JUF News Local Stories - July '07

The new Lake County Jewish Community Campus, featuring the JCC Elaine Frank Apachi Day Camp, will open in June 2008. The campus, located on a 37-acre site on Old McHenry Road near Route 22, is a joint project of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago (JUF/Federation) and Jewish Community Centers of Chicago (JCC). The day camp will serve 400 children (ages 4 years through 6th grade) in its first year, and expand to 800 by the fourth season.

The camp is named in honor of Mrs. Elaine Frank, a noted philanthropist who has served as a past president of JCC and in leadership positions in JUF/Federation and numerous other community organizations. The JCC “Z” Frank Apachi Day Camp in Northbrook, celebrating its 20th anniversary this summer, is named after her late husband, Zollie Frank. The Frank family children and grandchildren all participated in providing the lead gift that launched the JCC Elaine Frank Apachi Day Camp’s fundraising campaign.

The campus also will feature year-round JCC early childhood programs starting in September 2008, and will include adult/child classes, extended-day preschool for ages 2-4, backup childcare, and vacation days for ages 3-6.

JUF/Federation’s most recent population studies record a total Jewish population of 270,000 in Greater Chicago, with the Northwest Suburbs showing the fastest-growing local Jewish population, currently estimated at 55,000—a growth of more than 65 percent in the last decade alone.

According to Dr. Steven B. Nasatir, president of JUF/Federation, “A Jewish community campus is critical to this growing Jewish neighborhood and its need for Jewish association and programming. We are very pleased that JCC, with its 104-year track record of excellence, now will be able to reach so many more people through what will be a wonderful camp and its high-quality early childhood programs.”

JCC already operates multiple camps and early childhood sites throughout Chicago and its suburbs. “We serve about 15,000 children throughout the year in our early childhood and children’s programs, and in our day camps and overnight camp,” said Dr. Avrum Cohen, general director of JCC. “But our metropolitan Jewish population has become widely dispersed. This campus will allow us to reach families in Lake, McHenry and Kane counties who could not otherwise benefit from our programs, which are unique in terms of content and excellence, but also because they bring Jewish values to life for all their participants. Not only is camp filled with fun, but through our mitzvah projects and our Jewish-values education that are part of daily life at all our JCC camps, we are helping shape our future community.”

According to Gayle Malvin, director of JCC Day Camping, “Our newest camp’s innovative programs, run by experienced, mature staff in combination with wonderful facilities that we are creating, will amaze and delight families in all the surrounding communities. We know camping! These beautiful grounds, facilities and programs will surely provide children with 'the summer of a lifetime' every summer!" The site will feature two pools, manicured sports fields, an indoor space for specialty activities and rainy days, nature areas, hiking trails, a climbing wall and ropes course, picnic areas, multipurpose courts for various sports, and more.

Malvin announced that JCC will be offering discounted pre-opening fees for the new camp. Families who are interested in more information or who would like to place their child's name on the summer 2008 registration list can contact the JCC Day Camping office at 847.272.7050. Families interested in the early childhood programs that will be offered on the campus beginning September 2008 can contact JCC Early Childhood Services at 847.763.3560.

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