NEW YORK (VINnews/Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer) — Although my wife and I are proud residents of the great New York City urban wonder, we realize that our children desperately need a change of scenery during the summer. They need to be in a place they can play, relax, reenergize and be inspired. While day camps provide this experience for younger children, children beyond this age are stuck; the one place they can go for a summer break is sleepaway camp.
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This is especially true now, as our kids have been locked down for almost three months, with basically no recreational outlets, and virtually no summer jobs available for them either. Whereas previously, sleepaway camp was a cherished opportunity and a virtual necessity for thousands upon thousands of our state’s children, this year, it is an absolute must for these children, who will have nothing positive or constructive to do otherwise for the entire summer.
Governor Andrew Cuomo stated that an announcement on sleepaway camps in New York State will be forthcoming, and that the factor which has delayed granting sleepaway camps the green light to open until now is the issue of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19. This is a serious condition to be sure, but the facts are that:
- This condition has affected 204 out of New York State’s 4.6 million children; that’s a ratio of .000044 of the state’s children. Even one case is tragic, but the number of cases does not amount to even a blip on the radar.
- Of the 204 cases statewide, 3 were fatal; the rest of the children have recovered.
- Since the presentation of MIS-C a month ago, it has not really spread, nor have its numbers significantly increased. To quote Dr. Steven Kernie, chief of pediatric critical care medicine at New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, “The reassuring thing is, No. 1: This is rare. We really think very few children who have been exposed to COVID will develop this. No. 2: It’s treatable. We have good treatments for it, and we’re seeing kids respond very well so far. … We don’t seem to be getting overwhelmed with patients with this syndrome, so we don’t expect a huge spike in cases.” Dr. Kernie added that MIS-C is not contagious.
This exceptionally rare condition, as sad as it is, should not be a factor to prevent camps from opening. Other conditions, such a Lyme Disease, and undetected strep and staph infections, are far more common, yet they are not grounds to close camps; nor is the presence of close to 10,000 black bears in the upstate wilderness a basis to shut down camps.
As Governor Cuomo frequently emphasizes, we must go according to the numbers and the facts. In this case, the numbers and the facts for MIS-C clearly indicate that the opening of camps should not be put on hold.
This past Thursday, in the course of explaining the delayed decision on sleepaway camps, the governor remarked, “Today, I would not be willing to send my daughter to sleepaway camp. If I’m not sending my daughter, I’m not going to tell you you can send your child.”
There are many things that parents do not let their children do. I do not allow my children to ride motorized bikes or scooters – yet I respectfully submit that I cannot therefore ban other parents from allowing their children to ride motorized bikes or scooters. This applies whether I am a private citizen or whether I am an elected official; that which I personally would not do should not determine what others can or cannot do, so long as it is not blatantly placing people in harm’s way. While we should appreciate the governor’s stance on various activities for his own children, it would not be right for his personal positions on such activities to determine whether other people can engage in these activities.
I am confident that my children’s sleepaway camps, with their enthusiastic campers and staff, would warmly welcome Governor Cuomo for a visit. Governor: Please allow these incredibly important camps to open, and please stop by!
Are ‘frum’ camps known for following local health and safety ordinances? ‘Nuff said…
Yes, just like the NON Frum, & gentiles, like the Black lives matter in this case
Where was everyone when our shuls and yeshivas were and are closed? Why was there no campaign, in fact there was campaign to keep them closed.
The letter i sent to Gov Cuomo:
Dear Governor
Most people I know admire you, but are now with the opinion, that the lockdown should have ended two months ago, and the only reason you keep it is because of personal political reasons.
In most people’s eyes you are a great governor, and a person of respect, but each and every day it goes by, and the lockdown is still in place, people start to think very oddly and bold on you.
On the outside it looks (or you may think you make it look like) a good thing, but on an individual level it had harmed almost everyone tremendously, I don’t think i need to explain how, because everyone knows that you know,
I will just mention one example which is not very known. One of my friends is childless for seven years, he with his wife started to go for treatments 6 months ago he is unable to proceed With it for the last 3 month. 2 month of painful treatments were wiped away, and he has to put all of his hopes on pause with no clue when he can resume. I’m choking in tears as i think of this couple’s pain.
So many people have tried to speak to you but you don’t want to even listen.
