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Mission |
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The Tawonga Mission statement has guided our agency for over 80 years, ensuring the greatest possible experience for children at summer camp. From our focus on each child, to a group centered philosophy that allows counselors to be professional kid experts, Tawonga is unique among summer programs. |
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Experience |
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Tawonga's twelve year-round staff have a collective 92 years of Tawonga staff experience (not to mention 43 years as campers). Well-versed and camp knowledgeable, they are dedicated to making children successful, and to keeping Tawonga's standards second to none. |
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Staff and Staff Ratios |
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Tawonga's summer staff to camper ratio is 1 to 1.5! Our dedicated staff is made up of over 160 individuals, most of whom have been Tawonga campers themselves. For nine months of the year, they go to school, work, travel and give to their communities, living Camp Tawonga values in their daily lives. Then, for three months of the summer, they bring these experiences to their work with our campers. |
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Location |
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On the middle fork of the Tuolumne River, just outside Yosemite National Park, on 160 beautiful acres in the middle of the Stanislaus National Forest isn't a bad place to spend some time. We introduce children to nature, and familiarize them with the natural world, right at our site. Nothing melts away the media-inundated, sometimes stressful pace of urban life faster than a moment at the river. |
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Longevity and Legacy |
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We've been serving the Bay Area Jewish Community since 1925. We are lucky enough to have a group of Alumni who were campers in the 20's and 30's, and they'll be the first to tell you that camp is as magical now as it's always been. Or, you can ask their grandchildren, who are now our campers and staff! |
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Program |
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Not only is Tawonga on the leading edge of programming-often setting the industry standard-but at Tawonga the program is created by the participant. Campers set their own schedule; with help from counselors, each camper weighs in on the bunk's activities, and participates in old favorites as well as new and exciting programs. Our weekends work much in the same way - we offer as much as possible, and you choose what workd for you. |
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Courage |
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Even when it means stepping out on a limb, Tawonga acts in accordance with our belief in Tikkun Olam - repairing the world. Only at Tawonga will you find a weekend program that cares for the bereaved, only at Tawonga do LGBT families return year after year to enjoy a weekend of Jewish celebration in nature, only at Tawonga can 250 American Jews, Moslems and Christians join with Israelis and Palestinians for a weekend of peaceful dialogue, only with Tawonga are teens traveling the world to learn the true meaning of service, and only at Tawonga does a young Israeli Ethiopian camper say he has never before felt so accepted as a Jew. |
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Community |
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A JCC Association affiliated camp, and accredited member of the American Camp Association, Tawonga understands what it means to be a part of a greater community, keeping ahead of national safety trends and staying in communication with our colleagues around the country. And, as a member of the Bay Area Jewish community who works collaboratively with numerous other organizations and who is generously supported by the Jewish Community Federation and numerous philanthropic funds, we know what it means to work together, and what it means to be accountable. |
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Spirit |
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When asked what makes Tawonga so special, camper and staff alumni often say, "I don't know, it's just magic," or "I just feel so alive when I'm there." At Tawonga we know that true community requires a spirit of inclusiveness, and our day to day life reflects that spirit. Singing at song session, celebrating Shabbat in a beautiful natural amphitheater, or simply looking onto the lake at dusk watching the sun set and the swallows soar, one feels the welcoming quality of Tawonga's community. |
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Food |
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We say it often because it's true: At Camp Tawonga, Food is King. We love food, and we know that people think, act, and feel best when they've had enough to eat. So, when kids come to Tawonga, that first letter home often says "Hi Mom and Dad! The food here is great and I'm eating vegetables!" And, at our weekend programs, adults can experience the gourmet quality produced by our expert kitchen staff. And to go with our great food, nothing but the best - Peet's Coffee 24/7 (only for adults, of course)!
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