The pandemic that emerged in the spring of 2020 brought many changes to family life. Jewish overnight camps across the country made the difficult decision to close for the summer season. Children were going to miss out on their ‘summer homes’ -- the places where independent Jewish identity is nurtured and embraced. Families in the Greensboro community were struggling with the decision of what to do with their children over the summer. How could the Greensboro Jewish community respond?

A Task force of Jewish communal leaders from the Greensboro Jewish Federation, B’nai Shalom Day School, Beth David Synagogue, Chabad of Greensboro and Temple Emanuel was formed, and J-Boro “Un”Camp 2020 was born.

J-Boro “Un”Camp offered appealing programming and fun family DIY projects for four weeks this summer, giving children the opportunity to interact with other Jewish children from across the Greensboro community. Themes included Exploring Our World, Olympics, Israel, and the 1960s.

According to Camp Director, Haddas Baron, “We knew our virtual “Un”Camp had to be fun and interactive, but most importantly it had to feel like we would be creating our own community together despite the situation we are all in. Our “Un”Camp truly did show that no matter the situation, us Jews stick together!”

Parents were thrilled that their children had daily scheduled activities that kept them engaged for two and a half hours each day, notes Carly Hertz Dunno, Outreach and Engagement Manager for the Greensboro Jewish Federation and mom of two campers.