Funders Summit on Jewish Camp

Funders Summit
on Jewish
Camp
October 26-27, 2015
Los Angeles, California
Thank you for joining us for the Funders Summit on Jewish Camp.
Jewish camps are extraordinary laboratories for Jewish learning, personal growth, and
Jewish expression. Over the last 17 years, Jewish overnight camp has emerged as a
recognized positive force in fostering Jewish identity in children, teens, and young adults.
Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) was founded in 1998 to strengthen the Jewish
community through support and advocacy for transformative and immersive summer
experiences, which lead to more passionate involvement in Jewish life in adulthood. FJC’s
work has been validated not only by anecdotal evidence of camp alumni, but also by
respected academic research conducted over the years (“Limmud by the Lake Revisited”;
and “Camp Works”).
In 2012, FJC convened its first Funders Summit in New York. Philanthropists and lead
professionals representing some of North America’s largest foundations gathered to discuss
and strategize about the future of Jewish camp. The Summit itself received accolades from
the participants and resulted in FJC’s updated strategic direction, as well as significant new
investments in the field of Jewish camp.
As philanthropists and professionals concerned with Jewish engagement, learning and
growth of youth and young adults, your opinion and the wisdom you have to offer is vitally
important to us as we strive to grow the impact that Jewish camps continue to have on the
future of the North American Jewish community. We share a common belief in the value of
Jewish camp, and we are grateful that you are taking the time to be with us, so that we can
plan together for the next phase for the field of Jewish camp.
We have planned this Funders Summit to engage with you in open and serious discussions.
The contents of this briefing book have been designed to help you more fully understand
some of the challenges and opportunities facing the field of Jewish camp today, and
collaboratively move the field forward.
Peter Weidhorn
Chair, Board of Directors
Jeremy J. Fingerman
Chief Executive Officer
Table of Contents
Funders Summit
Goals
Program
Speakers, Content Experts and Facilitators
Sponsors
The Field of Jewish Camp
Camp Movements
Camps by Movement and Region
The Field by the Numbers
Enrollment at Overnight Camps
Foundation for Jewish Camp
JCamp180
Recent Articles on Camp
Jewish Camp - Research and Trends
Limud by the Lake Revisited: Growth and Change at Jewish Summer Camp
Camp Works: The Long-Term Impact of Jewish Overnight Camp
New Jewish Specialty Camps: From Idea to Reality
Background Material
FJC 2013 and 2014 Annual Reports
FJC Strategic Plan
One Happy Camper Communities
Goals
Our goals for this Funders Summit are:
•
Convene funders who already have a vested interest in strengthening the Jewish
future and Jewish identity among children, teens and young adults
•
Create awareness among funders about the role and impact that Jewish experiential
education has on Jewish identity formation
•
Increase familiarity with Jewish camp as a vehicle for building Jewish identity among
campers and staff to a higher level on the philanthropic agendas of funders
•
Strengthen relationships with current funders and engage new funders in FJC’s work,
giving more children the opportunity to experience Jewish camp
•
Identify trends and ideas from the West that may result in more effective camp
experiences across the rest of North America
Program
Monday, October 26, 2015
6:00pm
Transportation is available from hotel to the reception.
Please meet in the lobby.
6:30pm
Cocktail Reception at the home of Julie and Marc Platt
10393 Strathmore Drive, Los Angeles, CA
•
Featured Speaker: Rabbi Sharon Brous, Founder of IKAR
8:30pm
Transportation is available from the reception to the hotel.
Overnight
Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel
11461 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
8:00am
Transportation is available from the hotel to the Skirball Cultural Center,
2701 North Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
Please meet in the lobby.
8:30am
Breakfast: Haas Conference Center
9:00am
Welcome
• Peter Weidhorn, FJC Chair, Board of Directors
• Lou Bergholz, Founder and Chief Knowledge Officer, Edgework Consulting
Stories from the Campfire: Transformation and Inspiration
• Erica Goldman, Jewish Educator, Camp Alonim
• Douglas Lynn, Director, Wilshire Boulevard Temple Camps
• Jay Sanderson, President and CEO, The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles
• Elisa Spungen Bildner, FJC Co-Founder and Co-Chair, Board of Trustees
10:00am
The Business of Jewish Camp: Return on Investment
• Jeremy J. Fingerman, CEO, Foundation for Jewish Camp
10:30am
Break
10:45am
Breakout Sessions I
Breakout 1 - Jewish Impact
• Content Expert: Erica Goldman, Jewish Educator, Camp Alonim
• Facilitator: Dr. Gil Graff, Executive Director, Builders of Jewish Education
Breakout 2 - Jewish Impact
• Content Expert: Rabbi Joe Menashe, Executive Director, Camp Ramah in California
• Facilitator: Dr. David Bryfman, Chief Innovation Officer, Jewish Education Project
Breakout 3 - Leadership Development
• Content Expert: Ruben Arquilevich, Executive Director, URJ Camp Newman
• Facilitator: Toby Rubin, Founder and CEO, UpStart
Breakout 4 – Leadership Development
• Content Expert: Douglas Lynn, Director, Wilshire Boulevard Temple Camps
• Facilitator: Gali Cooks, Executive Director, Leadership Pipelines Alliance
12:00pm
Lunch: Kalsman Terrace
1:00pm
Breakout Sessions II
Breakout 1 - Jewish Impact
• Content Expert: Erica Goldman, Jewish Educator, Camp Alonim
• Facilitator: Dr. Gil Graff, Executive Director, Builders of Jewish Education
Breakout 2 - Jewish Impact
• Content Expert: Rabbi Joe Menashe, Executive Director, Camp Ramah in California
• Facilitator: Dr. David Bryfman, Chief Innovation Officer, Jewish Education Project
Breakout 3 - Leadership Development
• Content Expert: Ruben Arquilevich, Executive Director, URJ Camp Newman
• Facilitator: Toby Rubin, Founder and CEO, UpStart
Breakout 4 – Leadership Development
• Content Expert: Douglas Lynn, Director, Wilshire Boulevard Temple Camps
• Facilitator: Gali Cooks, Executive Director, Leadership Pipelines Alliance
2:15pm
Break
2:30pm
Group Discussion: Field Expansion
• Jeremy J. Fingerman, CEO, Foundation for Jewish Camp
• Lou Bergholz, Founder and Chief Knowledge Officer, Edgework Consulting
3:30pm
Closing remarks and feedback
• Peter Weidhorn, FJC Chair, Board of Directors
4:00pm
Adjourn
Many Thanks for Your Participation!
Speakers, Content Experts and Facilitators
Ruben Arquilevich
Ruben Arquilevich serves as the Executive Director of URJ Camp Newman, a year-round
camp and retreat center serving communities in California, several Western States and
Israel. He provides leadership, coaching, mentoring, supervision for a stellar team of
directors at URJ Camp Newman, NFTY and a variety of URJ West experiential programs.
In addition to almost 30 years of professional experience in Jewish Camping, youth work and
leadership, he earned an MBA in non-profit management and a minor in Jewish studies from
the American Jewish University; along with a BA in Psychology from The Colorado
College. He is a Wexner Fellow and recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award from the
American Jewish University.
Mr. Arquilevich has consulted on the development of new camps and retreat centers; has
served as a consultant for Jewish and secular non-profits, and presents at a wide variety of
conferences and seminars around the United States and Israel. He is also a mentor for
Legacy giving at Congregation Shomrei Torah in Santa Rosa, CA. He has witnessed
generations of children, teens, young adults and adults whose lives have been enriched by
Jewish camping, youth work, Israel experiences – through a deep love and learning of
Judaism that translates to greater Jewish identity; profound friendships; discovery and
celebration of best selves and personal growth. He is a lifelong student, believing that we
constantly learn from the people around us every day; and that much of the learning has
come from those he has mentored over the years. He is passionate about the outdoors and
the role that nature plays in creating community and a connection to Judaism. A native of
Cordoba, Argentina, Ruben lives in Northern California with his wife Vivien and children
Jonah, Max and Maia.
Lou Bergholz
Lou brings to his consulting work a rare blend of design expertise, professional consulting
presence and truly engaging and exciting facilitation. Lou’s passion for learning stems from
years of work on the front lines of education and organizational development, across the
United States and abroad. Lou has worked in the classroom as well as in non-traditional
educational settings, with populations ranging from executives of major corporations to
young adults with life threatening illnesses. Lou holds a Bachelor of Science degree in
Human Development from Cornell University.
Lou has participated in and worked with the camping industry since he was six years old.
Lou attended Emma Kaufmann Camp (EKC) as a teenager and worked at EKC between
1989 and 1994. Lou served as the lead implementer in Edgework’s long-term camp
development initiatives with Paul Newman’s Serious Fun Network, developing residential
and day camp programs in Namibia, Ethiopia, Thailand, Malawi and South Africa. Lou
participated in Project Otzma between 1994 and 1995 and served as a Coordinator for
Project Otzma between 1996 and 1997. During that time he co-directed a camp near Haifa
and helped launch several after-school programs for new immigrants in northern and central
Israel. Between 2009 and 2012, Lou was lead designer on a large scale camp-style afterschool program focused on violence reduction and mental health, for close to 3,000
Palestinian youth living in eight under-served communities. Additionally, Lou has delivered
numerous camp staff trainings around the US. Lou divides his time within Edgework
between research, design and facilitation.
Elisa Spungen Bildner
Elisa Spungen Bildner is co-founder and co-chair (with Rob Bildner) of the Board of Trustees
of the Foundation for Jewish Camp.
Professionally, Elisa was president of FreshPro, a leading fresh-cut produce company serving
the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic food industry. Prior to that, she was a journalism professor at
Rutgers and New York Universities, taught law at Seton Hall Law School, and was a
reporter/editor at the Newark Star Ledger. She is a former attorney, practicing in New York
and New Jersey, as well as law clerk to Federal District Judge H. Lee Sarokin. Elisa is
currently a writer in the fields of health and food is a professionally trained vegan chef and
teaches yoga, including Jewish yoga.
In the Jewish community, Elisa is former president and chair of JTA, the international Jewish
wire service, past chair of the Jewish Funders Network, and currently serves on their boards
as well as those of the Jewish Book Council, the MetroWest Jewish News and Community
Foundation. In 2013, President Obama appointed Elisa to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial
Council. At Yale, from which Elisa graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, she is
on the Alumni Association Board, the Development Council, Parents Leadership Council,
Women’s Health Research at Yale (Medical School) Council, on the board of the Slifka
Center for Jewish Life (Hillel) and is a founding member of YaleWomen and on its Council.
Robert (Rob) Bildner
Rob Bildner, co-founder of FJC, is an attorney and entrepreneur who is active in the Jewish
and secular non-profit communities and public life. Inspired by their participation in the
Wexner Heritage Leadership Program, Rob and his wife Elisa founded FJC in 1998, providing
seed funding to launch a public foundation dedicated solely to overnight camps with a
Jewish mission. He serves FJC as co-chair of its Board of Trustees and is a member of its
Executive Committee. Rob is a key lay leader of several other non-profit organizations
including the Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale (board member) and serves Yale
University in many capacities (past member of its University Council, member of the
Development Council and Parents Leadership Council, Secretary of the Class of ’72.) As an
entrepreneur, Rob founded several food companies, including RLB Food Distributors, a
perishable food distribution and food manufacturing company, which he sold in 2007. He is
a member of the World Presidents’ Organization. Prior to starting RLB Food Distributors, Rob
served as a state government official in New Jersey and then practiced corporate law with
the law firm of Lowenstein, Sandler. He received his B.A. Magna Cum Laude from Yale, his
J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a Masters degree in Jewish studies
from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. Rob and his wife have four grown
children.
Rabbi Sharon Brous
Rabbi Sharon Brous is the founding rabbi of IKAR, a thriving Jewish community that stands at
the intersection of soulful, inventive spiritual and religious practice and a deep commitment
to social justice. Brous has been recognized as one of the nation’s leading rabbis by
Newsweek/The Daily Beast and among the 50 most influential American Jews by the
Forward. In 2013 she topped the Daily Beast list, which credited her with reanimating Jewish
community and reenergizing prayer at a time of growing disaffection and declining affiliation.
