Arrival and Air Quality at Camp Interlaken

Dear Camp Interlaken Families,

Our campers are so excited to be here, and their arrival has been joyful and full of ruach!

As campers arrived today, we welcomed them into the Ulam, our indoor, air-conditioned theater, instead of gathering outdoors as we typically do. We have chosen to make this modification due to the current air quality at Camp. Smoke from wildfires in Minnesota and Canada is affecting portions of the Midwest, including northern Wisconsin. At times, we may experience hazy skies, reduced visibility, and the smell of smoke.

We are closely monitoring conditions throughout the next 24 hours, as conditions are expected to improve, in partnership with our Medical Director, Dr. Sharyl Paley, and our Health Center team. Together, we are reviewing current guidance and adjusting our schedule and activities as needed. We already adjusted our first-day schedule so that rotations, opening shticks, and our opening “campfire” are scheduled to take place indoors. Additionally, everyone in Camp will sleep in indoor, air-conditioned spaces tonight with their cabin groups. 

The health and safety of our campers and staff remain our highest priority. Based on current conditions and the guidance of our medical team, we will continue taking precautions as needed, including:

• Modifying or relocating outdoor activities
• Limiting strenuous outdoor activity when appropriate
• Closely monitoring campers, particularly those with asthma or other respiratory conditions
• Ensuring campers have access to prescribed medications and inhalers according to their health plans
• Making masks available to campers and staff
• Evaluating any symptoms that may require additional support from our Health Center

Our staff is prepared to continue adjusting programming so that campers can have a fun, meaningful, and safe Second Session experience.

We will continue to monitor conditions closely and will communicate with you again if there are significant changes or more substantial adjustments to our program.

We did post this on the Campanion App, and you should have received it as a notification on your phone (if you’re a Campanion user).  We are also sending it as an email to make sure that everybody receives this information.  If you haven’t yet downloaded Campanion from your app store, we encourage you to do so. It’s an easy way to access camp updates, view photos, send emails to your camper, and more.

Thank you for your trust and partnership.

Warmly,

Toni Davison Levenberg                          Ari Domnitz                                     Dr. Sharyl Paley
Executive Director                                      Camp Director                              Medical Director