Blog - Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia

Shopping with Sharon, our Camp Concierge

Written by Emma Needleman | Jan 3, 2018 8:00:30 AM

Hi — I’m Sharon, and I’m the Camp Concierge at the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, a unique and TOTALLY FREE service. I’m here to make your life a whole lot easier as you plan for your child’s best summer ever. How, you ask?

Well, the process starts when a parent thinks, hmm, maybe my kid is ready for overnight camp. So they start researching or asking around and it’s completely overwhelming! There are 190-odd camps out there to choose from, and each one is different. Or a parent might only be familiar with two or three traditional camps, and if none seems right for their child, they feel stuck. So I help them navigate the process. The first step is just talking it through with the family and figuring out which camps would be the best match.

I ask questions like, What kind of Jewish experience is your family looking for? How sporty is your kid? Is your kid competitive? Social? Do they have allergies? Because some camps are nut-free. And then there are the specialty camps: camps for travel, and culinary arts, sports, cyber, circus, visual arts, performing arts, music — all Jewish camps! I ask whether your kid is into volunteering, or the environment, or gardening. There are more structured camps and more free-range camps. I’m familiar with them all.

When I think about what I do, I think about shopping. I happen to hate shopping for clothes, because I get very overwhelmed. I never know what store to go into, or what style to choose, or how to pull together an outfit. So I only go shopping with my sisters. They’re knowledgeable — they pull things off the racks I’d never notice and say “this will look good on you!” They’ll run out of the dressing room and get me another size. With their help, the task of shopping becomes easy for me.

That’s my job, only with camp! I help parents, get them the information they need, and answer all their questions so that they’re comfortable and excited about whichever camp they ultimately choose. And my services come absolutely free of charge.

So what are you waiting for? Set up your consultation with me today at sbromberg@jewishphilly.org or 215.554.4739.