With camp cancelled, kids and parents are facing a long summer at home. Image by iStock

(JTA) — The Conservative Jewish youth group United Synagogue Youth is canceling its summer travel programs for teens, the latest in a string of canceled Jewish summer programs.

The announcement, made Thursday, comes as several Conservative Ramah summer camps are set to announce that they are canceling their sessions amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Some two dozen camps, including those run by the Union for Reform Judaism, already have announced that they will cancel this summer.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis of the crisis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

“It is with a heavy heart that we share this news with you, that due to the current status of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are canceling all USY Travel Experiences for the summer of 2020,” an online message from the youth group’s leadership read. “At this time, we do not believe that we could provide trips that could guarantee the safety and health of our teens while providing an exceptional experience. We are all disappointed.”

USY has put on summer programs for nearly 70 years. Its schedule this year included trips to Israel, Europe, the Dominican Republic and across North America.

In an email to parents, USY said they could seek a full tuition refund or credit for a future program, or donate a portion or all of the money to the youth group. According to the email, 12% of the tuition money has already gone to fund the group’s operations.

USY is planning to offer virtual programming for teens over the summer.

The post Conservative Jewish youth group USY cancels summer travel programs due to COVID-19 appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse..

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount