Lake Views Blog
The All Camp Show
July 18 / By SLCOn a beautiful Tuesday evening, Mainside walked south and Teenside walked north and we all met at the Eddie Cantor...
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What a Surprise
July 18 / By SLCToday’s Menu: In the morning we provide a breakfast bar with fresh fruit, assorted cereals, yogurt, granola, and hard boiled...
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What a Surprise
July 17 / By SLCToday’s Menu: In the morning we provide a breakfast bar with fresh fruit, assorted cereals, yogurt, granola, and hard boiled...
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Explore Camp
Look around!
GET A TASTE OF CAMP
and meet some of the campers & staff who love it here.
What makes SLC
SUCH A SPECIAL PLACE:
Warmth, fun, community & natural beauty are just the start.
So many
Ways to Try Camp
Rookie Days 7/14 & 8/4, or choose a short session.
Unplug. Connect. Grow.
Welcome to Surprise Lake Camp, where generations of campers ages 7-15 call home. SLC is one of the nation’s longest-running Jewish sleepaway camps—and the starting point for lifelong friendships, spectacular adventures, skills, confidence, and warm community. We can’t wait for you to join us!
SLC Stories
Kinley
Four Year Camper
Tell us a little about you. How old are you? Where are you from?
I am from Jeffersonville, New York and I am eight years old.
What number summer is this for you at SLC?
This is my third summer as a camper. I was a Guppy when I was five, because my mom works at Camp.
What is your favorite Camp activity?
I like swimming the most because I can have different buddies every day and it’s my choice for Specialty.
What do you think of your SLC Community?
I really like sleeping in Mountainview because it feels like home where I share a room with my sister. Now I am sharing a room with a lot of my sisters.
How has SLC helped you grow?
SLC made me believe in doing new things that I’ve never done.
When is a time that you showed courage at Camp?
When I took my deep-water test, I showed courage. A lifeguard cheered my on the whole way and my friends were proud of me for passing.
Cody and Zachary
First time campers
Where are you from?
We are brothers from Queens, New York.
What number summer is this for you at SLC?
This is our first summer at Surprise Lake.
What is your favorite Camp activity?
Cody likes to play sports and one of Zachary’s favorite activities is fishing.
What was it like to come to Camp for the first time?
Cody: “Coming to Camp for the first time was a little bit scary but we’re glad that we had each other, and it’s nice that we can hang out on Shabbat walk!”
How has SLC helped you grow?
Zach: “We have so many friends to try new things with. Our counselors are so awesome. They always play with us during activities and they show us how to do things we’ve never done before, like play Gaga and Nine Square.”
If you could tell a first time camper one thing, what would it be?
Cody: It would be to try new things at camp that you may not like because you might realize that you love them here.
Dylan
5 Years as Camper
My favorite activity at camp is probably the waterfront. I really like swimming, boating, everything that the waterfront has to offer, and the pool. I’ve been working on sailing and this year, finally, I passed the sailboat test! Every day is really fun but my favorite days are Olympics and All Camp Show. At Olympics you’re cheering, you’re shouting, and competing. The All Camp Show has the 5-year sweatshirts, ice cream, lots of cool traditions.
What’s most special here is the people. Everyone’s really nice, and people listen to what other people have to say. I think camp helps you grow and makes you a better person.
Zoe
5 Years as Camper
The friends that you make here turn into family. It’s a very loving community, and everyone here is so nice to each other. I really like going in the lake and all the activities, but the people are why I keep coming back. I think camp has made me a better person, because it’s given me more independence, learning how to live on my own, while having support from others along the way.
Before coming to camp, I never really knew what it meant to be Jewish. I would just light the candles on a menorah at Hannukah. But now I get to do Shabbat. It’s so fun: you sing the prayers, and you stand up and clap and dance with your friends. I really love it here.
