At Tizmoret, “types” don’t matter to us. Our campers and staff come from various backgrounds and communities - in a typical year, we have girls who attend Bais Yaakov, Modern Orthodox, Sephardic, homeschool, etc. We also get the occasional chassidishe camper or staff member! The best way to describe Tizmoret Shoshana would be “friendly, non-judgmental, out-of-town just plain frum”. It’s not the kind of camp where you have to come with a friend, and it IS the kind of camp where girls are always open to new friendships. Our mission is to use our art to further our avodas Hashem, and that doesn’t have to look the same for every girl.

We are under the guidance of Rabbi Tzvi Fischer, Rosh Kollel of the Kollel Horaah in Detroit, former Rosh Kollel in Portland, Oregon.

Skirts must fully cover the knees, whether sitting, standing, or walking.

Shirts must fully cover the collarbone and elbows in all positions. Oversized t-shirts are NOT permitted unless accompanied by appropriate layering.

Clothes may not be form-fitting or have slits of any size.

Socks or tights must be worn at all times and must cover the ankle.

Inappropriate images or words on clothing are not permitted.

Hair color must be a natural hair color.

Please refer to the Camper Handbook for more details on dress code.

We aren’t a huge camp, which means that everyone knows your name and you get to meet a lot of new people. We have approximately 75-80 campers and 45ish staff members.

Honestly, not really! Our days are full with artistic and creative programming, along with boating/swimming, shiur, etc.

It’s not uncommon to find girls on the basketball court during free time, but we don’t have organized sports activities other than some years a staff member will run a sports elective.

We don’t do colour war or trips because we find that the majority of our campers aren’t so interested in those types of activities.

Our bunks have 6-8 campers and 1 counselor per cabin. Adjacent cabins will be grouped together as “bunks” for some activities. Each cabin has a bathroom with sink, shower & toilet, as well as storage space. Clip-on fans and also warm blankets are a must since days are hot but nights can be cool. (And if the Canadian directors are saying it gets cold at night sometimes, you should believe them!)

NEW for 2026: There will be air conditioning in the cabins - don’t get too excited though! While it should help mitigate the heat, fans are still a good idea.

Our bus departs from a location close to Newark airport (EWR). Campers flying in will be given a window for arrival time so that Tizmoret staff can meet them and escort them to the bus.

You can also drive your camper directly to camp. We are happy to help facilitate carpools.

At Tizmoret Shoshana, we understand that sometimes breaks are needed. While there is some scheduled down time in the afternoon (~1 hour during which time campers can rest, visit canteen, write letters home, etc) and evening, we also know that sometimes more is needed. We have a space called the “Quiet Room” that has some comfy seating, fidget toys, etc. It’s a space where campers can recharge away from the busy-ness of our full camp days.

All of our arts activities continue as usual. We also have a beautiful lounge (see above pic!) with pingpong, a piano, and even a comfy couch or two. In addition, there is a large indoor space that can be used for sports and group activities as needed.

Camper laundry will be sent out weekly during camp. Please do not have your camper send out anything that she would be sad to lose or that shouldn’t go in the wash, ie. delicate Shabbos clothes!

Jewish or secular books are permitted as long as they are suitable for a bas yisroel. All staff retain the right to confiscate anything we consider inappropriate. Please consult the camper handbook for further information on what types of books are and aren’t permitted at camp.

E-readers of any kind are not permitted.
We do not permit any MP3 players or other type of music player. Counselors may play Jewish or instrumental music in the bunks at their discretion.

Many campers do travel to camp with a phone. Upon arrival at camp, all phones must be turned in. They will be stored securely in our camp office and returned to campers at the end of camp.

Campers should write down any phone numbers they need access to for Friday phone calls home. We will not be giving back campers’ phones during camp. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Campers call home on Friday afternoons at designated times. We have a set of camp phones for this purpose. Reception at camp isn’t great, but we do our best!

Campers can send and receive letters - please send your camper with addressed, stamped envelopes.

If you send an email to us with the camper’s name in the subject line, we’ll print it out and hand-deliver it to the camper.

Yes, but it’s pretty basic. We offer cold drinks, and plenty of snacks and candy at our cashless canteen. No hot food is served.

First, let’s talk kashrus. All dairy served at camp is cholov yisrael (including items at canteen) and all meat is glatt kosher (Lubavitch shechita available on request). All breads, cakes, cookies, crackers, etc are pas yisrael.

That said, we do allow campers to bring cholov stam snacks. Snacks must be kept in a sealed plastic bin in the bunkhouse. No open food containers will be permitted. Tizmoret Shoshana is a NUT-FREE camp. Only nuts of the human variety will be allowed on campus.

No appliances are allowed in the cabins - your camper will make it through the summer without her smoothie maker, waffle maker, or Betty!

Now let’s get to the meals: our experienced kitchen staff provide 3 meals plus daily snack every day. We can accommodate various allergies & dietary needs as long as you tell us about them! There is always bread, sunbutter, and jam available in case your camper doesn’t like the meal that is served.

Breakfast - a variety of options, but not all options are available every day! Cereal, pancakes, eggs, fruit, etc.

Lunch - grilled cheese, falafel, fish sticks, pasta, etc. There is also a salad bar with different options daily.

Dinner - Dinners are mostly fleishigs except for the 9 Days: hot dogs, tacos, chicken, fries, veggies, etc. Salad bar and vegetarian option also available.

Snacks - cookies, chips, pretzels, cakes, really whatever the kitchen staff felt like serving that day. On hot days, there are often frozen juice cups available!

NEW FOR 2026: There will be window units installed in all cabins where campers or staff sleep. That said, the cabins are not insulated, so while the ac units will help, please don’t expect a frosty cold cabin!

We also recommend that campers bring clip-on fans for their bunk beds. That said, some nights get quite cold, so warm blankets are also a must.

There are water coolers located in several areas of camp, and ice in the dining hall. The lake is also a great place to cool off. On really hot days, the kitchen provides frozen juice cups for snack, and our canteen is almost always stocked with delicious Kleins ice cream treats!

Great question! As per our camp rav, R’ Tzvi Fischer, here’s what the plan is. Please note that the 3 Weeks are entirely during FIRST half for 2026:

Vocal music will continue during the 3 Weeks and 9 Days but will be a cappella.

Instrumental music will continue for educational purposes during the 3 Weeks. During the 9 Days, individual instrumental music lessons may continue for campers who have a psak to learn/practice instrumental music during that time.

All performances will take place after Tisha b’Av.

Dance will NOT be offered in FIRST half, but WILL be offered in SECOND half.

Please reach out with any questions you may have.

No. While some of our campers take lessons/classes during the year, others come to camp without any formal experience. The one exception is Instrumental Music MAJORS, where we recommend a minimum of several years’ experience. Please contact us for more information.

Majors can be changed up until camp starts. In some circumstances, a major can be changed within the first couple days of camp.

Electives are chosen ahead of camp time and may only be switched at the beginning of each week, with instructor permission.