Cabin Life

Cabins and Bathrooms

Each cabin is comprised of one large room with bunk beds and small cubbies for children’s belongings. Each cabin has a changing area installed with a curtain – campers can choose to change in the bathroom, behind the curtain, in their sleeping bags, or in the open area of the bunk, depending on how much privacy they desire. Our cabins offer a shaded porch in the front or back of the cabin for additional communal lounging areas. Cabins are situated on both the Ridge and River sides of Camp. Cabins are adjacent to communal bathhouses with electricity, bathrooms, showers and changing areas.

The bathhouses have assigned areas based on gender and campers and staff are welcome to use the bathhouse based on their gender identity. Each bathhouse also includes numerous private all-gender bathrooms (each with a toilet, sink and shower).

Cooperation

On the night campers arrive, they participate in a bunk discussion to develop their bunk’s “Ten Commandments,” which are the rules by which campers agree to live and the respectful and kind ways they will treat one another. This lays the groundwork for creating a positive and cooperative bunk community.

Bunk Assignments

Bunking Process
Campers are thoughtfully assigned to bunks by our professional year-round staff, ensuring that all campers within each bunk are separated by no more than a two-grade spread (e.g. 4th and 5th graders or 5th and 6th graders together, but rarely 4th, 5th and 6th graders together). Because we register children without quotas for any particular age and grade, there are often multiple bunks of similarly aged children in Camp, often spanning more than one unit (group of 4-5 bunks). Our primary goal is to ensure campers are assigned to bunks with a mix of established and new friends, returning and new campers, and a healthy age and grade range; there is no “right” or “wrong” unit for any age group. Bunkmates can change each year based on various factors so campers may be placed with different campers than in previous summer.

Bunking Requests
All campers have the opportunity to make up to three bunkmate requests, and we do our best to guarantee at least one request per camper, especially if the request is mutual. We balance many factors when assigning cabins and there are some situations where we are unable to accommodate requests (we will let you know if none of the requests can be granted). We are unable to take specific bunk number or unit requests. If you do not make a bunkmate request, we will assume that your child is open to any bunkmates in their age range. Feel free to call our office at 415.543.2267 or email [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns about our bunking policy.

Negative Bunkmate Requests
We want to assume positive intent in campers, and provide children with an opportunity to have a clean slate at Camp, absent of issues or assumptions from home. If there is an extreme concern with another camper that you feel may be detrimental to your child’s camp experience (e.g. documented bullying or harassment), please email Shoshie Flagg at [email protected]. We cannot guarantee that the campers will be placed in separate bunks, and in that case we will notify you, and will ensure that our staff are aware of any difficult situations prior to the program. Please note that a negative request (a request to not be with another camper) supersedes your other bunking requests (your child may not get any of their other bunkmate requests in order to grant the negative request).

Enrolled families: In order to get your child the best chance of getting their bunkmate request(s), you must submit all forms by the due date in CampInTouch. Bunk assignments are typically completed 3-4 weeks before the start of each session; we cannot guarantee that we can honor requests received after assignments are completed.

Counselors and Staff

At Tawonga, 2–3 counselors live in each cabin, building close relationships with campers and supporting them throughout the day and evening. Nearly 200 counselors, supervisors, specialists, and support staff work together to create the camp experience, ensuring strong supervision and attentive care. Our counselors are warm, supportive adults who truly love working with children — and more than half were campers themselves.

Working at Tawonga is highly competitive, and we only higher the most qualified and enthusiastic applicants. All counselors are at least 18 years old, have prior experience working with children, complete three reference checks and a background check, and are required to be up to date on childhood vaccinations.

Before campers arrive, counselors complete a week-long staff training, with additional training for supervisors and wilderness staff. Tawonga is recognized as a leader in Jewish camping and has developed innovative trainings adopted by camps across the country. Staff learn how to build strong communities, support campers who miss home, navigate challenging group dynamics, and care for campers with a wide range of needs.

Cabin Groupings & Ensuring Inclusivity

Tawonga offers boys cabins, girls cabins, and all-gender cabin options. Tawonga welcomes children all across the gender spectrum and assigns bunks based on a variety of factors. Our goal is to ensure that every child who attends Camp is welcomed, included and celebrated. As a result of our bunking policy and our values as an organization, your child may be bunked with children with different gender identities than your child. For example, a girls cabin may include children who identify as girls, including trans girls, non-binary or somewhere else along the gender spectrum.

Every cabin includes children from one or two grades. We thoughtfully assign children to cabins to ensure that there’s a mix of returning and new campers with opportunities for every child to make friends.

Enrolled families: In order to get your child the best chance of getting their bunkmate request(s), you must submit all forms by the due date in CampInTouch. Bunk assignments are typically completed 3-4 weeks before the start of each session; we cannot guarantee that we can honor requests received after assignments are completed.