Will bring two decades of Jewish camping leadership experience at pivotal moment for Jewish camp movement

NEW YORK — Foundation for Jewish Camp’s (FJC) Board of Directors announced today that Jamie Simon, who has led the organization in an interim capacity since March 2025 and previously served as chief program and strategy officer, will take the helm as the organization’s next chief executive officer beginning July 15th. Simon was unanimously selected by FJC’s Board after a highly competitive, nationwide search. She will be the first woman to serve as CEO in the organization’s 27-year history.  

“Jamie is an exceptionally skilled, visionary, and inspiring leader who is deeply grounded in the values and mission of Jewish camp,” said Foundation for Jewish Camp Board Chair Jim Heeger. “After our extensive search with many qualified candidates, it was clear that Jamie is the best leader to steward the organization’s next chapter. She has already demonstrated extraordinary leadership within the organization’s ranks, developed strong relationships with partners, and has lived and breathed the mission and values of Jewish camp throughout her decades-long professional career.”

With more than 20 years of experience in Jewish camping, Jamie is uniquely prepared to shape the organization’s next chapter with vision, care, and proven leadership. Simon joined FJC in 2023 as its first chief program and strategy officer. She had previously spent 17 years at the Tawonga Jewish Community Corporation in California, including six years as its CEO.

At FJC, Simon has played instrumental roles in securing major, seven-figure gifts; leading FJC’s ongoing strategic planning process; and overseeing last year’s Leaders Assembly in Chicago that saw the largest turnout in the organization’s history, with nearly 950 camp professionals and field leaders in attendance. 

In her role as interim CEO, Jamie was integral in helping Jewish camps across North America navigate their preparations for this summer’s camp season, and spearheaded the organization’s recent rapid response efforts to provide financial and staffing support for camps impacted by the Israel-Iran war, including raising over $2 million in emergency funding for camps who have had to change their travel itineraries.

“I am profoundly grateful to the Board for this opportunity to serve as Foundation for Jewish Camp’s next CEO. I’ve seen the power of Jewish camp at every stage of my life: as a camper, as a camp counselor, as a camp director, as a parent, and as a passionate advocate in the broader Jewish camp movement,” said Simon. “With nearly 200,000 young people expected to attend this summer, enrollment at Jewish camp is higher than ever. My priority is to ensure that every young Jew that wants to experience the transformative impact of camp has the opportunity to do so, and that every camp has the resources they need to succeed.”

“This is an exciting — and critical — moment for Jewish camp, and we’re thrilled that FJC and the field as a whole will be in Jamie’s capable hands,” said Jeffrey M. Solomon, Search Committee Chair and FJC’s Board Chair-elect. “Jamie’s blend of executive acumen, personal passion, and deep field expertise, make her the ideal leader to guide Jewish camp into the future together with our camps, donors, board, and staff.” 

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About Foundation for Jewish Camp 
Prior to the creation of Foundation for Jewish Camp by Elisa Spungen Bildner and Robert Bildner in 1998, there was no organization dedicated solely to expanding the reach of Jewish camp and deepening its impact. Today, FJC remains the only nonprofit whose singular mission is to grow, support and strengthen the Jewish camp movement, leveraging more than $15 million of philanthropic giving annually to scale programs and resources that benefit more than 300 Jewish day and overnight camps across North America. jewishcamp.org

In the Jewish community, we know the power of camp. 

We know it as a sacred space where children find their voice, counselors discover their purpose, and lifelong friendships are formed under starry skies. We know it as a refuge where values are lived, joy is abundant, and community is built in song, sweat, and spirit. 

That’s why our hearts are broken alongside the camps in Texas who are grieving unimaginable loss after this week’s devastating flood. The tragedy at Camp Mystic and the heartbreaking deaths of beloved camp leaders Jane Ragsdale of Heart O’ the Hills and Dick Eastland of Camp Mystic have reverberated through the camping world. We are shaken by the loss, and we mourn with you. 

While our traditions, affiliations, and identities may differ, we are united by a profound belief that camp shapes lives. In times of joy and in times of sorrow, camp is where we gather to grow, to lead, and to heal. And now, it is where we must gather our compassion and strength to support our fellow camps in need. 

To the communities impacted, we want you to know: You are not alone. Across the country, Jewish camps, leaders, alumni, and families are holding you in our thoughts and prayers. We stand ready to help however we can — whether through direct support or emotional solidarity. 

In Jewish tradition, we are taught that comforting the bereaved and aiding those in distress are among our highest responsibilities. May the memories of those lost be a blessing, and may the resilience of the camp community — so deeply rooted in care and purpose — carry us forward together. 

With love and strength,  

Jamie Simon 

YOU CAN HELP

1. Donate to Shalom Austin’s Flood Relief Campaign to help families directly impacted by the floods in Central Texas. Every donation will go to provide urgent support and recovery assistance. 

2. Purchase items through the Shalom Austin Jewish Family Service Food Pantry wishlist. All items donated this month will go toward emergency relief efforts in Central Texas. UPDATE: NOW FULLY STOCKED! THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!

3. Donate to provide mental health support for Camp Mystic’s community through Healing for Camp Mystic – a GoFundMe dedicated to long-term therapy for the campers, their counselors, and families. 

4. Donate to American Camp Association’s Disaster Assistance Campership Fund to ensure that campers whose families have experienced financial hardship due to a natural disaster at home, can afford to return to camp.

Funding will support programs and alternate trips after Israel-Iran war forces travel cancellations

NEW YORK — Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) today announced more than $2 million in emergency funding for Jewish camps as they navigate canceled Israel travel programs and build new, meaningful alternatives for teens this summer.

Across North America, nearly 200,000 young people are attending Jewish day or overnight camps this summer. Israel and Israelis play a crucial role in the camp experience: Dozens of camps, and nearly 1,000 teens, had planned trips to Israel this summer., and 2,050 Israeli shlichim, or emissaries, were scheduled to work at Jewish camps. 

The Israel-Iran war upended plans for hundreds of camps. And while the resumption of some flights and coordinated efforts by the Jewish Agency for Israeli (JAFI) mean that by now, most shlichim are at camp or will soon arrive, most camps who planned to travel to Israel have been forced to cancel their trips and scramble to find alternatives on short notice and at higher prices

“The fact that we were able to raise $2 million in less than a week is a testament to the resilience and generosity of our community,” said Jamie Simon, acting CEO of Foundation for Jewish Camp. “While nothing can fully replace the experience of being in Israel with your fellow campers, this emergency funding will ensure that hundreds of Jewish teens still have powerful, identity-shaping Jewish experiences this summer.”

FJC anticipates disbursing this emergency funding to dozens of camps serving nearly 750 teens. Other alternative travel programs in lieu of an Israel trip include a Jewish history and leadership development trip to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest that includes a stop at Camp Szarvas, an international Jewish camp in Hungary, as well as another camp that is traveling to Argentina.

“Earlier this month, 34 rising 12th graders were scheduled to leave on a 5-week trip to Israel. Despite a tremendous amount of disappointment, we are very happy that nearly all participants are joining us for an alternative leadership capstone experience at camp,” said Jane-Rachel Schonbrun, Director of Camp Yavneh. “We are grateful to FJC and the many members of our community who have made donations to offset our losses, allowing us to reimagine this core part of our campers’ Jewish journey.” 

Rabbi Dan Utley, Director of Camp Wise, added, “Thanks to this support, Camp Wise, the Jewish overnight camp of the Mandel JCC of Cleveland, has provided emerging teen leaders with a transformative journey through Europe—connecting them to Jewish history—and the opportunity to experience the pride and joy of global Jewish peoplehood at JDC’s Camp Szarvas in Hungary. Even in a time of significant turmoil for the Jewish community, our teens are growing in confidence, identity, and leadership as the next generation of Jewish adults.”

In addition to funding, FJC has also facilitated stopgap staffing options for camps who faced a sudden shortfall because of the delay inshlichim arriving in North America. 1,250 shlichim were already at camps when the war broke out, but another 850 weren’t. That left camps that start later in the summer, especially those in the Midwest and Northeast, with a gap in their workforce. 