Like i said, people admire you, you have a beautiful political record, but everyday it goes by, the anger wipes that all away, People now think of you as a selfish careless man, who wouldn’t mind to harm people in any way, for personal interest.
The people around you will never talk to you that way, because they still need your favors and support later on, and they don’t want to sabotage their relationship with you, same applies to communal leaders and local elected officials. I would also not talk to you that way either , but maybe if people will tell you the truth in your face it will change something.
I hope you read this letter, if you will change something is up to you, but you should at least know what people think.
Have a wonderful day!
You probably should have written the letter in Yiddish, or some other language that you actually can read and write proficiently.
Let me be clear that my cynicism was directed at the commenter, not Rabbi Gordimer, who writes beautifully.
Gordimer thinks the Governor is a fool. Talks to him with disrespect and mockery! Putz!
It’s only worth opening if they will allow the kids to be kids. That means removing all restrictions. Allowing all sports, and especially swimming. If not, then what’s the point of sending my kids into a prison?What about sleepaway camps in other states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, etc… Are those going to fully open without these restrictions? I would definitely consider sending my kids there.
covidiots. Short term memory going on all of you. The virus didnt go away or become less lethal. I hope im wrong and shomer pisaim Hashem.
What happened with”we need to follow the government guidelines” or “dina demalchusa” or “chilul hashem” ? Aren’t we suppose to sit quiet and follow the rules? When should and schools are closed we were told to follow, where was the letters and petitions? Anyone that dared stating their own opinion that countered the official government line was ridiculed “you think you’re smarter, we need to follow” but now that you can’t phantom the idea of staying the summer with your children home, oh you’re smarter then the government, you’re going to educate him why he is wrong and you know better, the hypocrisy is defining.
Some camps have already decided not to open, because the rules will make it practically impossible to run a camp. I would implore any camp that may be permitted to open tp ACTUALLY KEEP ALL THE RULES as you claim you will!!!!!!
Dear Governor Cuomo,
Please take into consideration what is happening In Israel because there were the resrictions lifted for schools. Please note 44.2% of the new COVID-19 infections were children below the ages of 19.
We need to go to Andrew Cuomo and say “Listen we made an offer that we would open the camps without trips, visiting day, etc…and we are waiting weeks and getting no response- Mr. Cuomo if you won’t help we will open the camps anyway according to what we want to do and protest like the blacks did and fight for our rights. Whether you agree with what the black did or not – they certainly got their way and there is no reason for us to sit and be suckers. Many schools have reopened as well by principals following the same attitude and they have prevailed. Enough is enough.
So you didn’t understand a word that I was writing, the question is how come we use this Democratic process only now when it came to camps, when closing everything else we were told they know better than us.
Its official sleep away camps are not opening this year
To everyone that is staying, what happened to DINA DMALCHUSA, and we have to listen to the Government.
The answer is very simple.
We all realized since the Georgia Floyd protest that all the rules went out the window, social distancing became a non issue, wearing a mask became a non issue.
So now we are no different, Shuls and Yeshivas MUST OPEN UP, AND ALL BUSINESS MUST OPEN AS WELL, and if camps say that they can handle it, they should be allowed to open as well.
Shame on the Government for putting us through such a hard time and closing our Shuls Yeshivas and business FOR NOTHING!!!
The pure chutzpa of this article. Half of us have lost our parnussa, our businesses have been closed and are just starting to reopen and many people don’t even have jobs to go back to anymore. I’m very sure that many people can’t afford to send their children to camps. This letter is a potch in the face to these people. This writer doesn’t care at all. Everybody is in the same horrible situation and he thinks that summer camps should be open for those very few who can still afford it. And this is what he chooses to take an issue with.
To quote the governor at a press conference about a week ago “It’s an election year so of course everything is political.”
Is that everyone except for him?
Opening summer sleep-away camps is a tough decision based on public health. I don’t know the right answer, but what in a rabbi’s education makes anyone think a rabbi knows the right answer.
Everybody needs a break from the pandemic and the protective measures required – parents, kids, and everyone else. But do we want a break if it means prolonging the pandemic? I don’t think so.
For everyone asking why we listened then and why camp is different than shuls and schools, I would think the most glaring difference is how far into this thing we were. Minyanim and schools were closed down when people were getting sick and dying EVERY DAY. It isn’t like that now.