A new Jewish specialty camp is coming to West Chester next summer, according to the Union for Reform Judaism.
The Reform movement’s national organization is combining the 6 Points Sci-Tech Academy and the 6 Points Creative Arts Academy, according to a news release. The unified operation will be called 6 Points Sci-Tech & Arts and will be hosted at the Westtown School in West Chester.
The Westtown School, a 600-acre college preparatory institution, has been the site of the 6 Points Creative Arts Academy for nine years, said Rachel B. Handloff, the executive director of 6 Points Specialty Camps. The 6 Points Sci-Tech Academy has been based in Byfield, Massachusetts.
Westtown “offers state-of-the-art indoor science spaces, a premier theater and arts facility, an indoor pool, air-conditioned dorms, and a brand-new dining hall opening in 2027,” according to the release. Westtown’s science building was also not being used over the summer. The Quaker school has been “a wonderful partner,” Handloff said.
The URJ wanted to bring the camps together so families didn’t have to choose between arts and sci-tech. At 6 Points Sci-Tech & Arts, kids will have choices over the course of the day in each area of interest.
The new camp will “expand opportunities in STEAM,” according to the release. The well-known acronym refers to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.
“This is a truly inspiring moment for the 6 Points community. By bringing together the strengths, traditions, and spirit of Sci-Tech and Creative Arts, we are creating a dynamic, future-focused camp that will nurture creativity, spark discovery, and deepen Jewish connection for generations of campers, staff and faculty throughout North America and Israel,” said Ruben Arquilevich, URJ’s vice president of camps and immersives, in the release. “6 Points Sci-Tech & Arts will embody the very best of what immersive Jewish experiences can be: innovative, inclusive, and profoundly meaningful.”
The URJ hopes to welcome 175 to 200 campers to three 12-day sessions. In 2026, combined enrollment at both camps is in that range.
URJ specialty camps draw kids and teens from more than 30 U.S. states and three to five countries, Handloff said. The international presence includes a large group of Israeli counselors.
“We’re not considered a regional camp. We’re a national camp,” Handloff said.
The URJ launched its camp program in 1952 with regional operations offering the normal camping experience, according to urj.org.
It added specialty camps in 2010 to cater to the desires of kids who wanted to focus on their passions. The 6 Points Sports Academy in North Carolina opened in 2010; the 6 Points Sci-Tech Academy in the Boston area followed in 2014; and the 6 Points Creative Arts Academy at Westtown launched in 2018.
“We spent more than a decade investing in specialty camps,” said Handloff. “For today’s generation, camper choice has been important.”
But as time went on, the URJ would often attract families whose kids couldn’t decide “between sci-tech and arts,” Handloff said.
“Now you can do robotics in the morning, and then in the afternoon do a choral ensemble. It’s a real opportunity to expand your horizons,” she added. “The real goal here wasn’t to replace either camp’s identity, but to build on those strengths. The decision was really driven by a vision for the future of specialty camping.”
And even though these are specialty camps, they place a strong emphasis on Jewish values.
On a typical morning at the 6 Points Sci-Tech Academy, staff members announce the Jewish value of the day, connect it to a Jewish scientist and then build an experiment around the same value.
A morning at the 6 Points Creative Arts Academy is similar: The value is shared, connected to a lesson and put into practice through an activity.
“We’re trying to provide a lived Jewish experience for campers who want to spend the bulk of their time also pursuing their passions,” said Handloff.
jsaffren@midatlanticmedia.com