In under 72 hours, FJC rallied over 1,200 people who said they were willing to work or volunteer. Alums, typically loyal to their own camp, said they were willing to go wherever they’d be needed the most. Ultimately, FJC referred 400 highly qualified individuals to camps. These included people whose own travel to Israel was upended by the war — from a future lone soldier who was supposed to work for Magen David Adom this summer to a number of young people who were slated to compete in the canceled Maccabiah Games. 

“FJC has been instrumental in helping us meet critical staffing needs this summer at a sensitive time,” said David Weiss, Executive Director of Habonim Dror Camp Galil. “Their quick mobilization of national support introduced us to passionate, capable young adults who have become invaluable members of our team. We’re incredibly grateful for FJC’s partnership and the positive impact it’s had on our Galil community.”

FJC has also established partnerships with organizations like Maccabi USA and Birthright Israel to offer participants in their programs, which are facing widespread cancellations, the opportunity to work at camp this summer.

 

About Foundation for Jewish Camp 

FJC advocates for over 300 day and overnight camps that provide nearly 190,000 campers and counselors each summer with a meaningful, personal, and lifelong connection to Judaism. FJC is the only public 501(c)(3) charitable organization solely focused on Jewish camp. jewishcamp.org

Five pilot programs to test new approaches to talent, Jewish identity, and belonging

NEW YORK  — Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) today announced the recipients of its Scaling Impact Grants, awarding $40,000 to five camp projects designed to elevate the Jewish camp experience. Inspired by the 2024 Leaders Assembly theme, Scaling New Heights, these grants aim to empower day and overnight camps to pilot initiatives with the potential to be scaled across the field. 

“FJC and the more than 300 day and overnight camps in our network are constantly learning from each other — drawing on individual insights to build collective wisdom,” said Jamie Simon, interim CEO of Foundation for Jewish Camp. “We’re excited to help these five programs bring their creative ideas to life and pilot new ways to boost belonging, leadership, and Jewish joy and identity.” 

The five grantee programs include:

• Camp Ben Frankel: Growing Attendance From Interfaith Jewish Families At Jewish Camp — In partnership with other experts, Ben Frankel will develop programs, training, and community events to welcome and engage campers from interfaith families.
• Camp Havaya: Bringing Belonging, Dignity, Justice, and Joy (BDJJ) to Jewish Camp — Havaya will pilot affinity spaces for campers and staff of color, launch a BDJJ Youth Fellowship, and hire a Director of Belonging to embed practices supporting Jews of Color in camp culture.
• Camp Moshava IO: Hitpatchut B’Manighut: Leadership Evolution & Development — A new leadership curriculum and staff coaching role will help young staff strengthen facilitation, problem-solving, and group management skills, cultivating the next generation of Jewish leaders.
• Capital Camps: Reimagining Jewish Learning through Innovative Torah Reading— Campers will explore the full breadth of Torah, including parshiot not typically read during the summer. The project will pair interactive Jewish programming with each week’s Torah portion and create opportunities for year-round connection through community gatherings and service projects.
• URJ Camp Kalsman, Shwayder Camp of Temple Emanuel, Habonim Dror Camp Tavor, & Habonim Dror Camp Gilboa: Restorative Justice Community of Practice — These camps will work to deepen their understanding of restorative justice and how it can be employed to support the camp community, including through the development of new policies and practices. 

“These ambitious projects demonstrate how Jewish camps act as incubators of innovation,” said Julie Finkelstein, Senior Director of Program at Foundation for Jewish Camp. “Each camp is tackling challenges that are integral to the future of Jewish camp and the entire Jewish community. We look forward to seeing the results and ripple effects of their hard work in the years to come.” 

Grant recipients will implement their programs in summer 2025 and 2026, and come to Leaders Assembly 2026 ready to share their findings with hundreds of fellow Jewish camp professionals as well as lay leaders, advocates, and friends. For more information about Foundation for Jewish Camp and the Scaling Impact Grants, visit FJC’s website. 