In 2013 she blessed President Obama and Vice President Biden at the Inaugural National
Prayer Service. She sits on the faculty of the Hartman Institute-North America, Wexner
Heritage and REBOOT, and is a Senior Fellow at Auburn Theological Seminary. She serves on
the International Council of the New Israel Fund and rabbinic advisory council to American
Jewish World Service.
Brous was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2001 and received a Master’s
Degree in human rights from Columbia University, where she also received her Bachelor’s
Degree in 1995. After ordination, she served as a Rabbinic Fellow at Congregation B'nai
Jeshurun in New York City before moving to Los Angeles.
Brous lives in Los Angeles with her husband David and their three children.
Dr. David Bryfman
Dr. David Bryfman is an Australian born-and-bred Jewish educator who has worked in formal
and informal Jewish educational institutions in Australia, Israel, and North America. David
has a broad array of educational interests that include Israel education, experiential Jewish
education, technology, and Jewish adolescent identity development. David currently serves
as the Chief Innovation Officer at The Jewish Education Project in New York. David recently
edited the book, Experience and Jewish Education.
Gali Cooks
Gali Cooks recently assumed the Executive Director role of the Leadership Pipelines Alliance,
an organization formed to influence, inspire and enable dramatic change in attracting,
developing and retaining top talent for Jewish organizations. Gali brings to the Alliance
extensive professional experience in the nonprofit, public and private sectors. Her career
began in Washington, DC, where she was a speechwriter at the Embassy of Israel and
worked as a Legislative Assistant at AIPAC. She then joined the Harold Grinspoon
Foundation where she was Founding Director of the PJ Library, a family engagement
program that mails free Jewish children’s books to families each month. The PJ Library now
reaches hundreds of thousands of children in North America, Israel and beyond. From 20072013, Gali served as Executive Director of the Rita J. & Stanley H. Kaplan Family Foundation
where she oversaw the distribution of millions of philanthropic dollars to organizations
working to empower people and inspire hope. In the private sector, Gali was VP of
Operations at an education technology startup. Most recently, she served as Director of
Business Operations in the Youth Division of the Union for Reform Judaism. She holds a B.A.
from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an M.B.A. from the NYU Stern School of
Business. She is a proud resident of Brooklyn, NY, where she lives with her wife, Keren.
Sandy Edwards, Ph.D.
With over 30 years in philanthropy and nonprofit management, Sandy has established a
consulting practice offering senior-level support and advising to philanthropic foundations
and non-profit organizations. Sandy developed expertise in all aspects of philanthropy,
organizational and programmatic strategy/planning, and Jewish education. Her experience
includes supporting organizations in program and policy development, and helping them
develop new ways of understanding their work, adopt new strategies, and connect those
strategies to outcomes so that they become more effective and expand their work.
In June 2015, Sandy retired after nine years as Associate Director of the Jim Joseph
Foundation, a philanthropic organization with $1 billion in assets, in San Francisco. In this
role, Sandy developed grantmaking procedures, managed a grant portfolio of approximately
$100 million in large multi-year grants to support the implementation of the Foundation’s
grantmaking strategy in Jewish education. Another aspect of Sandy’s role was supporting
the development of the Foundation’s evaluation program which was aimed at advancing the
organizational learning and effectiveness of the Foundation and its grantees.
Prior to joining the Jim Joseph Foundation, Sandy was a program officer and later directed
grantmaking activities during her 20-year tenure at the Koret Foundation in San Francisco.
Sandy received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley and Ph.D. in
Educational Administration from the George Peabody College for Teachers at Vanderbilt
University. Sandy also completed a post-doc in higher education at the University of
California, Los Angeles.
Jeremy J. Fingerman
Jeremy joined the Foundation for Jewish Camp as CEO in 2010. Prior to joining FJC, he had
a highly-regarded 20+ year career in Consumer Packaged Goods, beginning at General
Mills, Inc, then at Campbell Soup Company, where he served as President of its largest
Division, US Soup. In 2005, he was recruited to serve as CEO of Manischewitz.
Jeremy spent many wonderful summers at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin as a child where he
discovered the joy of Judaism and made lifelong friends. He started his Jewish communal
work in high school, serving as international president of United Synagogue Youth. He since
has served on many philanthropic boards including Jewish Federation, Israel Bonds,
American Friends of Magen David Adom, and currently serves as vice-president of his
synagogue, Congregation Ahavath Torah.
He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Columbia University and an
M.B.A. in General Management from Harvard Business School. He lives in Englewood, NJ
with his wife, Gail, and two children, Zalman and Esther.
Erica Goldman
Erica Goldman began Israeli dancing in New York as a child alongside her father, another
folk dance fanatic. After many years performing with several New England area Israeli dance
troupes, she branched out into other kinds of folk dance as a member of the Mandala
Folkdance Ensemble and then the Collage Dance Ensemble, with whom she competed at
the Golden Karagöz Folk Dance Competition in Turkey in 2003. In 2004, Erica spent the
summer as the Dance Director of Camp Alonim where Israeli dancing is truly an obsession
among the campers.
She was hooked; she quit her job of eight years at a software company in Boston, and
moved to L.A. and has been teaching Israeli dance ever since, both in the US and abroad. In
the summers of 2013 and 2014, she was the Goodman Educator for Camp Alonim, working
to expand and improve Israel education at camp as part of the Foundation for Jewish Camp
and the iCenter’s Goodman Camping Initiative for Modern Israel History. Erica is currently
working on her MBA from the Heller School and her MA in the Hornstein Program for Jewish
Professional Leadership at Brandeis University. In 2015, she joined the education faculty of
FJC’s Cornerstone Fellowship and launched Ma’agal, an initiative to improve Israeli dance
education at schools and camps across the nation. Erica is a newly-minted Wexner Fellow
(Davidson Scholar), class 28, and is still recovering from her twelfth summer at Camp
Alonim.
Dr. Gil Graff
Dr. Gil Graff has served as Executive Director of BJE since 1993. During his tenure, BJE –
through the collaborative efforts of its board and staff, and the partnership of individuals
and organizations with shared goals -- has earned a national reputation for innovation and
excellence in advancing the mission of encouraging participation in, enhancing the quality
of, and promoting access to Jewish education.
Gil’s experience in Jewish education spans many years as a teacher and administrator at
day and complementary schools and as Director of a residential summer camp. His
academic background includes several teaching credentials, a Masters Degree in
Educational Administration (CSUN) as well as a J.D. (UCLA School of Law) and Ph.D. in
Jewish History (UCLA). Gil has been a California Senate Fellow, a Jerusalem Fellow, and a
Visiting Scholar at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies.
Gil is the author of two books and numerous articles on issues of Jewish education, history
and law, relating to the encounter of Jews and Judaism with modernity. He has taught
graduate and professional school students as an adjunct faculty member at American
Jewish University, HUC, Touro College, Spertus Institute and AJR-CA, and served as a mentor
for the iCenter in the professional development of Israel educators. He is currently a
member of ADCA, the Association of Directors of Central Agencies, serves on the Advisory
Board of the DeLeT teacher education program at HUC and is an officer of the California
Association of Private School Organizations (CAPSO).
Gil and his wife Robin, a Jewish educator with decades of professional experience in Jewish
camping, are both natives of Los Angeles. They are the parents of two sons and a daughter
educated at BJE-accredited schools. Ari and Ilan are lawyers; Talia is a Ph.D. student in the
field of Jewish history at UCLA.
Douglas Lynn
Douglas Lynn is the Director of Wilshire Boulevard Temple Camps—Camp Hess Kramer,
Gindling Hilltop Camp, and the Steve Breuer Conference Center in Malibu, California. Doug
came to Jewish camping naturally, having “grown up” in the Reform movement’s youth
groups and regional movements. He is a graduate of Duke University and alum of Brandeis
University’s Institute for Informal Jewish Education and the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s
ELI (Executive Leadership Institute) program. Doug is honored to have worked in the field of
informal Jewish education since 1995, first as a regional advisor for the North American
Federation of Temple Youth, then for nine years with the Union for Reform Judaism’s Eisner
Camp, prior to becoming the director at Wilshire Boulevard Temple Camps in 2004. Doug
lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Jamie, and their daughters, Eden and Talia.
Rabbi Joe Menashe
Rabbi Joe Menashe has been serving as the executive director at Camp Ramah in California
since 2010. He hails from Portland, Oregon, where he grew up attending Congregation
Neveh Shalom. He spent his first summer at Ramah in California in 1995 as a Moreh
(teacher) and social justice coordinator. He remained part of the Ramah family during the
90’s serving as Rosh Edah, Rosh Kvutzah for Seminar in Israel and Founding Director of the
Meytiv Program, a Ramah based social justice program for high school students.
Rabbi Joe received a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1993 and attended the
Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies from 1993-1994. Rabbi Joe obtained a Master of
Hebrew Letters degree from the University of Judaism in Los Angeles in 1996 and received
his Rabbinic Ordination and a Master of Arts degree (with a concentration in Jewish
Education) in 2000 from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York.
From 2000 - 2006, Rabbi Joe served as the Hillel Director at The Johns Hopkins University in
Baltimore, Maryland. During his tenure, Hopkins Hillel opened a home for Jewish life, The
Smokler Center for Jewish Life, Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Building. He was awarded
Hillel’s Richard M. Joel, Exemplar of Excellence Award in 2004. From 2006 until 2010,
Rabbi Joe has served as an Associate Rabbi at Congregation Shearith Israel in Dallas, Texas.
During one of those amazing “Ramah Summers,” Joe met Deborah Musher. Deborah and
Joe were married in her hometown of Houston in 2002. Deborah is an educator with a long
history at Camp Ramah and focuses her work and research on students with autism.
Together Joe and Deborah have three beautiful children, Molly, Gabriel, and Samuel.
Toby Rubin
Toby Rubin is founder and CEO of UpStart, a non-profit dedicated to advancing innovative
ideas designed to contribute to the growth and vitality of Jewish life. In a time of rapidly
changing needs and interests, UpStart provides education and training in innovation,
entrepreneurship and change leadership to professionals working entrepreneurially as well
as inside established Jewish organizations. UpStart offices are in San Francisco, Palo Alto,
and Chicago with more to come.
Toby’s career began as a litigator on behalf of students with disabilities in education
matters, highlighted by a win at the U.S. Supreme Court. As a result of her experience as a
Wexner Heritage Foundation Fellow, she internalized the value of Jewish wisdom as a
framework for finding meaning and purpose in contemporary life. In 2002 she became a
Jewish professional at Jewish Learning Works (then “BJE”) where she directed the tikea
Fellowship for Educators of Jewish Teens, founded the program that became UpStart, and
rose to Associate Director. She left to launch UpStart as an independent non-profit in July
2008. Toby brings 30 years in a range of executive lay leadership roles to her work as well.
Her most successful venture by far has been creation of the Rubin family with husband,
Robert. Adult daughters Rachel, Sadie, and Eliana have far exceeded ROI expectations.
Jay Sanderson
Jay Sanderson is President and CEO of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and is
responsible for its tremendous transformation. He has been professionally active in the
Jewish community for twenty-seven years and offers a wealth of knowledge and experience
in new and old media as well as evolving communications technologies. Jay is recognized
as one of America’s leading entrepreneurs and has over 30 years of experience
transforming non-profit organizations, and was named to the Forward 50 list.
Formerly, Jay was the CEO and Executive Producer of Jewish Television Network (JTN).
Sanderson created, produced and wrote over 700 hours of award-winning television
programming. Jay was the creator and Executive Producer of the PBS landmark series, The
Jewish Americans, and of the epic genocide documentary, Worse Than War. In 2007, he led
JTN’s broadband Initiative, JewishTVNetwork.com, and the only fully Jewish video website on
the internet, attracting over 1.75 million unique visitors and hosting the largest Kol Nidre
service ever.
Jay lives in Encino, California, and is married to Laura Lampert Sanderson. They have two
children, Jonah and Isabelle.
Peter Weidhorn
Peter is currently a consultant, corporate director, and private investor in the multi-family
housing market. He has over 30 years of experience in the management, acquisition,
disposition, and financing of commercial real estate. Peter is the immediate past Chairman
of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ). Prior to this position, he chaired the North American
camping committee of the URJ and was instrumental in crafting the camp movement
structure.
