From a Backyard Dream to 700 Campers

What began as a simple idea in Eileen Price’s backyard has grown into one of Metro Atlanta’s largest Jewish day camps, serving more than 700 campers each summer while recreating the spirit of overnight camp without requiring children to do just that.

Now celebrating its 14th operating summer, In the City Camps (ITC) has become a fun-filled fixture, offering children an immersive camp experience centered on Jewish values, friendships, and connection to Israel.

Price, an Atlanta native, says the vision was inspired by her own childhood. “I grew up in Atlanta attending Greenfield Hebrew Academy and Yeshiva Atlanta. I was active in BBYO, and I spent my summers at Camp Barney Medintz and Camp Isidore Alterman. Jewish community and camp shaped who I became.”

After graduating from Emory University, Price worked at the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and at The Marcus Foundation. It was there, while immersed in philanthropy, that she began imagining a different kind of Jewish summer experience.

“I had four young children, all my friends had young kids, and I thought, ‘How hard could it be to run a camp in my backyard?’” she recalled. That backyard experiment opened in 2012 with just 65 campers. Today, ITC welcomes more than 700 children each season after expanding through several locations before establishing its current home on the Atlanta Jewish Academy campus.

Each summer, approximately 200 seasonal staff members help operate the camp. Five regional bus routes bring campers from various communities: Brookhaven, Sandy Springs, Decatur, Toco Hills, East Cobb, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Dunwoody, and Intown neighborhoods. Important safety measures include three armed security officers, while mental health professionals from Jewish Family & Career Services visit to support campers and staff.

“We take both physical security and emotional well-being very seriously. Families are trusting us with what matters most to them,” related Price.

Although camp operates for only eight weeks each summer, ITC functions as a year-round organization. Planning begins immediately after each season concludes. Staff recruitment, counselor training, activity development, fundraising, registration, programming, and Shabbat planning continue throughout the year in preparation for the next summer.

At the heart of the experience is camper choice. Children select from more than 20 activities each day, allowing them to customize schedules. Options include sports, drama, arts and crafts, cooking, woodworking, rock climbing, pickleball, water play, foam pits, tie-dye, talent shows, Mah Jongg, and Israeli cultural programming. Interwoven are Hebrew language, Jewish values, Israel education, and spirited Friday Shabbat celebrations that reinforce the camp’s mission.

“We want children to leave camp with wonderful memories, but also with a stronger Jewish identity and lifelong friendships,” she said.

ITC serves children from pre-K through rising ninth grade. Tuition for its primary programs is $500 per week, with reduced pricing for preschool and counselor-in-training programs. Before-care, after-care and transportation are available for additional fees. Need-based scholarships are available.

“Our Camper Scholarship Fund exists because cost should never be the reason a child misses the camp experience,” Price said.

The camp’s growth is supported by a volunteer board chaired by Eydie Koonin, along with major philanthropic partners like The Marcus Foundation, Zalik Foundation and Federation. Families and grandparents also play an important role in sustaining the nonprofit through tuition and charitable support. ITC has approximately one counselor for every five campers, allowing staff to know campers personally with individualized attention. The camp also works with families to accommodate children with different learning, developmental, and social needs whenever it can safely do so.

Price credits much of ITC’s success to understanding leadership. “My strength is vision, relationships, and recognizing talent. I know what I do well, and I hire people who are better than I am in other areas. Building trust — with families, staff and donors — is what allows everything else to happen,” she related.

Away from camp, Price treasures family life with her husband, David, and their four children, Avi, Emma, Zion, and Levi. Price’s ambitions extend beyond annual enrollment numbers.

She concluded, “My goal has never been to build something that depends on me. I want to build an institution that will continue serving Atlanta’s Jewish families for decades to come.”