Our Mission
Camp B'nai Brith of Ottawa's mission is to provide children, ages 7-16, with the opportunity to experience the outdoors, learn new skills and develop life-long friendships while enhancing Jewish values, traditions, affiliation and community. Since 1936, Camp B'nai Brith of Ottawa has excelled in the delivery of traditional camping programs, athletics as well as the arts, enabling children to expand their horizons in a fun, safe and nurturing environment without regard to their community affiliation, denomination or financial means.
Since its founding, Camp B'nai Brith of Ottawa has remained committed to ensuring that all Jewish children, no matter what their financial situation might be, have the opportunity to experience the joy and wonder of attending CBB of Ottawa.
Our Vision
Historically rooted in Ontario, Quebec and the northern/eastern United States, Camp B'nai Brith of Ottawa's vision is to be the Jewish residential camp of choice for children from all over the world, no matter where they reside.
- We will achieve this by upgrading our traditional camping specialties (including water sports, tripping, landsports and the arts) with state-of-the-art equipment and expanding the scope of options. We will offer new and innovative athletic, team-building and creative arts programs all the while maintaining a focus on individual achievement.
- While we believe that maintaining a rustic living environment is essential to an outdoors experience we will provide our campers and staff with more modern, safe and efficient facilities while working to minimize the ecological footprint left by the camp season. We also believe that the camp facilities should be available outside the camp season to benefit the greater community and serve as an additional source of revenue.
- We believe that Jewish values and ethics are central to CBB of Ottawa’s programs and camper-staff relations. We will offer new programs that expose all of our campers to Judaism and our connection to Israel, benefitting all, but especially those that have had little exposure in the past.
- We believe that connection to and affiliation with the Jewish community is central to the life of the Jewish people. By immersing children in a summertime Jewish community, offering continuing communications and programs through the year, and extending our alumni outreach, we will work to enhance the connection to the broader Jewish community through CBB of Ottawa on a year-round and life-long basis.
- We believe that all children of Jewish parent(s) should have the opportunity to attend CBB of Ottawa regardless of their family's financial situation. We will expand our subsidies to benefit more campers and include all major geographic regions served by the camp.
- We believe that the key to a successful camp season rests with the quality of our staff. We will continue to improve skills and leadership training prior to and during the camp season.
- We believe that the deep friendships and Ruach that are instilled in each and every CBB of Ottawa camper do not end with the summer; we will create off-season programs where our campers reside to maintain the CBB of Ottawa spirit year-round. Similarly, we believe that the CBB of Ottawa spirit lives on in all of our alumni no matter when they last departed through the camp gates; we invite our alumni to regularly reunite both physically and in cyberspace to reinvigorate past friendships and their commitment to CBB of Ottawa’s ongoing prosperity.