Thank You!
Foundation for Jewish Camp
is grateful for the generous support of the
Funders Summit on Jewish Camp
in Los Angeles, California to
The AVI CHAI Foundation
New York, NY
The Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation
Los Angeles, CA
The Jim Joseph Foundation
San Francisco, CA
The Marcus Foundation
Atlanta, GA
We express our appreciation to
Julie and Marc Platt
for hosting
the Funders Summit reception
in their home
Camp Movements
Jewish Overnight Camps by Denomination and Movement
Reform
Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) / North
American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY)
URJ Camp George, Parry Sound, ON
URJ 6 Points Sports Academy, Greensboro, NC
URJ Camp Eisner, Great Barrington, MA
URJ Camp George, Parry Sound, ON
URJ Camp Harlam, Kunkletown, PA
URJ Camp Kalsman, Arlington, WA
URJ Camp Kutz, Warwick, NY
URJ Camp Newman, Santa Rosa, CA
URJ Coleman Camp Institute, Cleveland, GA
URJ Crane Lake Camp, West Stockbridge, MA
URJ Greene Family Camp, Bruceville, TX
URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp, Utica, MS
URJ Goldman Union Camp Institute, Zionsville, IN
URJ Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute,
Oconomowoc, WI
URJ 6 Points Sci-Tech Academy, Lyndhurst, NJ
URJ Mitzvah Corps, New York, NY
Independent Reform
Camp Akiba, Culver City, CA
Shwayder Camp, Idaho Springs, CO
Gindling Hilltop Camp, Malibu, CA
Camp Hess Kramer, Malibu, CA
Camp Daisy and Harry Stein, Scottsdale, AZ
Reconstructionist
Camp JRF, South Sterling, PA
Conservative
National Ramah Commission
Camp Ramah Darom, Clayton, GA
Camp Ramah in California, Ojai, CA
Camp Ramah in Canada, Utterson, ON
Camp Ramah in New England, Palmer, MA
Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, Wingdale, NY
Camp Ramah in the Poconos, Lakewood, PA
Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, Conover, WI
Ramah Outdoor Adventure, Denver, CO
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
(USCJ)
USY on Wheels, New York, NY
Independent Conservative
Camp Solomon Schechter, Olympia, WA
Orthodox
Agudath Israel
Camp Agudah – Toronto, Port Carling, ON
Camp Agudah Midwest, South Haven, MI
Camp Bnos Maarava (Chicago, IL)
Camp Adugah NY, Liberty, NY
Bnei Akiva
Moshava Indian Orchard, Honesdale, PA
Moshava Wild Rose, Wild Rose, WI
Camp Moshava Ennismore, Ennismore, ON
Camp Stone, Sugar Grove, PA
Moshava Malibu, Beverly Hills, CA
Chabad
Camp Gan Israel Florida, Groveland, FL
Camp Gan Israel Michigan, Kalkaska, MI
Camp Gan Israel Montreal, La Minerve, QC
Camp Gan Israel New York, Parksville, NY
Camp Gan Israel Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Camp Gan Israel Toronto, Thornill, ON
Camp Chomeish of New England, Moodus, CT
Camp Pardas Chanah, Val David, QC
Camp Emunah Bnos Yaakov, Greenfield Park, NY
Bais Chana Jewish Un-camp, Brooklyn, NY
Jewish Girls Retreat, Troy, NY
Yeshivas Kayitz, Pittsburgh, PA
Gan Yisroel West, Santa Monica, CA
National Conference of Synagogue Youth (NCSY)
NCSY Camp Sports, Owings Mills, MD
Yachad Camp Programs, New York, NY
Camp Darom (Baron Hirsch), Grenada, MS
Independent Orthodox
Camp Yaldei, Montreal, QC
Yeshivas Hakayitz, Skokie, IL
Camp Chayolei Hamelech, Lackawaxen, PA
Camp Dina, Stroudsburg, PA
Camp Dora Golding , East Stroudsburg, PA
Yesh Shabbat, King of Prussia, PA
Camp Morasha, Lakewood, PA
TheZone, Gilboa, NY
Sephardic Adventure Camp, Seattle, WA
Aryeh Adventures, Livingston, NJ
Tizmoret Shoshana, Copake, NY
Chavayah Overnight Camp for Girls, Wisconsin Dells, WI
Camp L’man Achai, Andes, NY
Community
JCC Association (JCCA)
Adamah Adventures, Atlanta, GA
Berkshire Hills Emanuel Camps, Copake, NY
B'nai B'rith Camp, Neotsu, OR
B'nai Brith Camp (Manitoba), Winnipeg, ON
Camp Barney Medintz, Cleveland, GA
Camp Chi, Lake Delton, WI
Camp Interlaken, Eagle River, WI
Camp Inc., Boulder, CO
Camp JCA Shalom, Malibu, CA
Camp Livingston, Bennington, IN
Camp Mountain Chai, Angelus Oaks, CA
Camp Poyntelle Lewis Village, Poyntelle, PA
Camp Sabra, Rocky Mount, MO
Camp Tawonga, Groveland, CA
Camp Wise, Chardon, OH
Capital Camps, Waynesboro, PA
Emma Kaufmann Camp, Morgantown, WV
JCC Maccabi Camp Kingswood, Bridgton, ME
JCC Ranch Camp, Elbert, CO
NJY Camp Nah Jee Wah, Milford, PA
NJY Camp Nesher and Shoshanim, Lakewood, PA
NJY Cedar Lake Camp, Milford, PA
Pinemere Camp, Stroudsburg, PA
Surprise Lake Camp, Cold Spring, NY
Tamarack Camps, Ortonville, MI
Harry Bronfman Y Country Camp, Huberdeau, QC
Association of Independent Jewish Camps
(AIJC)
Camp Airy, Thurmont, MD
Camp Louise, Cascade, MD
B’nai B’rith Beber Camp, Mukwonago, WI
Camp Avoda, Middleboro, MA
Camp Seneca Lake, Penn Yan, NY
Camp Yavneh, Northwood, NH
Camp Young Judaea, Amherst, NH
B’nai B’rith Perlman Camp, Lake Como, PA
Camp B'nai Brith of Montreal, Lantier, QC
Herzl Camp, Webster, WI
BBYO Chapter Leadership Training Conference,
Mukwonago, WI
BBYO International Leadership Training
Conference and Kallah, Lake Como, PA
BBYO Travel Programs
Independent Community
Kibbutz Max Straus, Glendale, CA
Camp Bauercrest, Amesbury, MA
Camp Be'chol Lashon, Petaluma, CA
Camp BB-Riback, Pine Lake, AB
Camp B'nai Brith of Ottawa, Quyon, QC
Camp Kinneret-Biluim, Mont Tremblant, QC
Camp Northland-B'nai Brith, Haliburton, ON
Camp Tawonga, Groveland, CA
Camp Louemma, Sussex, NJ
Camp Nageela East, Fallsburg, NY
Camp Nageela Midwest, Marshall, IN
Camp Nageela West, Sedona, AZ
Camp Zeke, New York, NY
Camp Cabri, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, QC
Camp Pembroke, Pembroke, MA
Camp Tel Noar, Hampstead, NH
Camp Tevya, Brookline, NH
Camp Kinderland, Tolland, MA
Camp Laurelwood, Madison, CT
American Jewish Society for Service, Bethesda, MD
Camp Alonim, Brandeis, CA
Camp Ben Frankel, Makanda, IL
Camp JORI, Wakefield, RI
Camp Kinder Ring, Hopewell Junction, NY
BIMA at Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
Eden Village Camp, Putnam Valley, NY
Genesis at Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
Golden Slipper Camp, Stroudsburg, PA
Disabilities & Special Needs
Camp Simcha, New York, NY
Camp Living Wonders, Atlanta, GA
Camp HASC (Hebrew Academy for Special Needs
Children), Parksville, NY
Camp Kaylie, Wurstboro, NY
Russian-Speaking
Camp B’Yachad, Lakewood, PA
Havurah, Barryville, NY
J Academy, Vaughn, ON
Gesher at Kibbutz Max Straus, Glendale, CA
Hebrew-Speaking
Machane Kachol-Lavan, Running Springs, CA
Camp Massad, Winnipeg Beach, MB
Camp Massad of Canada, Sainte Agathe Nord, QC
Zionist
Habonim Dror
Habonim Dror Camp Galil, Ottsville, PA
Habonim Dror Camp Gesher, Cloyne, ON
Habonim Dror Camp Gilboa, Los Angeles, CA
Habonim Dror Camp Miriam, Gabriola Island, BC
Habonim Dror Camp Moshava, Street, MD
Habonim Dror Camp Na'aleh, Bainbridge, NY
Habonim Dror Camp Tavor, Three Rivers, MI
Hashomer Hatzair
Camp Shomria US, Liberty, NY
Camp Shomria Canada, Otty Lake, Perth, ON
Young Judaea (United States & Canada)
Camp Judaea, Hendersonville, NC
Camp Tel Yehudah, Barryville, NY
Camp Young Judaea Midwest, Waupaca, WI
Camp Young Judaea Sprout Lake, Verbank, NY
Camp Young Judaea Texas, Wimberley, TX
Camp Hatikvah, Oyama, BC
Camp Kadimah, Barss Corner, NS
Camp Shalom, Toronto, ON
Camp Solelim, Sudbury, ON
Camp Kinneret-Biluim, Mont Treblant, QC
Jewish Overnight Camps by Region
Northeast
Bais Chana Jewish Un-Camp, Brooklyn, NY
Berkshire Hills Emanuel Camps, Copake, NY
BIMA at Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
Camp Agudah NY, Liberty, NY
Camp Avoda, Middleboro, MA
Camp Bauercrest, Amesbury, MA
Camp B'Yachad, Brooklyn, NY
Camp Chayolei Hamelech , Lackawaxen, PA
Camp Chomeish of New England, Goshen, CT
Camp Dina, Stroudsburg, PA
Camp Dora Golding, East Stroudsburg, PA
Camp Emunah Bnos Yaakov Yehudah,
Greenfield Park, NY
Camp Gan Israel in the Poconos, Airmont, NY
Camp Gan Israel New York, Parksville, NY
Camp Gan Israel Philadelphia, Wynnewood, PA
Camp HASC (Hebrew Academy for Special
Children), Parksville, NY
Camp JORI, Wakefield, RI
Camp JRF, South Sterling, PA
Camp Kaylie, Wurstboro, NY
Camp Kinder Ring, Hopewell Junction, NY
Camp Kinderland, Tolland, MA
Camp Laurelwood, Madison, CT
Camp L'man Achai, Andes, NY
Camp Louemma, Sussex, NJ
Camp Morasha, Lakewood, PA
Camp Moshava Indian Orchard, Honesdale, PA
Camp Nageela East, Fallsburg, NY
Camp Nah-Jee-Wah, Milford, PA
Camp Nesher, Lakewood, PA
Camp Pembroke, Pembroke, MA
Camp Poyntelle Lewis Village, Poyntelle, PA
Camp Ramah in New England, Palmer, MA
Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, Wingdale, NY
Camp Ramah in the Poconos, Lakewood, PA
Camp Seneca Lake, Penn Yan, NY
Camp Shomria (US), Liberty, NY
Camp Shoshanim, Lakewood, PA
Camp Simcha, New York, NY
Camp Tel Noar, Hampstead, NH
Camp Tel Yehudah, Barryville, NY
Camp Tevya, Brookline, NH
Camp Yavneh, Northwood, NH
Camp Young Judaea, Amherst, NH
Camp Young Judaea Sprout Lake, Verbank, NY
Camp Zeke, Lakewood, PA
Cedar Lake Camp, Milford, PA
Eden Village Camp, Putnam Valley, NY
Emma Kaufmann Camp, Morgantown, WV
Genesis at Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
Golden Slipper Camp, Stroudsburg, PA
Habonim Dror Camp Galil, Ottsville, PA
Habonim Dror Camp Na'aleh, Bainbridge, NY
JCC Camp Kingswood, Brighton, ME
Jewish Girls Retreat, Troy, NY
Machane Kachol-Lavan (East), Woodland Hills, CA
NCSY Camp Sports, Owings Mills, MD
NJY Teen Camp, Milford, PA
Pinemere Camp, Stroudsburg, PA
Round Lake Camp, Milford, PA
Surprise Lake Camp, Cold Spring, NY
TheZone, Gilboa, NY
URJ 6 Points Sci-Tech Academy, Byfield, MA
URJ 6 Points Sports Academy, Greensboro, NC
URJ Camp Harlam, Kunkletown, PA
URJ Crane Lake Camp, West Stockbridge, MA
URJ Eisner Camp, Great Barrington, MA
URJ Kutz Camp, Warwick, NY
URJ Mitzvah Corps DC, Washington, DC
URJ Mitzvah Corps New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ
URJ Mitzvah Corps New Orleans, New Orleans, LA
URJ Mitzvah Corps Pacific Northwest, New York, NY
USY on Wheels, New York, NY
Yachad Camp Programs, New York, NY
Yesh Shabbat, King of Prussia, PA
Yeshivas Kayitz, Pittsburgh, PA
Midwest
B'nai B'rith Beber Camp, Mukwonago, WI
Camp Agudah Midwest, South Haven, MI
Camp Ben Frankel, Makanda, IL
Camp Bnos Maarava, Chicago, IL
Camp Gan Israel Michigan, Kalkaska, MI
Camp Henry Horner, Ingleside, IL
Camp Interlaken JCC, Eagle River, WI
Camp Livingston, Bennington, IN
Camp Moshava of Wild Rose, Wild Rose, WI
Camp Nageela Midwest, Marshall, IN
Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, Conover, WI
Camp Sabra, Rocky Mount, MO
Camp Stone, Sugar Grove, PA
Camp Wise, Chardon, OH
Camp Young Judaea Midwest, Waupaca, WI
