Camp Gilboa strives to be fair while ensuring the camp's financial stability. The following refund policies apply:
Cancellation before March 1: 100% of tuition and deposit are refundable.
Cancellation before April 1: 100% of tuition is refundable. Camp will retain deposit.
Cancellation between April 1 and April 30: 50% of tuition is refundable. Camp will retain deposit.
Cancellation after May 1: No refunds will be given except in the following circumstances:
Refunds Without Penalty (Including Deposit)
For campers on a “Waiting List” if they choose to be removed from the list or cannot be placed.
If Camp Gilboa is required to cancel the session of a child with a pre-existing health condition.
If Camp Gilboa is unable or chooses not to open at its discretion.
Medical Withdrawals: If a camper must withdraw due to medical reasons, a pro-rated refund may be considered upon receipt of a written request and accompanying documentation from a licensed healthcare provider.
Force Majeure: In the event that Camp Gilboa must close or cancel programs due to events beyond its control (e.g., natural disasters, pandemics, government orders), the camp will review refund or credit options on a case-by-case basis.
Pro-Rations
Camp Gilboa does not pro-rate registration fees for pre-planned late arrivals or early departures. If you knows in advance that your camper plans to arrive to camp late or leave a session early and your family requires financial assistance, please apply for our scholarship program.
Refunds or Pro-Rations Will Not Be Made If
A camper has attended any portion of the session at Camp.
A camper leaves due to homesickness.
A camper refuses or is unable to participate in the normal activities at Camp.
A camper is sent home due to violations of the Camper Handbook, including the Code of Conduct.
Camp reserves the right to distribute any eligible refund in multiple installments as determined by Camp Gilboa.
Appeals and Special Circumstances
Families facing financial difficulties or extraordinary circumstances are encouraged to contact the Camp Gilboa office. Appeals for exceptions to the above policies will be reviewed by the camp’s administrative team.
Covid Vaccine Policy:
All* campers and staff must be vaccinated against Covid-19, following the CDC recommendations for immunization for your child’s age group.
General Immunization Policy:
Safety and public health are priorities for Habonim Dror Camp Gilboa. The highest possible level of vaccination in the camp community is essential in order to maintain a safe environment and decrease the risk of transmission of preventable illnesses. Our philosophy of communal responsibility, as well as the clear public health need to protect the camp community as a whole, we will ensure that all* campers and staff are adequately immunized against preventable diseases, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) before arriving at camp this summer.
For campers who turned 11 or 12 this year, please be sure to get your Meningococcal conjugate (or MenACWY) vaccine. All campers & staff 12+ are required to have this vaccination, as group living environments of teens and young adults create increased risk.
If your child has an incomplete immunization record, please contact registrar@campgilboa.org.
*Medical exemptions are the only accepted exemptions. Medical exemptions must be in writing and from your primary doctor or an allergist/immunologist. For Covid vaccine medical exemptions, please have your physician include what their recommendations are to protect the camper/staff and others if the camper/staff were to have an asymptomatic Covid case.
Best practice in summer camp is to work with a pharmacy to have medications all pre-packed in daily doses. All medications that you are sending your child to camp with MUST go through our medications provider - My Kids Camp Meds by Perris Hills Pharmacy. This includes over the counter medication! Families are not permitted to send children to camp with any medications.
The only exceptions are inhalers, epipens, hormone injections, and liquid medication that must be refrigerated. If you have any questions about additional exceptions, please contact Rebecca.
Here’s how to get your child’s medications at camp set up:
Read through all instructions and information on the My Kids Camp Meds website:
Submit one Camper Medication Form for each camper. Once received, the form will be reviewed and you will be contacted if we have any questions. Fill in the Camper Medication Form and submit.
Send instructions to your child's Physician(s) on how to prescribe for camp sessions. You can email the following page with instructions directly from our website: Physician Instructions. Or, you can also download and print the Physician Instructions PDF and fax, mail, or personally drop at your physician's office.
Submit your payment information. Once your camper's medication information is received and reviewed, Perris Hills Pharmacy will contact you by phone to collect your credit card information.
Submit registration and prescriptions at least 30 days prior to the start of camp!
$25.00 Late Fee: If we do not receive the camper registration AND prescriptions at least 30 days prior to the start of camp session, you will be charged a $25.00 late fee.
$30.00 Expedited Shipping Fee: If your camper’s prescriptions require expedited shipping, you will be charged a $30.00 expedited shipping fee.
Additionally, please indicate on the health history form if your child will be taking medication while at camp on a regular basis. This includes vitamins and melatonin. All prescribed medications must be listed on your SIGNED physician form. This form is required for all new campers and any returning campers who have had a change in their health or are taking new medication.
Over the counter medications:
If your child takes OTC medications daily (such as allergy medication), please submit these through the My Kids Camp Meds registration form.
