By Michael Regenstreif, Editor

Camp B’nai Brith of Ottawa (CBB) has announced it has cancelled its 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Unfortunately, based on the decisions of the Quebec and Ontario governments, we must cancel camp this season,” wrote CBB Director Cindy Presser Benedek and Board Chair Adam Tanner in a letter to camp families posted on the camp's website.

“We held onto the hope that there might be some way to run a camp, albeit very modified, this summer. We discussed, debated and planned for every single imaginable and unimaginable scenario to safely and responsibly open. We were prepared to open but at the same time we respect the government’s decision, and will do our part to keep our society at large healthy and ready for the future… We are beyond devastated and could never have imagined we would be in this situation a few months ago,” they wrote.

“While this news about camp will be devastating to our campers and staff, we hope you can take a moment with your children to acknowledge the sadness together but also to channel the camp spirit and ‘ruach’ that lives within us and them,” Presser Benedek and Tanner added.

CBB is planning to offer some online camp experiences over the summer and asked families to “stay tuned for more information on this.”