Chavayah Overnight Camp for Girls, Lake Delton, WI
Habonim Dror Camp Tavor, Three Rivers, MI
Herzl Camp, Webster, WI
JCC Camp Chi, Lake Delton, WI
Tamarack Camps, Bloomfield, MI
URJ Goldman Union Camp Institute (GUCI), Zionsville, IN
URJ Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI), Deerfield, IL
Yeshivas Hakayitz, Skokie, IL
South
Adamah Adventures, Atlanta, GA
American Jewish Society for Service, Bethesda, MD
BBYO Chapter Leadership Training Conference,
Lake Como, PA
BBYO Impact Boston: Brandeis University
BBYO Impact DC: University of Maryland
BBYO International Kallah, Lake Como, PA
BBYO International Leadership Training
Conference, Lake Como, PA
BBYO Passport, Washington, DC
B'nai Brith Perlman Camp, Lake Como, PA
Camp Barney Medintz, Cleveland, GA
Camp Darom, Greanda, MS
Camp Gan Israel Florida, Groveland, FL
Camp Judaea, Hendersonville, NC
Camp Living Wonders, Zirconia, NC
Camp Louise, Cascade, MD
Camp Ramah Darom, Clayton, GA
Camp Young Judaea Texas, Wimberley, TX
Camp Airy, Thurmont, MD
Capital Camps, Waynseboro, PA
Etgar 36, Decatur, GA
HaBonim Dror Camp Moshava, Street, MD
Tizmoret Shoshana, Copake, NY
URJ Camp Coleman, Cleveland, GA
URJ Greene Family Camp, Bruceville, TX
URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp, Utica, MS
West
Aryeh Adventures, Los Angeles, CA
B'nai B'rith Camp, Neotsu, OR
Camp Akiba, Culver City, CA
Camp Alonim, Brandeis, CA
Camp Be'chol Lashon, Petaluma, CA
Camp Daisy and Harry Stein, Scottsdale, AZ
Camp Gan Yisroel West
Camp Hess Kramer, Malibu, CA
Camp Inc., Steamboat Springs, CO
Camp JCA Shalom, Malibu, CA
Camp Mountain Chai, Angelus Oaks, CA
Camp Nageela West, Sedona, AZ
Camp Ramah in California, Ojai, CA
Camp Solomon Schechter, Olympia, WA
Camp Tawonga, Groveland, CA
Gindling Hilltop Camp, Malibu, CA
Habonim Dror Camp Gilboa, Los Angeles, CA
JCC Maccabi Sports Camp, Atherton, CA
JCC Ranch Camp, Elbert, CO
Kibbutz Bob Waldorf at Max Straus Campus,
Glendale, CA
Gesher Program at Kibbutz Max Straus, Glendale, CA
Machane Kachol-Lavan (West), Woodland Hills, CA
Moshava Malibu, Beverly Hills, CA
Ramah Outdoor Adventure, Denver, CO
Sephardic Adventure Camp, Shelton, WA
Shwayder Camp, Idaho Springs, CO
URJ Camp Kalsman, Arlington, WA
URJ Camp Newman, Santa Rosa, CA
Eastern Canada
Camp Agudah – Toronto, Port Carling, ON
Camp B'nai Brith of Montreal, Lantier, QC
Camp B'nai Brith of Ottawa, Quyon, QC
Camp Cabri, Montreal, QC
Camp Gan Israel Montrea, Montreal, QC
Camp Gan Israel Toronto, Thornhill, ON
Camp Kadimah, Barss Corner, NS
Camp Kinneret-Biluim, Mont Tremblant, QC
Camp Massad (Montreal), Saint Agathe Nord, QC
Camp Moshava Ennismore, Ennismore, ON
Camp Northland-B'nai Brith, Haliburton, ON
Camp Pardas Chanah, Val David, QC
Camp Ramah in Canada, Utterson, ON
Camp Shalom, Toronto, ON
Camp Shomria Canada, Perth, ON
Camp Solelim, Sudbury, ON
Camp Yaldei, Montreal, QC
Habonim Dror Camp Gesher, Cloyne, ON
Harry Bronfman Y Country Camp, Huberdeau, QC
J.Academy, Vaughn, ON
URJ Camp George, Parry Sound, ON
Western Canada
B'nai Brith Camp (Manitoba), Winnipeg, MB
Camp BB-Riback, Pine Lake, AB
Camp Hatikvah, Oyama, BC
Camp Massad (Manitoba), Winnipeg Beach, MB
Habonim Dror Camp Miriam, Gabriola Island, BC
2009 -2014 Enrollment at Overnight Camps
• 16% increase since 2009
• 200,000+ first-time campers and staff
• 500,000 experience cumulatively
Foundation for Jewish Camp
Mission
The Foundation for Jewish Camp unifies and galvanizes the field of Jewish camp and
significantly increases the number of children participating in high quality, immersive, and
transformative Jewish summers, assuring a more vibrant North American Jewish community.
Vision
Immersive Jewish summer experiences turn Jewish youth and teens into spirited and
engaged Jewish adults, laying the groundwork for stronger, more engaged Jewish
communities in the future. The Foundation for Jewish Camp aspires to elevate the field of
Jewish camp and diversify its programmatic offerings, conferring proper recognition and
granting appropriate support to expand its impact across our community, so that Jewish
summers can be a critical element of every Jewish young person’s education.
To advance and support the field of Jewish camp in North America FJC works with five
distinct constituents to:
1. Strengthen Jewish camps programmatically and operationally
2. Provide professional development opportunities for camp staff
3. Increase the number of children, teens and young adults who benefit from
immersive summer experiences
4. Advocate the importance of Jewish camp in communities
5. Provide funders an efficient, trusted resource for investing in Jewish identity
building
Over the past 17 years, since FJC’s inception, we reenergized the field through very
successful programs, elevated the awareness of the importance of Jewish camp in
communities across North America, and have increased the number of children at camp
through incentive grants and affordability initiatives. We have been focused on serving our
distinct constituencies, especially camps, children, and communities, to fulfill our mission,
which has helped us become a trusted and highly regarded agency in the Jewish community,
and as a result of our advocacy work, positioned camp prominently on the communal
agenda.
We could not have done this work without a diverse and distinct set of funders who value
the power of Jewish camp on our community. Our generous funders are listed in the 2014
Impact Report.
Strategic Focus and Impact
Jewish camp is a magical setting. Infused with Jewish values and culture, camp’s communal
immersive environment allows young people to live Judaism 24/7, inspiring them to build a
strong sense of Jewish self and commitment to community. FJC works to encourage and
enable more children – the future of our Jewish community - to experience the
transformative experience of Jewish overnight camp.
FJC focuses on three strategic areas to enable the field of Jewish camp to deliver the best
possible experience for each child at camp:
Leadership Development
Successful camps require talented and passionate leaders – both lay and professional.
Through innovative training programs and consistent support we will be able to sustain key
talent, nurture the next generation of leaders, ensure the long-term success of our camps
and sustain the field of Jewish camp. Sample initiatives include:
Cornerstone Fellowship
Now entering its 14th year, the Cornerstone Fellowship promotes Jewish culture
change at camp by offering Jewish educational training to exemplary returning bunk
staff and professional development to camp leaders. Cornerstone Fellowship is
funded by The Marcus Foundation, The AVI CHAI Foundation, Crown Family
Philanthropies, and The Morningstar Foundation.
Impact to date: 2,825 fellows
Yitro Leadership Program
Using experts and recognized leaders from various disciplines, assistant and
associate directors participating in the Yitro Leadership Program are challenged to
widen their lens of Jewish leadership over a two-year period in order to enhance the
staff culture and Jewish experience at their camps. The program is generously
supported by The AVI CHAI Foundation.
Impact to date: 36 associate/assistant directors; 20 more in the current cohort
Executive Leadership Institute (ELI)
ELI, a first-of-its kind MBA boot camp for Jewish camp directors, provides intensive
training in business management, fundraising, and leadership skills, allowing them to
manage their camps as effective well-run businesses, weaving together the best of
private sector leadership and management training with Jewish values and ethics
to create the premier professional training program for Jewish camp directors. The
Executive Leadership Institute was generously funded by the Marcus Foundation.
Impact to date: 53 camp directors
Jewish Impact
Quality Jewish summer experiences allow campers and staff to explore what it means to be
Jewish and become something meaningful that will follow them throughout their lives.
Strengthening the quality and depth of Jewish content, Israel culture and Hebrew at camps
are significant components that drive camper retention and reinforce the role of camp as an
intentional experiential Jewish educational institution. Sample initiatives include:
Lekhu Lakhem III – Jewish and Educational Journeys for Jewish Camp Directors: A Senior
Fellows Seminar
Through a cohort experience, fellows are provided with an accessible, positive,
enriching experience with Jewish learning; a professional development experience
that encourages them, by virtue of their positions as directors of Jewish camps, to
see themselves as Jewish educators also, and incorporate Jewish education into all
their decisions. Lekhu Lakhem, for Jewish camp directors, is a collaborative
program of FJC and the Mandel Center for Jewish Education of JCC Association,
generously supported by The AVI CHAI Foundation.
Impact to date: 18 camp directors
Nadiv
Nadiv (“generous” or “noble” in Hebrew) is a ground-breaking pilot program that
has created connections between camps and schools, leveraging unique skill sets
and best practices for the benefit of both. Nadiv is funded by the Jim Joseph
Foundation and the AVI CHAI Foundation.
Impact to date: 6 Jewish educators shared with overnight camp and day/synagogue school
Goodman Camping Initiative for Modern Israel History:
Over the course of two years, camps integrate Israel and Israel education into every
aspect of their program. The Goodman Initiative provides camps with a
customizable modern Israel education curriculum, staff training, and ongoing
mentorship to guide implementation at camp. The Goodman Camping Initiative for
Modern Israel History is a jointly run program by Foundation for Jewish Camp and
the iCenter, generously supported by The Lillian and Larry Goodman Foundations,
with contributions from the Marcus Foundation and The AVI CHAI Foundation.
Impact to date: 36 Goodman Educators at 36 camps
Hebrew Immersion at Camp
FJC in partnership with Areivim through the Hebrew Immersion at Camp program is
providing elementary school-age children opportunities to gain proficiency in the
Modern Hebrew language and to deepen their connection to Jewish civilization, Israel
and Jewish Peoplehood in a transformative way. The program immerses campers in
Hebrew language throughout their camp day for 7-8 weeks in a fun-filled way and
employs Hebrew language as part of everyday life enabling them to develop both
proficiency in Hebrew and a love of the Hebrew language.
