Camp Half Moon — Hotel in Monterey

My children had a horrible time at this camp this past summer. My daughter, who is 10 years old, was bullied on a daily basis, was consistently excluded from participating in group activities, and was subject to physical abuse (being pushed from behind and shoved out of the way). She was the only person who did not speak Hebrew in the cabin, and they would only speak in Hebrew around her. She was mocked, called “stupid” for not speaking Hebrew and was left out of all conversations and activities. I could go on and on with examples, but suffice it to say that she cried herself to sleep every single night and endured treatment that no child should ever have to endure. Campers are left unsupervised multiple times throughout the day while the counselors attend meetings. This complete lack of supervision allowed my daughter to be bullied and tormented day after day. When counselors were made aware of situations, nothing changed.

My son had a similar, although not as vicious, experience. He had to move cabins a few days into their camp program because a counselor was fired (I’m told) and was moved into a cabin for the remaining 2.5 weeks where no one spoke English. He turned 8 at camp and they didn’t even sing Happy Birthday to him in English! He was also excluded regularly and never made to feel part of the group activities, or even communicate with him in his language!

My children’s experience at this summer camp was anything but inclusive and equal treatment. Actually, this situation has traumatized our daughter to the point where she still is not back to herself and absolutely refuses to attend any overnight summer camp, which is the exact opposite that experience at a summer camp should do to a child.

Beyond the treatment of my children at this camp, money was stolen from my children by a member of the camp. It has since been refunded to me, but the fact remains: an employee of that summer camp stole money from children. Further, I was repeatedly lied to by members of the staff at the camp. I could get into details, but another fact remains: Adult(s) that we place trust in to protect our children for 3 weeks lied to me, on more than one occasion. Since sharing my experience about this camp, I have heard numerous other stories, all of which point to lies, abuse, neglect and theft.

As American children at a camp in Massachusetts, we were vastly misled about the lack of English spoken at this camp. And the abuse and bullying my children received is certainly not advertised in their persistent sales pitches about the camp. Notably, my repeated attempts to discuss this situation with the camp directors remain ignored.

DO NOT send your child here if English is your first language spoken at home, or if you want to trust that your children are in protective, reliable hands. I would give this 0 stars but it won’t let you leave a review...

To anyone considering Camp Kimama Halfmoon, let me start by saying—go for it! I grew up attending a religious camp in Canada, and my older children had their camp experiences in Georgia and Pennsylvania. However, life threw me a curveball (i.e., a divorce), and my younger kids missed out on these formative adventures. Fast forward to today, where the youngest of my bunch—who had never even flown before—both were introduced to Kimama Halfmoon through our religious leader, Rabbi Lefkowitz. His pitch? A camp that emphasizes cultural identity over religious instruction, with children from Israel, Europe and all over USA. Given the current global climate, this couldn’t have been more important to me.

My boys were nervous, and so was I. I wasn’t sure I could afford it, but the staff were so upbeat and positive, guiding me through budget-friendly options that made it possible for both boys, despite their age gap, to attend together the August week-long program. I packed them off, knowing that, at the very least, they would learn independence, social skills, and enjoy the great outdoors. Little did I know that when the program was over, they'd return with more than just stories—they came back with enthusiasm!

My 15-year-old, who had low expectations for finding any sort of social life, came home with a pen pal (yes, a female pen pal!) and a bunch of new friends. He said, “Dad, the camp let me be myself! It wasn’t all fussy like public school.” Well, except for that long bus ride with no iPad, but I digress. Both boys admitted the first day was intimidating, but by the second day, they were thriving—tubing, hiking, archery, and making new friends. My youngest even brought back some pottery he made, and let me tell you, it’s become a prized possession in our house. Oh, and both of them raved about the food—“way better than school food,” though they weren’t fans of the fish (fair warning, avoid the fish).

As someone who's introverted and never quite embraced camp life, I couldn’t be more tickled that I followed that little voice inside me. My boys had a blast, didn’t miss home for a second, and are already asking to return next year. Camp Kimama, thank you for creating a transformative, once-in-a-lifetime experience for my kids. You even made me rethink camp—and that’s...

My grandchildren had a horrendous and traumatic experience at this camp this past summer. My granddaughter, age 10, was bullied (name called, pushed, not included by the girls in the bunk), and my grandson, age 8, was left pretty much to look out for himself. We knew this was a Jewish culture camp, but had no idea that Hebrew would be the primary spoken language, leaving English speaking campers in the dark. My daughter was lied to by the directors, and money stolen (since returned) from my grandchildren. In an attempt to rectify and remedy the experience, the director no longer returns or responds to emails. In doing some research, the camp has faced numerous local complaints, from noise level at all hours to garbage and health department issues. I am sure my grandchildren are not alone in the extreme bullying they faced, especially as a first time sleep away camp experience. There are many other camp options in the Berkshires. I would have rated it with zero stars except it will not post without a star rating - which is why I rated it...