Camp Gilboa may administer over-the-counter medication to your child if needed. If you wish to instruct otherwise, or have us check in with you first, the health information form will have an option to request that.
If your child needs a common OTC medication for an as-needed issue (ex. Advil for period cramps or knee pain) please indicate which medication is your preference to be given if the camper comes to the health center in need. Do not send your child with a bottle of OTC medication. If you are concerned about which medications we carry in the health center, please write to us to make sure we have your preferred medication for these as-needed issues.
Please see the above section for how to send daily medications & prescription medications to camp.
The medications we will supply in the health center as needed are:
Acetaminophen Childrens
Ibuprofen Childrens
Acetaminophen tablets chewable 160 mgs
Acetaminophen tablets 500 mgs - adult
Ibuprofen 200 mgs
Benadryl generic 25 mg tablets
Benadryl generic liquid
Claritin generic 10 mgs
Zyrtec generic 10 mgs
Sore Throat Spray
Children's Mucinex
Adult Mucinex
Adult multi symptoms (like tylenol cold/flu)
Sinus decongestant (phenylephrine)
Pepto Bismol
Antacid tablets
Aleve generic
Dramamine (Children's)
Cough drops
Melatonin gummies 3mg & 5mg
Camp Gilboa is accredited by the American Camp Association, the leading authority in the promotion of camp safety and quality. That means that we follow hundreds of standards ranging from sanitation to camper/staff ratio, to quality of programming. On our last accreditation day-long visit and assessment, we passed with a 100% score on all standards. That’s because at Gilboa, the health and safety of campers is not only our #1 priority, it is also everyone’s responsibility; from the group counselors and camp directors, to our kitchen staff, to our on-site nurse.
All staff are First Aid and CPR trained and certified. Staff with additional appropriate certification are present during activities such as kayaking, archery, and swimming.
Our camp health center (mirpa’a) is staffed 24 hours a day with either a nurse or a paramedic. If a camper isn’t feeling well, they will be assessed by the nurse and may either rest and recover in one of our health center camper rooms, or if the nurse determines additional evaluation is needed, they might be sent to see a doctor in the town of Big Bear (20 minutes away). While in our health center, campers are treated and watched by the nurse, with additional care by the senior staff and frequent (nurse approved) visits by their counselors and friends.
We’ve had a full assessment of our site security needs done by the Los Angeles Jewish Federation Community Security Initiative Directors, and have worked with them to review and improve our safety and security protocols, which all staff learn and practice during staff training. We are in touch with the local emergency services in town (the forest service, fire department, local hospital and sheriff) throughout the year, and meet with them before each camp season to make sure they’re aware of the details of our operations for that summer. In addition, we have received two government nonprofit security grants to increase our physical security (such as installing an additional gate to our generator road) as well as internal and external communication abilities (such as a PA system, Starlink internet, satellite phones, etc). Lastly, more adult staff have been strategically placed near the entrances of camp and the generator road, giving more presence in vulnerable areas.
The vast majority of our counselors and technical staff grew up at Gilboa and are coming back to serve as counselors, in order to create the same magical experience for the next generation of kids. That means we’ve known them for years, know which positions and teams would work best for them, and how to best support them. Counselors who grew up at Gilboa went through our leadership programs in high school, a summer long counselors in training program in senior year, and every summer they all go through an intense 12-days long staff training program.
During staff training counselors learn about and practice the need to take care of the whole child - their physical and emotional wellbeing, and their social and intellectual needs. Counselors go through, among others, sessions on:
CPR and First Aid course for each counselor
Special certification for archery instructors and lifeguards
Camper care and supervision
How to support homesick kids
Child development
Guiding positive behavior
Crafting age appropriate education
Before the summer, you will be asked to complete extensive questionnaires about your child’s health, hobbies, strengths, difficulties, etc. Information from these forms, as well as from follow up conversations, will be compiled and related to your child’s counselors so that they’re ready to take care of your child and craft their summer experience.
During the camp session, there are five summer directors (Mazkirut) supporting and supervising counselors, following up to make sure needs of individual campers are being met, helping counselors resolve issues with group dynamics, and continuously adapting and perfecting the educational content.
Campers sleep in cabins or tents grouped by age and gender. There are typically 8-12 campers in a cabin and 2-3 counselors. In some instances, there are campers from two consecutive grades in one cabin (for example boys from 4th and 5th grades may reside together).
The cabins and beds are clean and renovated, though the camp is designed to be rustic in nature (so there’s no power in the cabins). The cabins are lit with solar and battery powered lanterns.
Cabins are situated in circles of six, and a powered showers and bathroom building is located in each such circle.
Only older campers are in tents, and these are large canvas tents, more spacious than the cabins. The tents hold bunk beds and storage space, and sit on a raised platform.