Impact to date: 5 day camps
Field Expansion
More campers participating in Jewish summer experiences will lead to a vibrant Jewish
community. Developing new opportunities that attract potential campers will expand the
impact of Jewish camp to the broader Jewish community reflecting our diversity. Sample
initiatives include:
One Happy Camper®
In partnership with Jewish federations, foundations and camps across North America,
OHC provides need-blind of up to $1,000 of incentive grants, to children attending
non-profit Jewish overnight camp for the first time. This includes JWest incentive
grants, which were funded by the Jim Joseph Foundation and introduced new families
in the West to Jewish camp.
Impact to date: 64,000+ new campers
RSJ Engagement
FJC has been working to reach out to the Russian-speaking Jewish community to
make RSJ families aware of and attracted to Jewish camp as an option for their
children, as the RSJ community across the United States and Canada is woefully
underserved in this arena. FJC’s intent is to help camps diversify and grow the
numbers of camp staff and campers from Russian-speaking families. With the
generous support of Genesis Philanthropy Group, FJC created a new camper
outreach and staff training initiative; a camper recruitment effort through
consultations and grants for 8 camps; a training and grant program for a select
group of Incubator I and II camps (through RFP); and the Hadracha Institute for staff
recruitment and training.
Impact to date: 1,500 new campers
Specialty Camps Incubator
Foundation for Jewish Camp’s Specialty Camps Incubator is generously funded by the
Jim Joseph Foundation and The AVI CHAI Foundation. The Incubator has launched
new specialty camps, designed to reach demographic and interest groups and
geographic regions underserved by existing Jewish camps. Through a series of
workshops and mentoring, the new camp directors work with experts to gain skills
and create infrastructures for their camps across many disciplines. In the course of
two cohorts, 9 new camps have been launched (first cohort solely funded by Jim
Joseph Foundation).
Impact to date: 9 new camps; over 5,000 campers served
Building Loan Program
FJC, with pioneering support from the AVI CHAI Foundation and sustaining support
from the Maimonides Fund, has provided camps with interest free loans to complete
construction of needed capital projects.
Impact to date: More than $30 MM in loans has enabled projects totaling $120 MM
FJC Leadership
Co-Founders and Co-Chairs
Board of Trustees
Elisa Spungen Bildner, Montclair, NJ*
Robert Bildner, Montclair, NJ*
Board of Trustees
Robert M. Beren
The Bildner Family
Samuel Bronfman Foundation
The Gottesman Fund
Harold Grinspoon Foundation
The Neubauer Family Foundation
Stacy Schusterman and Steven Dow
Chair, Board of Directors
Peter Weidhorn, Tenafly, NJ*
Scott Brody, Sharon, MA
Shelley Richman Cohen, New York, NY
Robert J. Deutsch, Asheville, NC
Julius Eisen, Upper Saddle River, NJ*
Archie Gottesman, Summit, NJ
Jim Heeger, Palo Alto, CA*
Lois Kohn-Claar, Scarsdale, NY
Jay P. Lefkowitz, New York, NY
Marcia Weiner Mankoff, Los Angeles, CA
Julie Beren Platt, Los Angeles, CA
Ilana Horowitz Ratner, Cleveland, OH
Marc E. Sacks, Deerfield, IL
Martin Schwartz, Westmount, QC
Allan Silber, Toronto, ON*
Mark Silberman, Atlanta, GA
Aimee Skier, Hawley, PA
Debra Sollinger, Weston, CT
Skip Vichness, New York, NY*
Jeffrey Wolman, Los Angeles, CA
Chief Executive Officer
Jeremy J. Fingerman
*Executive Committee
Leaders Assembly is the largest three-day gathering that is focused on
Jewish camp and brings together over 700 camp professionals,
communal professionals, educators, researchers, lay leaders and
philanthropists. FJC’s conference is the only opportunity for these
multiple stakeholders to come together to learn, share, collaborate and
grow the field of Jewish camp.
Please join us at the 2016 Leaders Assembly which will take place on
March 6-8 in East Brunswick, New Jersey. Each day will have a focus
as part of our theme: Think Big (Sunday), Act Bold (Monday) and
Capture the Future (Tuesday). These days will be filled with a mix of
workshops, master classes, plenary presentations, and networking
opportunities.
Some of our featured speakers are: Ori Brafman, who is a renowned
organizational expert, is coauthor of The Starfish and the Spider and
the New York Times bestseller Sway. Brafman will speak about
moments of inspiration and nurturing creativity. Erika Javellana of
Zappos.com, will speak on “How to Build a Culture of Customer
Service”.
The Scroll
SENDING MY KIDS TO JEWISH SLEEPAWAY CAMP IS
THE BEST INVESTMENT I’VE EVER MADE
By Marjorie Ingall June 24, 2015
The University of Chicago’s Consortium on Chicago School Research released a report yesterday called
“Foundations for Young Adult Success: A Developmental Framework,” which discusses the key factors that
lead to success from early childhood through adolescence. The report, which you can read in its entirety here,
synthesizes hundreds of studies in the fields of youth development, psychology, sociology, and education; it
also incorporates interviews with practitioners in the fields of education, psychology, and social services. One
of the report’s conclusions is that academic skills aren’t enough to turn kids into successful adults. In
addition, what kids need are “rich experiences combining action and reflection,” which “help children
develop a set of critical skills, attitudes, and behaviors.”
Just so you know where I’m coming from, I read this document through the lens of someone who dropped
her older daughter at overnight camp yesterday, and will drop off her younger daughter tomorrow. Please
picture me in a semi-forlorn, empty-nest-y “Sunrise, Sunset” kind of place. Perhaps my sentimental
melancholy explains why the report’s conclusions about what kids need “to succeed in college and career,
have healthy relationships, be engaged citizens, and make wise choices,” have made me reflect that other
than reading to my kids, Jewish sleepaway camp has been the best investment I’ve made as a parent.
The report singles out three key factors and four “foundational components” necessary for kids’ success in
life. The three key factors are agency (the ability to make choices about one’s life path, rather than solely
being the product of one’s circumstances), integrated identity (a sense of internal consistency about who one
is), and competencies (abilities such as critical thinking, good decision-making, and the ability to work
collaboratively). These factors let kids be productive and engaged in a variety of contexts. The four
foundational components are self-regulation (being able to manage one’s attention, emotions, and behaviors
in goal-directed ways, along with having self-control and being aware of oneself and one’s surroundings);
knowledge and skills; mindsets (beliefs about oneself and the world); and values (enduring, often culturally
defined beliefs about what is good and bad).
Jewish overnight camp has been instrumental in helping my kids develop all seven of these aspects of self.
Josie and Maxine started attending camp during what the report calls “middle childhood” (ages 6-10). That’s
when kids work on self-regulation (self-awareness and self-control), learning-related skills and knowledge,
and interpersonal skills. And yea, so it was! They went from a setting they knew well to a brand-new
environment with brand-new kids. They had to live in a bunk, in a community, with new expectations of
behavior and responsibility. They had to donikayon (clean-up) every day. They learned to pray
with kavanah—feeling and intention. Maxine learned to make hospital corners on her bed, discovered she
was preternaturally good at archery despite seeing herself as non-athletic, and developed the new ability to
get all the shampoo out of her hair (something I had been unable to teach her, frequently causing her head to
look like it had Bonneville-Flats-level salt-crust deposits).
Early adolescence (ages 11 to 14), the report says, is when kids work on group-based identity and emerging
mindsets. Josie is 13. Her elementary school, middle school, and soon her high school, aren’t very Jewish
environments. Yet she feels very Jewishly identified. She loves Middle-Eastern cooking, Israeli pop music,
Jewish dance—all things she’s been exposed to at camp. She led t’filot at her bat mitzvah in addition to
reading Torah and haftorah—the ability to lead a Shabbat service was something she learned at Jewish camp.
Three weeks ago, at a cousin’s bat mitzvah in a lovely shul in California, I looked over at her as she sang along
to the prayers I’d grown up singing and helped me lead Birkat Hamazon (Grace after meals), and I felt such
joy. I hadn’t taught her these prayers. (I also hadn’t taught her the various “cha-cha-chas,” jazz hands and
vocal jokes I’d learned at my own summer camp decades ago—but she knew those, too.)
My kids float easily between Jewish and non-Jewish worlds. They have a strong Jewish identity that they can
wrestle knowledgeably with, that doesn’t feel burdensome to them. They have friends from all over the
country and a connection to Judaism that isn’t tied to the obligations of school and home-based ritual. Camp
is where kids are in charge. Thank you, camp!
I am aware that we are lucky. The report points out the ways in which disadvantaged youth have many fewer
opportunities for “consistent, positive developmental experiences and relationships” than kids like mine. I
get to complain that my kids’ schools have very few Jews; less privileged kids have to worry about learning
basic literacy and reasoning skills and being able to develop a healthy sense of self in a world that constantly
tells them they’re less-than. Part of what Jewish camp teaches them, though, is that they are in a position to
do tikkun olam, to do the work of healing the world. That, too, is a gift.
Jewish Camp, Jewish Life
The lasting effect of Jewish summer camp
Jewish summer camps across Maryland opened their doors last week and the rising enrollment
rates are likely to mean a more engaged and involved Jewry for the years to come.
“Jewish day camp attendance is clearly a conduit for teen Jewish experiences, and there’s no
question that teen Jewish experiences affect adult Jewish engagements,” said Steven Cohen,
research professor of Jewish social policy at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.
A 2011 study showed an increased likelihood, between 5 and 55 percent, of adult Jewish
engagement was linked to attending an overnight Jewish summer camp, according to the
Foundation for Jewish Camp.
“Jewish [overnight] summer camps strengthen Jewish social networks and commitment as well
as Jewish knowledge,” said Cohen. “The effects are seen decades later,” even in cases when
parents are from different backgrounds or exposure to Jewish education varies.
Camp Shoresh, “a day camp with an overnight feel” according to its staff, began its summer
session on June 22.
Shoresh, which is 36 years old, started in Frederick as a three-week summer camp based in Beth
Sholom Congregation with less than 20 campers. Today, its campus sits on 107 acres of
farmland in Adamstown with 450 campers enrolled, an increase of 30 campers — more than 7
percent — from last year.
The word shoresh in Hebrew means roots, and the camp’s method of inspiring kids, some of
whom do not come from Jewishly active households, to take an active role in Judaism ended up
inspiring the camp’s name.
“Shoresh made sense for us because we are bringing kids back to their roots,” said Rabbi Dave
Finkelstein, executive director.
Shoresh has become a model for success, not only in Maryland, but throughout the country, and
Finkelstein said he is called regularly from other camps asking for advice. One factor he
attributes to its growing popularity is the fact that it engages campers all year round, far beyond
the seven weeks that camp is in session.
“You can’t expect them to get the whole experience [of Judaism] in seven weeks. You have to
deal with them all year round, from baby to bubbie,” said Finkelstein. For Shoresh, this includes
having Purim carnivals, Chanukah parties and Shabbat dinners together. Finkelstein has
personally officiated at his campers’ b’nai mitzvahs, weddings and funerals of family members.
Shoresh, though, is not alone in reporting rising enrollment. According to several other Jewish
camps, both day and overnight, the number of campers is rising.
The Baltimore-based Camps Airy & Louise run overnight camps for boys and girls, respectively.
Executive director Jonathan Gerstl said more than 650 boys are attending Camp Airy for Boys in
Thurmont, Md., and 950 girls are attending Camp Louise for Girls in Cascade, Md., this summer.
He says their combined numbers make the institution one of the top five Jewish summer camps
by size in the country.
Jonah Geller, CEO and camp director of Capital Camps in Rockville, said this year has the
highest enrollment in the camp’s history.
“We take our responsibility seriously to inspire Jewish curiosity and let campers explore and
discover for themselves what’s meaningful to them,” said Geller. The camp is located in
Waynesboro, Pa.
Overnight summer camps in particular have proven to have an impact on Jewish teens lasting
into their adulthood.
