Across the Greater Washington area, Jewish children are going back to school with stories of new friends, color wars, camp musicals and the little moments that made their summers memorable. For many Jewish children, sleepaway camp is a beloved part of growing up, a place to build friendships, discover new interests, celebrate Jewish life, and come back with stories that get retold for years.

But for children with complex pediatric health diagnoses, summer camp isn’t always a given.

Going away to camp can mean leaving behind familiar routines and the people who know how to care for them. Parents may wonder whether a new environment can accommodate their child’s health needs, whether staff will know how to respond to challenges, and whether their child will be able to participate fully in the experience.

imadi works to answer those questions before a child ever arrives.

A proud partner of The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, imadi (“with me” in Hebrew) creates a network of support for families facing complex pediatric health diagnoses. Through concierge case management, patient advocacy, and therapeutic programming, imadi helps families navigate the medical, emotional, and logistical challenges that come with a complex diagnosis. All services are provided at no cost to families, thanks to support from organizations like Federation.

For some families, that support can open the door to experiences that once felt out of reach.

For Roey, it opened the door to Eagle Point, imadi’s Jewish summer camp.

Personal Support for Every Child

At eight years old, Roey had never been to sleepaway camp. Then one afternoon, the director of Eagle Point came to Roey’s home.

Sitting together in the living room, the camp director told him about all the fun adventures waiting for him at camp.

For his parents, Carrie and Greg, there were practical questions to work through and very real concerns about how he would manage a new environment, unfamiliar routines and activities designed for a wide range of campers.

imadi was there to help answer those questions. Before Roey ever arrived at Eagle Point, the organization worked with his family and the camp team to understand what he would need and build the support around him.

As his parents put it, “imadi met him where he was, and brought him along to maximize all of the fun at his pace.”

In addition to meeting with the camp director, they also met with the head counselor and nurse, talked through the challenges Roey might face and heard how the team would respond. They connected with other parents who had sent their children to camp before. For a family sending their child away for the first time, those details mattered.

Roey was also excited about the idea of hanging out with his “big buddy” (his one-on-one counselor). He had met them before camp at a “meet and greet,” where, his parents recalled, the two “ran around playing like they’d been buddies for years.”

“imadi really thought of everything,” Carrie and Greg added, making it easier for them to send Roey “out into the world to experience something we wouldn’t really think possible for him.”

The Summer Roey Became a Camper

Then the day finally came. Roey went to camp.

And he had a lot of fun! He rode in a boat, crafted his own mezuzah cover at a blacksmithing workshop, went on a safari, and took golf cart rides. “Oh the giggles,” his parents exclaimed. He sang songs at bedtime, celebrated Shabbat, and cheered on other campers.

While Roey was making memories, his parents were kept fully in the loop. “During camp we received joyful photos and regular communication so we knew what was going on each day,” they shared. “We feel so lucky to have been a part of Eagle Point.”

Reflecting on the experience, Roey’s parents said: “imadi’s program is astonishing. The one-on-one care, the attention to detail, the incredible imagination that went into having an accessible and manageable jam packed day full of incredible, unique programming experiences. Roey was cared for with such a level of kindness and thoughtfulness that I hope every kid can experience.”

Roey is one of 30 campers who joined Eagle Point this summer. With 40 counselors and staff, imadi ensured every child had the support they needed to experience camp fully.

Jewish Values in Action

The experience left an impression on the counselors, too.

“As a counselor you learn to dedicate yourself completely to another person,” said Navah Gris, an Eagle Point counselor. “You see in real time the impact you as an individual can have which can serve as inspiration way beyond camp.”

For Navah, that sense of connection extended to the Jewish experience at Eagle Point. “A huge pillar of Judaism is chesed (loving kindness) and for me personally doing this work as a camp counselor is when I feel most connected to my Judaism.”

One Friday night, Navah and another counselor stood outside with several campers and sang Kabbalat Shabbat together as they looked out over the lake.

“It was such a holy, joyous, and spiritual moment that we got to share with our campers,” she said. “It’s a moment I’ll never forget.”

By the time the ten days at camp were over, Roey had discovered that he could do something he had never done before. He came home more willing to try unfamiliar things and more independent in everyday activities. He also brought home his mezuzah cover, which he treasures.

And somewhere in those stories, he discovered a new sentence he could say about himself:

“I did this at camp.”

Federation is proud to support imadi and partners across our community creating opportunities for more people to experience Jewish life, connection and belonging. Your support helps make experiences like Roey’s possible.