Parental anger after Covid-19 cases tied to Tribe summer camps

But one set of parents - whose 14 year-old returned home early after a possible exposure - said the teen had made the journey unsupervised on Tuesday evening.

The child travelled to London from the Isle of Wight by taxi, ferry and railway with a small group of campers, they said. 

The parents said they were initially told by a member of the Tribe team that organisers would arrange transportation back for their child, who was meant to return home on a coach on Thursday.

But hours later they received a text message from their child asking whether they could book a ferry ticket remotely. The father said he was unable to reach organisers at the time. 

Campers were “caught in the middle” and received mixed messages, the mother said. 

The child eventually arrived in London at around 10.30pm after what the father described as an “insanely chaotic” process.

“We would like some sort of understanding of what happened. We are disgusted with what's happened. I personally wouldn't send my children on Tribe again,” the dad said.

Tribe’s head of operations Tamara Jacobson said Tribe apologised to parents affected "for the confusion and communications gap."

She said: "Incorrect information was inadvertently given, and because a number of children had to be isolated and collected, it took some time to call all their parents to inform them of the situation.

“Parents were aware of their responsibility to collect their children from camp due to Covid. The families of about 20 participants chose for their children to make their way home rather than collect them.

“Tribe prides itself on the professional way it runs its camps and we know this is why hundreds of families trust us to deliver a safe and inspiring summer experience for their children every year.” 

Another parent, whose 11 year-old child tested positive upon returning from camp on Wednesday, accused camp leaders of “behaving irresponsibly”.

The teen initially had a sore throat but is now suffering from a headache and a loss of their sense of smell, though is expected to recover. The mum has had to cancel holidays abroad next week.

Parents were concerned in the last week about reports of an earlier spike in covid-19 cases among a younger group of campers this month, she said. 

The mother was also worried that some youth leaders who had been on-site during the earlier outbreak remained at the camp. Though she noted the madrichim were tested daily. 

“We went to pick them up with face-masks because people were worried and now people are angry because exactly what we thought was going to happen has happened,” she said. 

United Synagogue, however, said all leaders were tested daily for Covid-19 and none tested positive and stressed there was no evidence the madrichim had made children ill.

The movement also said no youth leaders had come into close contact with cases according to official guidance for summer camps, which describes sharing a bedroom as a close contact. 

But the mother told the JC: “They were trusted with the health and safety of our children. They chose to turn a blind eye when all the signs were there that there was an outbreak of covid in the camp.

“Irrespective of what the implications might have been, all the leaders who had been exposed to the children who tested positive should have been sent home to avoid the subsequent group of children getting ill.”

Other parents however stressed that their children had positive experiences at camp. 

“My son Henry was buzzing when he got back from Tribe’s camp Barak”, said Lucy Jackson. “He had a brilliant time. I want to say a massive thanks to Tribe,” she said. “I know so much hard work goes into planning and organising, especially this year when Covid makes everything so much more difficult. Thank you very much indeed.”

United Synagogue described claims it turned a blind eye to cases as “outrageous and simply false” and said children had been tested regularly, with any positive cases and their close contacts isolated.

Organisers required lateral flow tests 72 hours prior to the start of camps and on the day of departure, with testing twice a week and for anyone unwell.

Ms Jacobson said “camps finished yesterday with hundreds of young people enjoying an inspiring camp away from home which is so important to their mental health and Jewish identity after the torrid year they’ve had.”

She added: "Notwithstanding the positive cases and the challenges of running a summer camp during the pandemic, we are pleased to have been able to provide a meaningful summer for so many people. The Tribe team has worked tirelessly in very difficult circumstances and I’d like to place on record my thanks to them all.”

Shelley Marsh, executive director of Reshet, the network for Jewish youth provision, noted that “while it is clearly frustrating that some young people tested positive during summer camps and needed to leave, in line with government guidance, the professionals and volunteers who have delivered camps in this most difficult year have enabled Jewish children and young people to have transformative, meaningful and safe experiences.”