Jewish summer camps ramping up security measures amid rising antisemitism - and parents are footing the bill

On March 12, Ayman Muhammad Ghazali, a 41-year-old Lebanon-born American, allegedly rammed his vehicle into Temple Israel, a large reform synagogue in West Bloomfield, at approximately 12:30 p.m. before exiting the vehicle with a rifle and exchanging gunfire with a security guard, who shot and killed him. Preschool students and staff were forced to evacuate for their safety.

"That investment paid off in lives saved," Masters said.

SCN, which works with Jewish institutions across North America, launched an initiative focused on summer camps in April 2024. The organization told Fox News Digital that since the initiative's launch, it has trained over 5,000 camp-related individuals, conducted over 100 facility assessments and walkthroughs and secured $2.2 million in federal funding.

"Parents should ask, 'was your camp one of those that got an assessment?' 'Was your camp, one of the those that got trained?' 'Do your counselors know what to do?' And the camp should be able to answer that question," Masters said. He added that SCN provides its trainings to institutions for free.

"At the end of the day, a summer camp is still the most vulnerable space that we need to provide security for consultation and guidance," SCN Director of National Programs Jim Tarasca told Fox News Digital.

While some camps have included security fees in their tuition, others make it a separate line in their lists of session dates and costs. Some camps that list the security fee separately note that the additional charge is meant to offset rising costs of protecting the campers and staff. While security fees vary widely based on several factors, such as session length and whether it is a day or overnight camp, the charges reviewed by Fox News Digital went as high as $250, highlighting the growing costs.

National Conference of Synagogue Youth (NCSY) Summer Director Elliot Tanzman told Fox News Digital that while the organization has always had security protocols, it has become "much more of a focus" in recent years, with the group adding new measures.

As part of its safety measures, NCSY has made changes to its apparel and giveaways because "we're trying not to scream that we are a Jewish group," according to Tanzman. While he acknowledged that the dress codes could be signals to some that the participants are Jewish, Tanzman also said that they are making an effort to "not be extra identifiable."

"It hurts to say something like that where instead of having the word 'Israel' on some of our T-shirts, which we've had in the past because it's part of the program name, we've shortened it just to say 'NCSY' or 'JSU' or one of our other brands in order to not bring up any forms of antisemitism that we wouldn't want to experience over the summer," Tanzman said.

Jamie Simon, CEO of Foundation for Jewish Camp, said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital that safety and security were a top priority for summer camps. The foundation, according to Simon, can provide guidance from security partners, crisis communications resources and more to help camps continue to operate while keeping kids and staff safe.

"As new challenges emerge, the field is not starting from scratch: camps are experienced, prepared, and deeply committed to the well-being of every young person in their care," Simon said. "This is a pivotal moment for Jewish life, and Jewish camp offers a joyful, immersive, and proven space where young people develop pride in their Jewish identity, deep friendships, and a sense of belonging that lasts a lifetime."

Fox News Digital's Eric Mack contributed to this report.