm.......................................................Evening Activity
9:00 pm.......................................................Bogrim Evening Activity
9:00 pm.......................................................Lights out Olim/Olot
9:30 pm.......................................................Lights out Tsofim/Tsofot
10:00 pm.....................................................Lights out Bogrim/Bogrot

Electives?
Electives are offered 5 times a day for a week at a time.  During each week we work to teach campers new skills in their areas of choice and sometimes, such as in Theatre, Dance and Gymnastics, a group of campers will work together in preparation for a performance.  Campers choose what they are going to do during their elective periods with the help of their counselors.   They are encouraged to participate in activities they love and to try new ones.

What is the Jewish Experieince like at camp?  Camp is a warm, safe and welcoming community where personal growth and development, outdoor living and Jewish values form the core of our program.  Our kitchen is Kosher and one of our favorite times of the week is when we celebrate Shabbat as a community.