According to a 2010 study sponsored by the Avi Chai Foundation, a private foundation
committed to the perpetuation of the Jewish people, 71 percent of young American Jewish
leaders attended an overnight summer camp.
However, overnight camp can be intimidating for some kids, which is why day camps, such as
Shoresh, are equally as important.
“A lot of kids will not go to Jewish overnight camp if they do not go to Jewish day camp first,”
said Finkelstein.
Beth Tfiloh Congregation’s summer camp program, which started in 1943, is also seeing a rise in
enrollment. David Schimmel, executive director, said its enrollment soared past 1,100 campers
this year. He reported at least a 5 percent increase from last year.
One of the goals of any Jewish summer camp is to have a lasting effect on its campers.
“[Jewish summer camp] lends itself to an open disposition for a child to experience new things
that they may not be open to experience in school,” said Chabad Rabbi Levi Kaplan, director of
Camp Gan Israel.
Even though it’s not an overnight camp, conversations with Shoresh campers reveal just how
transformative the camp experience can be.
“I can’t even describe how much I love this place,” said Keren Binyamin, 14, who has spent
more than five summers at Shoresh. “When it’s not camp, I am counting down the days until it
is. Everyone is so warm, accepting and friendly. They make you feel special here.”
Ella Messler, 12, has been going to Shoresh for six years and attends Jewish day school. Her
peers tell her that she doesn’t need to attend a camp such as Shoresh to establish a Jewish
identity, but she disagrees.
“There’s so much more to being Jewish than just keeping kosher and learning Torah,” said Ella.
“No matter what kind of school you go to, there is always more you can learn about your Jewish
identity.”
Messler, whose bat mitzvah is approaching, will be studying her Torah portion with Rabbi Tzvi
Tuchman, Shoresh’s assistant director. For her, learning from a friendly face is important.
“I’m excited that there is someone from Shoresh that I know who will help me study and learn
the parshah and what I need to do,” said Ella. “I feel like all of my Jewish identity is a giant web
with Shoresh, my family and my bat mitzvah.”
Aside from making kids excited to learn, the camp’s staff has a strong relationship with each
other.
“The head staff is more than just friends and [that deep connection] has passed onto the kids,”
said Rabbi Shmuel Krawatsky, head counselor for the younger boys division.
Although you’ll find a lot of smiles at Shoresh, the staff ensures that the older children learn
about some of the realities of Judaism in the world today. The camp currently has a large piece
of open land surrounded by trees. Through the trees there is a small opening where a broken
down bus sits in two distinct parts.
On Jan. 29, 2004, Egged bus No. 19 was blown up in a terrorist attack, killing 11 and injuring
scores more, near the Israeli president’s home. A Christian pastor took possession of the bus and
used it to teach lessons about anti-Semitism in different parts of the world. Eventually the bus
ended up in a junkyard near Frederick. The owner of the junkyard, whose kids went to Shoresh,
contacted the camp and said there was no way he could junk it. Shoresh was quick to take the
bus and incorporate it into its curriculum.
“It’s hidden at the end of campus, because you have to want to see it,” said Tuchman. He noted
that the camp only shows the bus to older children.
On one of the trips to Israel that Shoresh coordinated for its teens, the delegation visited the site
of the attack and said a prayer.
Understanding and dealing with anti-Semitism is a reality that the camp and its counselors take
seriously.
“Kids will come back from Israel feeling excited and want to wear a pair of tzitzit or a kippah to
school,” said Finkelstein. “One of our people here had their Jewish star ripped off of them by his
own football teammates.”
Although visiting Israel is sometimes a somber experience, it has also been noted as one of the
three pillars to young people establishing a healthy Jewish identity.
“Jewish camps, Jewish day school and a trip to Israel are the primary identity builders for young
Jews,” said Barbara Schlaff, co-chair of the Center for Jewish Camping advisory committee run
by The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore. “I’ve seen it in my own life and
my kids’ lives. Their friends today are all their camp friends; many of them are clergy or active
lay leaders in the Jewish community.”
The Center for Jewish Camping advocates for different Jewish camps around Baltimore to
maximize the number of campers enrolling each year.
Directors of many camps agree that beyond going to camp, counselors play an important role in
terms of giving kids positive role models.
“When you come to Shoresh and you work on our staff, you’re told, ‘You’re not going to sleep
for seven weeks,’” said Finkelstein. “You’re going to be non-stop and always be involved as a
role model for kids.”
The campers at Shoresh not only have energetic counselors like Krawatsky, but some of
Baltimore’s star athletes as role models.
“I met Rabbi Dave through a teammate and he brought some of us [to Shoresh,]” said Prescott
Burgess, former linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens. “He calls me every summer to come out
and I just enjoy my time with the kids, and teach them to play soccer and football.”
Burgess noted earlier that day he played Ga-Ga — Israel’s form of dodgeball — with some of
the campers.
“I think all the girls wanted to get me out so they were all against me,” said Burgess, laughing.
“The kids are very respectful and they ask a lot of questions to me as a football player and me as
a person.”
Shoresh has such a lasting impact on its campers that many go far beyond simply observing
Shabbat or becoming counselors. Sharon Nicholas wears several hats, but her position is special
events director. Although she said she wasn’t raised in a very observant background, Shoresh has
had a huge impact on all of her children.
After Nicholas moved to Frederick, she began looking for a synagogue to practice the small
aspects of Judaism that she knew. Eventually her oldest son said he wanted to have a bar
mitzvah. Nicholas found Beth Sholom, where Shoresh was originally based, and was approached
by Finkelstein.
“I put [Finkelstein] off for a couple of years,” said Nicholas. “But once we joined, the kids loved
it. They loved going to camp.”
Nicholas also noted that when her sons attended, the camp was nothing like what it is today in
terms of facilities and space available.
“What they built from almost 36 years ago, it’s tremendous,” said Nicholas. “I can’t say enough
about what this organization does, and does year round.”
Two of her sons moved to Israel, one serves in the Israel Defense Forces and one studied at a
yeshiva. Her other two sons embraced Orthodoxy. Her 13-year-old daughter has attended
Shoresh since she was 3.
“Shoresh has just been amazing for all of the kids,” said Nicholas. “What I respect about Shoresh
is the way they do things. They don’t try to throw things down your throat. It’s baby steps and
whatever you choose to accept or grasp onto.”
Regardless of who attends or where they have been, Shoresh’s mission is clear.
“All kinds of Jews walk through our door,” said Finkelstein. “There are no labels, everyone is a
loved and respected Jew. We just want them to become a better Jew whatever that means for
their families.”
The Secret Ingredient of Summer
Camp Magic
By Benjamin Kramarz
Ask children why they love camp and they will likely tell you that they love the fun activities,
making new friends, or singing their cabin cheer really loudly in the dining hall.
Ask Jewish philanthropists why they love summer camp and they will probably mention a
proven track record of strengthening Jewish identity and ensuring Jewish continuity.
Ask parents why they love summer camp…“It gets my kids out of the house for a month!”
Regardless of the different perspectives of various stakeholders, one thing about which
everybody agrees:
Summer camp is an immensely transformative experience.
But what it is about summer camp that is so powerful? Yes, summer camp is filled with fun
activities through which children make new friends. Yes, Jewish summer camp is a fully
immersive educational experience where children learn to love their heritage. And yes, singing
camp songs around a bonfire with your arms around your friends’ shoulders under the starry
night sky gives you a warm fuzzy feeling inside that you just want to take home and share with
the whole world. But what is really going on? Why is camp so much more impactful in the lives
of young people than most of the other activities in which they partake?
The answer is that camp effectively harnesses what anthropologists call “liminality,” the state of
being in transition, the middle stage between one place and the next. While mainstream society
mostly marginalizes and even suppresses liminality, pressuring us to “figure it out” and to decide
who we are and what we stand for as quickly as possible, summer camp embraces and celebrates
the in-between state, encouraging young people to openly explore themselves and the world
around them.
With a well-trained staff, a culture of positive encouragement, suitable facilities, thoughtful
programs, and an abundance of spirited communal singing, Camp affects magical
transformations in children by channeling the potential of liminal time, liminal space, and
most importantly, liminal people toward self-realization and a community-centered
orientation.
Time of the Season
“There ain’t no cure for the summer time blues,” proclaims the popular song by Eddie Cochran.
Outside of camp, the liminality of summer can be overwhelming and, at times, downright
depressing. Out of one grade but not into the next, removed from their normal school-year
routine, children are prone to float in the vast amorphous ether of unstructured summer time, in
constant danger of succumbing to the “summer time blues” and losing their sense of purpose.
Camp creates a whole new reality for young people, an alternate version of their lives that only
exists between the months of June and August. In this space, everybody is between one grade
and the next; everybody is in transition. This time, when children briefly lose their regularly
assigned societal identity, is the perfect occasion for personal and communal transformation.
Long days are transformed from slow moving drags into epic adventures as young people are
transformed from wandering individuals into a cooperative community. Overflowing with
creative activities and opportunities to build social bonds, one day at camp can feel like a week!
Place of Wandering
Camp exists at the borderline between urban and rural, not quite wilderness and not quite
civilization. In this unique liminal environment, young people have the opportunity to safely
explore the world around them and build a relationship with nature. Whereas at home, roads and
routines dictate where and when children can venture, camp gives children the freedom to forge
their own paths through mostly pristine wilderness.
As they wander through this liminal environment, young people walk with others who are also
wandering. From distinct individuals moving through liminal space, they shift toward unity as
they find common paths through the unknown together.
Age of Growth
Along with time and space, age is the third key liminal attribute shared by summer camp
attendees. Counting staff and campers, the vast majority of young people who comprise the
overnight summer camp population fall between the ages of 10 and 21. These years mark the
transition from childhood to adulthood and for many, can be an incredibly difficult and
confusing time in which they are constantly challenged to figure out who they are.
Rather than eschew and marginalize pre-teens, teenagers, and young adults, summer camps
encourage these liminal people to become leaders in their communities. Directors and senior
staff present an idealized mode of being in the world and guide young people to model this
ethical behavior for others. As they embrace their status as role models, campers, teenage
counselors-in-training (CITs), and counselors grow as individuals while the communal bonds
between them continue to strengthen.
A Recipe for Success
Summer camps have a unique advantage over most other community-building efforts: Liminality
is their first ingredient. While synagogues, schools, and after-school enrichment programs often
attempt to introduce camp-like activities into their curriculum, their success is hindered by the
distinct lack of liminality children experience during the highly structured school year.
Ironically, it is precisely the challenges that mainstream society struggles to deal with—children
and teenagers in the summer time – that summer camps embrace and channel toward the
realization of their primary goals: personal and communal transformation.
Take transitional people in transitional time, put them in a transitional place, add a generous
portion of positive communal intention and you have a recipe for magic.
Camp, The New Internship
05/27/15
Hannah Dreyfus, Staff Writer
When Barbara Rose Welford was looking to enroll her teenage daughter in summer
camp, color war and cookouts weren’t enough to catch her eye.
“I’m not a helicopter mom, but I wanted an environment that will position Sarah to
achieve her future goals,” said Welford, whose 14-year-old daughter is especially fond
of science. “My kid will want to go to MIT one day. I want to make that possible.” She
added that her daughter doesn’t get to delve deeply enough into science at her
school.
Hyper aware of the competition that will likely face her daughter when college
applications roll around in a couple of years, Welford, who is Jewish, opted for
the Union For Reform Judaism’s (URJ) Six Points Sci-Tech Academy, a specialty camp
in the Boston suburbs that focuses on high-tech education.
“A parent with an ear to the ground won’t treat summer like time off,” she said.
Digital marketing, video game design and robot programming might very well be the
new lanyard making and bug juice. As competition for high school and college
heightens, Jewish camps are shifting focus to equip campers with a “21st century
skill-set,” according to Jeremy Fingerman, CEO of the Foundation for Jewish Camp
(FJC).
For parents’ eager to ensure their child a spot in a top school, specialty camps that
focus exclusively on one skill are becoming increasingly appealing, according to
Fingerman.
“Campers are looking for a way to differentiate themselves in the market,” said
Fingerman, who said the trend toward specialty camps has been growing steadily in
recent years. “Skill building programs give campers that necessary edge in high school
or college applications. Parents, who are investing significant monetary discretion in
camp, want kids to do more than just have fun.”
