[Editor's note: This was posted on Camp Massad's facebook page on June 4, 2020]

Shalom Camp Massad Chanichim and Parents,

As the spring begins to turn into summer, all of us at Camp Massad wish you and your families good health and great spirits in these difficult and challenging times. As you already know Camp Massad has been working relentlessly to find out more information from the Manitoba Government regarding the status of overnight camping in Manitoba for the summer of 2020. We have also been experiencing a sharp decline in Covid-19 cases in Manitoba, with fewer than 10 active cases in the province. With these positive developments in the fight against Covid-19, we were hoping that we will be included in future phases of Manitoba’s reopening plan.

Recently we were informed by that Manitoba government about the status of overnight camps for the imaginable future. The response indicated that “No overnight camps will be permitted in the foreseeable future, as it may be difficult to maintain public health requirements for ongoing physical distancing”. Since March, the camp administration has been consulting with doctors and other experts on the precautions we would need to take in order to run camp in a safe way for everyone, tzevet and chanichim, and this new information from the government is devastating to our hope for a regular summer together at Massad.

With painful certainty and incredible reluctance, we, along with the Board of Directors, are overwhelmed by the sadness to inform you that Camp Massad will be cancelling all planned summer sessions for Kayitz 2020. I know how devastating this news is going to be for you, and we want you to know that we did all that we could to make camp happen, and now as Massadniks we have to be strong and use our koach to support each other through this incredible loss. Together we will get through this- beyachad we are stronger. When you feel ready please post and share pictures of your favorite experiences at Massad using the hashtag #MassadBeyachad. This will help us all to cope and smile at the memories and the silly times that made our experiences so enjoyable.

Danial and Drew are opening the site and prepping the camp in case the government makes a contrary announcement, but for now we will have to find a new way to connect with you in the summer. Please follow this link (https://forms.gle/p5fpnScfsPSuX6vG6) to fill out a survey on potential alternate Massad programming this summer. We will try as hard as we can to connect with you and provide you options for Massad programs and to facilitate safe programs for you and your friends for the summer of 2020.

Parents, we will be reaching out to you by phone in the next few days to arrange for your registration fees to be returned. We will reach out to you individually by phone to discuss your refunds and we will be able to refund all fees in their entirety, as well as being able (upon your request) to allocate a portion or entirety of your registration fees as a donation to Camp Massad. Any support from our camp community will help us continue to care for the site in the summer and continue to take meaningful steps forward. Parents, please feel free to join us for a Town Hall meeting where we will share information, our next steps and answer any questions you may have.

Ma’alit, Michinah, Machshirah Families

When: Monday, June 8th, 2020 7:00 PM CST
Register in advance: https://zoom.us/…/regi…/tJMufu2vrD8tGNZiTYTpEXzoY9KygbV1ukp8

All Other Age Group Families (Including Day Camp)

When: Tuesday, June 9th, 2020 7:00 PM CST
Register in advance: https://zoom.us/…/regi…/tJIlcuipqjsiHtItj0FJkWgW7a3G0_NYvnya

We know that one of the few things getting our camp community through these unprecedented times was the hope that we would at least get to spend the summer together. There are no words to describe how much your support and dedication has meant to us. Although this summer will not run as expected, we are looking forward to being together for Kayitz 2021.

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