No Cell Phones at Camp!
We do our best to create an environment where social interactions, uninterrupted by electronics, thrive. The only exception is listening to music, which we recognize as a valuable downtime for some, and even a necessity at bedtime for others.
Campers will not be allowed to have cell phones at camp. It is best if your child leaves their cell phones at home, but we do understand, especially for campers travelling from NorCal, if you would like your child to have their phone for travel day. We will collect all phones on the day of arrival and distribute them back on the last day of camp.
For music: It’s time to look in storage for those old MP3 players! It’s a good opportunity for some family music curation! Campers are able to use these devices during free time (chofesh) and at bedtime.
We know that campers are used to taking photos on their phones, and recommend sending a simple digital or disposable camera instead.
All other electronics (iPads, tablets, laptops, electronic games) should not be brought to camp.
The Gilboa blog is updated at least twice a week, and it is the main window into camp activities’ descriptions and photos. It will give you good insight into what your child has been doing and what Gilboa and Habonim are all about. In addition, Gilboa staff are available to talk with you when your child is at camp, and messages are answered within the same day.
Here's when you can be sure to hear from us:
If you are a parent of a new camper, you should expect to hear from us within the first days of camp with an update on how your child is doing. Of course, you are welcome to contact us before if you'd like an update sooner. If your child is not doing well in these first few days, we will make sure to be in touch right away - so if you don't hear from us until day 2 or 3, it means they are adjusting well!
If your child is very homesick, we will let you know. We'll call to consult and decide together what is the best course of action.
If your child is not feeling well and stays in the health center overnight, we will update you.
If your child is injured beyond a typical camp incident that resolves quickly (like a knee scrape or rolled ankle), we will let you know. If something small progresses (like an infected cut) or lingers unusually, we will also be in touch.
The most successful camp experiences occur when a child is fully immersed in camp. Therefore, most direct communication with campers will happen in writing, via old-fashioned snail mail. Parents can also send emails, which we print and deliver at the same time that mail is delivered. Emails can be sent to mycamper@campgilboa.org - put your child's name & grade in the subject line.
Kids are active all the time at camp and they get hungry! That’s why we have three meals and three snacks a day. We know how important food is for the wellbeing of campers and we make sure that it feels home-like - comforting and accessible. Food is always kid-friendly, there is always a salad or fruit bar so that campers can build their own salad to add to any meal, and there are always vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.
Here’s what one day’s menu at camp looked like this summer:
Breakfast: hash browns, scrambled eggs, grapefruit (with the options of yogurt, cottage cheese, bread, cereal and fruit available at every breakfast.)
Morning Snack: Granola bar
Lunch: chicken nuggets/vegan nuggets, potatoes, salad bar
Afternoon Snack: Pretzels and fruit
Dinner: Tofu veggie stir fry, vegetarian spring rolls and rice, plus salad bar
Bedtime Snack: celery, mini carrots and sun-nut butter
If your child is a picky eater (and many kids are), there are always multiple options to replace or supplement the meal, and counselors and kitchen staff will assist them in choosing, and prepare their meal. Options include pasta, rice, almond or other non-peanut butter & J sandwich, eggs, and more. If you’re worried that your child is especially picky, let us know. We will work with you before the summer to make sure that we are aware of their needs and that our pantry is stocked with the food they will eat.
Our kitchen staff is certified and trained to handle food sensitivities and special diets, and we work with parents to make sure that special diets menus are varied and contain the dishes and food items that the camper is used to from home. We have experience with and can accommodated gluten free diets, peanut and other nut-allergy diets, diets for campers with diabetes, etc.
Yes! Check out the transportation page for details.
Gilboa is fortunate to have a dedicated Medical Committee comprised of physicians, nurses, and other medical personnel who are also Gilboa parents, alumni, and past and present camp healthcare staff. Among our committee members are an infectious disease specialist, a family physician specializing in residential setting care, an emergency medicine physician, and physicians and nurses with camp and Gilboa-specific experience. The committee is preparing all policies and practices following CDC and ACA guidelines.
The most successful camp experiences occur when a child is fully immersed in camp. Therefore, most direct communication with campers will happen in writing.
Parents are always welcome to email us and ask to be called with an update about their child and we encourage new camper families to review the communications section of the camper handbook to see how we work with parents to help children overcome homesickness.
Please send your letters to:
Your Camper's Name (Grade)
Camp Gilboa
P.O. Box 1532
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315-1532
Parents can also send emails to MyCamper@campgilboa.org, which we print and deliver at the same time that mail is delivered. Please write your child's name & grade in the subject line.
If there is anything that needs to be communicated urgently, please contact camp staff via email or WhatsApp (details in the Camper Handbook.)
Other questions?
Consult the Camper Handbook or contact us!