Camp Inc., a Jewish specialty camp in Boulder, Colo., grooms campers to become
first-class entrepreneurs. Mission statement workshops, branding tutorials, handshake
practice sessions, digital marketing prep and “Shark Tank”-style pitch competitions
have replaced lounging by the lake or hitting around a baseball.
“These kids want to challenge themselves with more than the traditional overnight
camp has to offer,” said Camp Inc. director Josh Pierce, a successful entrepreneur
who has built and sold several companies. “We definitely deliver.”
Since its 2014 launch as part of FJC’s Specialty Camps Incubator Program, the camp
has more than doubled in size, according to Pierce. Attracting nearly 200 campers
from Israel, Canada, France, Uruguay and 15 states for the 2015 summer sessions, the
camp offers an intensive two weeks culminating in a business pitch to a panel of real
investors.
“They’re not just going to camp to have fun — these kids are learning real-world skills
from top-notch professionals,” said Pierce, explaining how the campers meet with
CEOs and working entrepreneurs. “Aside from the networking opportunities, we pitch
camp to campers and staff as a great college resume builder.” The 15 counselors are
all business undergraduates or MBA-candidates, he said.
The one glitch in Camp Inc.’s business model: campers are not coming back to camp if
they succeed in their business ventures, Pierce said.
“It’s a catch-22,” he said, laughing. “If you create great entrepreneurs, you can’t
expect them to come back.”
Though the accomplishments of specialty campers stack up, the question persists: is
something lost from the camp experience when the goal of fun is ousted?
Rabbi Isaac Saposnik, executive director of Camp JRF, a traditional Jewish overnight
camp in the Pocono Mountains, thinks so.
“There are such heavy expectations placed on kids growing up today — getting ready
for high school, for college, for grad school, for that first job,” said Rabbi Saposnik, a
member of the Reconstructionist movement. “We, as a summer camp program, entice
kids to stay kids a little bit longer, to buck that trend of ‘what’s next?’” he said.
Camp JRF makes an effort to pull campers away from the “rat race” of every day life,
he said.
“We teach skills, just not resume skills,” he said.
But Sandy Edwards, associate director of the Jim Joseph Foundation, the grant making
foundation behind the specialty camps incubator, thinks specialty camps are the
future.
“The trend in the field is clear: camps are embracing specialties,” said Edwards, who
helped launch the incubator program in 2009 with five experimental new camps.
“Families are attracted by specialties, because it gives their children a defined area
of expertise.”
Greg Kellner, director of URJ Six Points Sci-Tech Academy, one of four camps chosen
to be in the second incubator cohort, said the new demand is to provide campers with
“advanced skills.”
Beginning each morning with the Boker Big Bang, a science experiment to kick off the
day, days are filled with video game design, robotics, digital film production,
software programming and coding.
“We don’t tell our campers that going here will get you to a particular spot, but it has
in the past,” said Kellner, who reports that campers have used what they learn at
camp to bolster their middle-school or high-school resumes.
Last year, 159 campers enrolled. This year, Sci-Tech Academy is juggling over 300
applicants.
“The high level of instruction campers receive is unique,” he said, describing one
young woman who came to camp knowing nothing about robotics, and now heads the
robotics club at her middle school. “They’re gaining tangible skills. It’s an investment
in the future.”
While camp is steadily becoming a more high-stakes endeavor for campers, the same
is true for counselors. While working at a camp during high school and even college
used to be a respectable summer job, the pressure today to list impressive internships
and real-world experience is tremendous, said Efrat Levy, board member of Camp
Shomria, a progressive Zionist youth camp in the Catskills.
Levy, a deep believer in the value of camp for both campers and staff, is currently
working to create a program where Camp Shomria staff members will be able to
receive college credit for their work. The initiative is the first of its kind.
“We’re losing staff because of the pressure young adults feel to gain resume-building
experience or tangible credit for their time,” said Levy, a one-time camper at
Shomria herself. “We’re fighting to add quantifiable value to the camp experience so
we can retain more competitive counselors.”
Levy, a professor of education at SUNY Empire State College in upstate New York, is
developing a syllabus of six courses relevant to what counselors accomplish at camp.
Child development, experimental education, and curriculum development are all part
of the curriculum.
“Camp can be the new internship,” she said. “Counselors learn just as much, if not
more.”
Mark Gold, the director of JCamp180, a program of the Harold Grinspoon
Foundation that aims to enhance the long-term effectiveness of nonprofit Jewish
overnight camps, takes imparting “real-life” skills one step further — to camp
directors and board members.
“Camp directors are not just blowing a whistle and swimming in a lake — they are
running a multimillion-dollar organization,” said Gold. The need to “professionalize”
camps is critical to long-lasting organizational success, he said.
“Camp needs to be run like a business, not a recreational part-time engagement,” he
said. “That needs to start at the top. Trustees and professionals need to impart to
first level management (counselors) that their job is more than playing softball.”
But according to Gold, professionalizing camp is not so much a change as a reboot.
“This is what camp was always supposed to do: impart real-world skills,” he said. “We
just want to make sure that camp is doing its job.”
‘Inclusive’ camps usher in new era in
special needs
by Johanna Ginsberg
NJJN Staff Writer
April 29, 2015
Like many of his peers, Gregory Schwartz of Whippany will be heading off to
sleep-away camp for the first time this summer. The nine-year-old will be
joining his sister Lily at the Reform movement’s Camp Harlam in
Kunkletown, Pa.
Gregory has a variety of special needs — arising from apraxia, low-muscle
tone, and some memory issues — that can make going to summer camp
complicated.
“We do worry. My husband and I have talked about it and cried about it,”
said his mother, Gigi Schwartz, in a phone interview. In the past, she said,
Gregory has been bullied.
The Schwartzes never considered sending their son to a camp that
exclusively serves kids with special needs. “He’s not going to live in a
special-needs world,” said Gigi. “We want him to try new things, to open up
and make new friends and deal with whatever issues come his way.”
Camp Harlam is one of six camps around the country selected for a threeyear pilot project designed to increase access to Jewish camp for children
with disabilities. As part of the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s
Ruderman/Alexander Inclusion Initiative, the overnight camp will now have a
full-time inclusion coordinator who works in the job through the year.
The goal of the initiative is to increase the numbers of youngsters with all
kinds of abilities at Jewish summer camps.
Camp Harlam was already in the midst of its own focus on improving the
experiences of all its campers, including those with different abilities, an
effort that was begun in 2012, when it was selected for the project. At
Harlam, under the direction of Aaron Selkow, the distinction between
“special needs” and “mainstream” is fading. The camp calls it an “emphasis
on sensitivity.”
“They’re all ‘mainstream kids’ at camp,” said Selkow. “We don’t separate
them; instead, we work with every single kid as if she or he is an individual
with strengths and weaknesses and unique needs. They learn to adapt and
get along because they all have things about themselves that others can find
different.
The initiative, funded by the Newton, Mass.-based Ruderman Family
Foundation, comes in response to a study conducted by FJC in 2012-13. It
revealed that children with disabilities are significantly under-represented in
Jewish camps, and that proper staffing and training is among the biggest
barriers. What’s more, according to the study, parents, children, and staffers
prefer an inclusive environment.
The project includes intensive training by the FJC for camp staff and for the
new full-time inclusion coordinator.
The other camps chosen to participate in this pilot are Camp Judaea in
Hendersonville, North Carolina; JCC Camp Chi in Lake Delton,
Wisconsin; Camp Young Judaea Texas in Wimberley; B’nai B’rith Camp in
Beaverton, Ore.; and Camp JCA Shalom in Malibu, Calif.
Selkow believes that the Harlam inclusion model featuring full integration is
the future for special-needs youngsters at camp.
Many camps implement special-needs programs as separate initiatives
within the larger camp — a model pioneered by the Conservative
movement’s Ramah camps with its Tikvah program. Last summer, New
Jersey Y Camps, one of the “elder statesmen” in the field of special-needs
camping, integrated its once-separate Round Lake Camp for special needs
with its camps in Milford, Pa. Younger Round Lake campers live in dedicated
bunks in the Nah-Jee-Wah camp, while older kids live in self-contained
bunks in the NJ Y’s Cedar Lake camp, sharing the day with their “typical”
peers.
Selkow is taking a different approach. He believes that needs fall on a
spectrum: At one end are campers who need help overcoming
homesickness, while at the other are kids with more intensive day-to-day
needs.
Camp Harlam is providing what is known as “camper care” for every child.
As part of the pilot, Lori Zlotoff, who has already worked in camper care for
two summers, will serve as camper care coordinator, along with a full-time
camper care manager, and a full-time social worker. Counselors will receive
more intensive training.
The program at Harlam already includes an individual assessment for every
child.
“Even if ‘Aaron’ doesn’t come to camp with issues, if ‘Aaron’s’ program is
going to be awesome, it will be unique to ‘Aaron’ and different from how
‘Johanna’ is going to thrive at camp. No two children need the same thing,”
Selkow said.
Some parents don’t mention that their children have been identified with
special needs because they want to avoid the stigma or haven’t yet
developed a trust with the camp. Selkow’s team has revamped the intake
process with families, asking more in-depth questions about each child up
front to anticipate issues that could arise.
“There are always going to be kids that come to camp — into a totally
different social and structural environment than home — and will react
differently and show various strengths and development needs that may be
nuanced from their home personas,” Selkow said.
Gigi Schwartz heard about the pilot and the new staffing from Selkow.
“I’m very excited they are bringing in a coordinator,” she said.
So far this year, parents of 65 of the nearly 1,000 children who come to
Camp Harlam have shared an interest in speaking with Selkow about the
camp’s resources for working with youngsters with special needs.
For years, Jewish sleep-away camps like Harlam have been taking children
with special needs on a case-by-case basis, something underscored in the
FJC study. Many camps are debating how and whether to market their
capacities to take youngsters with any variety of needs. In the meantime,
the FJC, founded by Rob Bildner and Elisa Spungen Bildner of Montclair, has
published a “Guide to Finding the Right Jewish Summer Camp for your Child
with Disabilities,” available at onehappycampernj.org/specialneeds.
Selkow is thrilled to be part of what he sees as a shift in attitude among
camps. “Jewish camps, thank God, are starting to talk openly, in a way that
is not apologetic, but owning it and forcing all of us in the Jewish community
to take seriously how we approach all kinds of disabilities and inclusion
issues.”
Filling a Gap: New Program is
Training Jewish Outdoor Leaders
Posted on AUGUST 5, 2015
By Deborah Newbrun
Where do nature, wilderness and trip leaders go to learn best practices and outdoor Jewish
teaching inspiration for their Jewish summer camps?
A generation ago, Jewish summer camp song leaders across the country began to be trained in an
innovative program by the best in the business. This song leaders’ training program, called Hava
Nashira (held at Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute) and which continues to draw attendees
throughout North America, created a fertile ground in which song-leaders emerged after four
intense days with new skills to lead and inspire Jewish summer campers. This provided the spark
of an idea as I considered a gap in Jewish summer camp strength – Jewish outdoor leaders
training.
Jewish camps run nature departments and outdoor travel programs all over the country, and yet
training for Jewish outdoor educators across the country has no set standard for how Judaism
gets infused with campers’ experiences in nature. There are national camping standards for
safety, of course, but there are vastly different knowledge bases from camp to camp on how to
travel through nature with campers and for teaching about nature in a Jewish setting. This
impacts campers’ awareness of the rich set of connections between nature experiences and
Judaism, which are so abundant that when triggered they can help to strengthen young people’s
emergent Jewish identity.
For example, an outdoor leader at a Jewish summer (day or resident) camp may be a Wilderness
First Responder, technically trained to address a physical emergency, but they likely don’t know
how to lead campers in a guided session in nature on being a blessing, as our forefather Abraham
was asked to be by God in the Torah. And, while a Day Camp Director obviously will know
CPR and First Aid, they might not know how to lead a meditative hike with campers using
Jewish text for reflection and conversation.
So, in May of this year, with funding from the Foundation for Jewish Camps and AVI CHAI
Foundation, we convened our pilot group near Yosemite National Park for the first-ever session
of Jewish Outdoor Leadership Training for summer camp employees – aptly abbreviated to
JOLT. For five intense days, these camp and wilderness leaders from nine summer camps (who
together reached somewhere btw 7000-8000 campers) found new connections to their Judaism
and ways of teaching Judaism outdoors and on the camp trail.
JOLT honed the groups’ skills on practical wilderness leadership, like how to run a great hike,
how to lay down safety rules on the trail, the ethos and pragmatics of Leave No Trace, taking
care of camping equipment, and how to purify water. Our Torah teaches us that we are made of
earth and a divine spark, so, importantly, a major part of JOLT was teaching the gathered leaders
(interestingly, most were Heads of Teva, Nature, or Tripping departments) how to teach Judaism
outdoors and on the hiking trail in a way to inspire campers and staff around the country all
summer long.
Most of JOLT was spent outdoors, including, fittingly, a daylong trip that had to be squeezed in
between lighting storms in Yosemite National Park. Leaders learned how to build their
own kabbalat shabbat service outdoors, facilitation skills for activities that connected trees and
stars to our sacred texts and heritage.
After five days, JOLT attendees gave the program high marks in their end of training
evaluations. They shared how prepared they were to teach Judaism to others in nature: “Before
coming to JOLT, I could not see a clear connection between Judaism and nature, but after just a
couple of hours I could see and feel the deep connection … I’m leaving JOLT as an overnight
trip and Jewish values counselor.” “JOLT has deepened my connections with Judaism and
nature. It has given me the tools and confidence to make my nature and camp programs even
stronger.”
Leaders also felt more practically prepared: “I came here with little and very basic knowledge of
outdoor safety and education. I feel like I left here with a mini degree in the field.”
And, the first years’ attendees left JOLT ready to lead and with a cohort of colleagues to support
them: “JOLT helped empower me to try new things and push myself … the culture and
connections were constantly positive and empowering.”
Since the summer season started I’ve received emails and texts from several JOLT participants.
One trained his entire summer camp staff in an activity he learned with us: Martin Buber’s
I/Thou Moment, using a passage from Buber’s book about a tree. Another shared: “I planned and
executed a solo hike for my staff at the start of orientation and it was such a hit that I’ve been
asked to run it for several other departments in camp!” And, from a Day Camp Director:
“Thanks Deborah, you and Becca have been with me all week, in my head as I run staff
training.”
JOLT is a collaboration between Deborah Newbrun, the longtime former Director of Northern
California’s, JCCA affiliated, Camp Tawonga, and Camp Tawonga’s current Associate Director
Rebecca Meyer. Deborah built the Wilderness Department at Camp Tawonga and Rebecca has
strengthened and deepened it.
JOLT’s creators and base are thus nationally recognized leaders in Jewish summer camp
wilderness experience, and Camp Tawonga is the biggest institutional backcountry user of
Yosemite National Park.
This innovative collaboration notably between two women leaders, filling the gap in Jewish
Outdoor Leadership, is ramping up for its second year and seeking to expand past its pilot stage.
Like Hava Nashira, it would be good to look back a generation from now and see that our
Jewish nature, tripping, wilderness and teva teaching around the country benefited from
consistent, focused training and inspired a whole generation of leaders to get ready to help
thousands of kids create meaningful connections between Judaism and nature every summer.
Tackling the Transgender Question at
Jewish Summer Camp
Posted on SEPTEMBER 3, 2015
By Maayan Jaffe
eJewish Philanthropy
The more camps can reflect the world around us by being inclusive and open to all campers and
staff, the better camps will be.
These were the sentiments of Jonah Geller, Capital Camps Director/CEO, when asked about the
camp’s policy toward transgender youth. He told eJewish Philanthropy that, “We don’t have a
policy.” However, the topic of how to handle transgender campers is already on the agenda for
the first camp committee meeting later this month.
“What does all this mean relating to how, if and when? We’re not exactly sure yet. But we are
certainly having productive, meaningful conversations with parents, staff and our board,” says
Geller.
The topic of transgender campers has been on the national and Jewish national agenda over the
last couple of years, spawned by an increasing number of youth who are “coming out of the
closet” about their gender identities. This, coupled with an increase in transgender celebrities –
Ines Rau, Alexis Arquette, Laverne Cox, among others – has made the issue more pressing.
Though most camps are still fumbling their way through what it means to be inclusive of
transgender campers, one camp in the Bay area is ahead of the curve.
This past summer, Camp Tawonga, a leading Jewish summer camp for kids, teens, and families,
welcomed three transgender campers. Two came out before camp and one during the summer.
“It was a great experience,” says Camp Director Jamie Simon-Harris, which she says allowed her
staff to utilize the sensitivity training they receive each summer and that Tawonga takes very
seriously.
“Every year we do training on gender, sexuality, inclusion. We teach staff not to assume
someone’s sexual preferences, like if you are the counselor for a girls bunk, don’t assume all the
campers have crushes on boys,” Simon-Harris explains. “We talk about watching our language.
There are not only two genders and research shows everyone expresses their gender differently.
We want all our kids to feel comfortable expressing their gender the way they want to at camp.”
This hasn’t come without challenges. Though Simon-Harris says the camps “progressive and
welcoming” community has not questioned the camps decision, there are practical logistics that
need to be dealt with. For starters, minors are not allowed to undergo gender-altering surgeries.
This means, that while a camper born female may consider herself to be male, she will still have
all her female organs.
“‘He’ would wear shorts and a T-shirt when swimming,” she says, noting that after puberty
challenges such as single-gender swimming time become more acute.
There are also issues of infrastructure. Camps tend to have two sides: a girls side and a boys side,
girls cabins and boys cabins, girls bathrooms and boys bathrooms. The camp is building new
bathhouses and considering the best way to construct showers and toilets to be most inclusive.
“We’ve always in our dining hall had gender-neutral, single-stall bathrooms, but this year, we
put new signs up on the door: ‘These bathrooms are available to all regardless of identity,’” said
Rabbi Isaac Saposnik, director of Camp JRF, a small Reconstructionist Camp in the Poconos
when interviewed in 2013 by The Forward. “The bathroom itself hasn’t changed, but the
statement externally has.”
What Simon-Harris has found is that these challenges are able to be overcome and that campers
are among the first to overcome them. She tells a story from this past summer of a camper who
was born female and assigned to bunk G5, which is a 13-year-old bunk for girl campers. The
girls, all approaching puberty, were talking one evening about dating and crushes.
“A kid in that bunk told the bunk that Tawonga was the first place she felt comfortable saying
she would rather be a boy. The campers decided to rename their bunk EG5 – ‘Every Gender 5,’”
recalls Simon-Harris. “This was with no prompting from adults.”
After the child came out, Tawonga staff was able to work with parents to get the child the
support she needed.
This inclusiveness at Tawonga stems beyond transgender issues to issues of gender in general.
For example, at the welcoming camp fires, staff encourage boys and girls to explore the various
attributes of their gender and what that means. One camper, Ben Morag, says he was reading a
forum recently that discussed how traditionally men haven’t been allowed to show emotions.
“I have to say that Camp Tawonga men’s campfire helped show me what a man can really be. …
I learned that I can cry and show real emotion and still be a man,” Morag says.
Simon-Harris says the camps pulls on Jewish values and lessons to help drive these concepts
home for their campers and staff. These values include “b’tzelem elokim” (every person is
created in the image of God) and “derech eretz” (good manners), which the camp harnesses to
discuss what it looks like to be a mentsch.
“This is not the 1960s. This is 2016, and our world is changing,” says Simon-Harris. “Jewish
camps need to reevaluate, too. A Jewish camp should be inclusive and pluralistic.”
“For some, talking about this can be a little scary – it may cause fear or apprehension,” says
Capital Camps’ Geller. “I’m pleased that we’re having these discussions. It’s a conversation that
we should have, and we want to have it.”
Limud by the Lake Revisited:
Growth and Change at Jewish Summer Camp
AVI CHAI Foundation and the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies
Brandeis University, March 2011
The future requires a strong vision for the field of Jewish summer camp, one that can inspire
its planning and actions in the next eight years and help sustain the remarkable dynamism
of the past eight years. In 2000, with funding from The AVI CHAI Foundation, the Cohen
Center for Modern Jewish Studies conducted a seminal study of Jewish overnight camps.
Eight years later, the Foundation asked the Center to revisit the camps from the original
study in order to document changes and uncover opportunities for future investment.
•
Expansion: Includes retooling marketing and recruitment, addressing affordability,
special needs inclusion, and integrating with year-round teen programming.
•
Maintaining the Momentum: Support capacity building, share evaluation research on
innovation, and pay special attention to start-up camps.
•
Professionalization: Support advanced degrees for senior professionals and expand
year-round staff.
•
Jewish Focus: One-on-one Judaic programming consultation and make camp an integral
part of the North American Jewish educational system.
•
Peoplehood: Intentionally recruit and program for diversity and create a forum for raising
the level of shlichut (Israeli staff).
CAMP WORKS:
The Long Term Impact of Jewish Overnight Camp
Evidence from 26 U.S. Jewish Population Studies on Adult Jewish Engagement
Steven M. Cohen, Ron Miller, Ira M. Sheskin, Berna Torr, spring 2011
The Foundation for Jewish Camp’s CAMP WORKS provides systematic and quantitative
evidence that summers at Jewish camp create adults who are committed to the Jewish
community and engaged in Jewish practice.
This landmark study, written by leading researchers in the field, uses data from 26 Jewish
population studies, and compares the Jewish behaviours of adults who had attended Jewish
camp as children with those of adults who did not, controlling for factors involving Jewish
education and upbringing. CAMP WORKS demonstrates that the childhood resident camp
experience significantly impacts adult Jewish practices and commitments, and instils a
sense of belonging to a larger Jewish community.
Using sound statistical methodology, CAMP WORKS offers the fullest picture to date of the
impact of Jewish summer camp, quantifying what camp alumni and staff have known for
years: summers at Jewish camp significantly impacts Jewish behaviour and engagement
well into campers’ adult years. As adults, campers are:
•
30% more likely to donate to a Jewish charity;
•
37% more likely to light Shabbat candles;
•
45% more likely to attend synagogue; and
•
55% more likely to be very emotionally attached to Israel.
New Jewish Specialty Camps: From Idea to Reality
With the launch of Incubator I, funded by the Jim Joseph Foundation, in 2008 to establish
five new Jewish specialty camps, FJC embarked on a process of creating a new model for
Jewish camping – one that understood the need for excellence in the Jewish educational
and identify-building aspects of camp as well as the secular camp programs. Given the
documented success of Incubator I, four new camps were created with the launch of the FJC
Incubator II, with the support of the Jim Joseph Foundation and the AVI CHAI Foundation in
2012.
While each camp’s specialty is used as the “hook” to get campers enrolled in a Jewish camp
experience, for the camp to be successful, the specialty needed to be valued and taught
well. Through the training and assistance provided by the Incubator staff and mentors, the
Incubator camps have created a new dynamic in the field of Jewish overnight camping, by
providing competitive Jewish specialty camps that offer high quality alternatives to existing
secular models.
To date, the Specialty Camps Incubator has touched thousands of lives in an intentional,
outcomes-based model of building new camps. The nine camps in aggregate have provided
a meaningful Jewish and specialty camp experience to over 5,000 unique campers.
The Incubator has achieved the goals set by the funders at the beginning of this investment.
The Specialty Camps Incubator has:
•
Expanded camp opportunities
Over 75% of campers selected the camp strictly due to the specialty offered.
•
Attracted new campers to the field of Jewish camp
Over 40% of campers never attended Jewish overnight camp.
•
Created camps that are generating positive changes in campers’ attitudes, knowledge and
behaviors about Jewish life
•
Created camps that have broadened campers’ networks of Jewish peers
•
Created several camps with high likelihood of lasting sustainability
Camps retain over 60% of their camper base, which is unprecedented in specialty camping.
•
Modeled new approaches and captured learnings that are relevant to other camps and Jewish
youth initiatives
The success of the Incubator has motivated others in the field to seek to establish new
camps through the creation of new models or brand expansion.
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