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About Foundation for Jewish Camp

Foundation for Jewish Camp advocates for over 300 day and overnight camps that provide nearly 190,000 campers and counselors each summer with a meaningful, personal, and lifelong connection to Judaism. FJC is the only public 501(c)(3) charitable organization solely focused on Jewish camp. Learn more at jewishcamp.org.

Foundation for Jewish Camp Announces New $5 Million Grant from Samueli Foundation

Orange County, California — Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) announced $5 million in new funding from the Samueli Foundation to increase the number of children participating in the transformative experience of Jewish camp from the Orange County community. The four-year grant will support FJC’s signature One Happy Camper® (OHC) program, middle-income access grants, need-based scholarships, and more.

“Jewish camp helps kids build their own Jewish identity, grow as leaders, and come together in community — all while having fun,” said Jamie Simon, interim CEO of Foundation for Jewish Camp. “These new funds will enable us to significantly expand access to camp for Orange County families. We’re incredibly grateful to the Samueli Foundation for their generosity.”

“The evidence is abundant and unambiguous: attending Jewish camp is one of the singular most potent experiences in terms of strengthening early Jewish identity formation and building enduring community bonds, yet too many kids in Orange County are missing out on this opportunity due to cost or lack of awareness, or both,” said Lindsey Spindle, President and Board Director, Samueli Foundation. “At this inflection point for the Jewish community, we’re thrilled to make this multiyear investment in the Jewish camping leader – Foundation for Jewish Camp – so that substantially more Orange County children can access the boundless joy of summer camp while fostering lifelong connections to their faith.”

The funding will support grants to families and camps starting this upcoming summer, and bolster Orange County’s growing, vibrant Jewish community,

FJC and its partners have provided over 125,000 One Happy Camper® grants to help camps attract new campers and increase enrollment. These grants are typically for a camper’s first, and sometimes second summer at camp. For the first time, FJC and the Samueli Foundation’s OHC grants will support campers with $1,000 and $1,500 need-blind grants for their first three years at camp.

Even after a camper’s third summer, families earning $250,000 or less per year will remain eligible for Middle Income Access Grants indefinitely. And a separate tranche of need-based scholarships aims to ensure financial barriers don’t stand in the way of unforgettable summers.

“FJC and the Samueli Foundation’s new partnership will make it possible for more families to send their child to camp and to keep coming back year after year,” said Margalit Rosenthal, West Coast Regional Director of Foundation for Jewish Camp. “We’re excited to build on programs such as One Happy Camper and pilot ways to make Jewish camp more accessible.”

In addition to resources for campers and their families, FJC and Samueli will provide individual camps with resources to boost recruitment, such as grants for marketing.

Families can find more information, including details on grant eligibility, at jewishcamp.org/oc. Applications are open for summer 2025. To apply, families should find a camp for their child, register their child at camp, and then complete our online application, which can also be found at onehappycamper.org. Contact orangecountyohc@jewishcamp.org for questions.

About Foundation for Jewish Camp

FJC advocates for over 300 day and overnight camps that provide nearly 190,000 campers and counselors each summer with a meaningful, personal, and lifelong connection to Judaism. FJC is the only public 501(c)(3) charitable organization solely focused on Jewish camp. jewishcamp.org

About Samueli Foundation 

Since its founding in 1998, the Samueli Foundation has supported a range of catalytic community forces that are consistent with the family’s values and interests, focusing on cooperative, adaptive models that yield a higher quality of life and a more sustainable future for everyone in Orange County. The Samueli Foundation works closely with the constellation of Samueli Family-backed for-profit and non-for-profit organizations to ensure that giving back to the community is central to everything they do; these include the Anaheim Ducks Foundation, the San Diego Gulls Foundation, the Irvine Ice Foundation, The Rinks Foundation, and ocV!BE Sports & Entertainment which oversees the Family’s sports and entertainment assets including the Anaheim Ducks, the San Diego Gulls, and the Honda Center. In 2023, ocV!BE — a 100 acre mixed used real estate development project surrounding the Honda Center in Anaheim – breaks ground. With this new transformational investment in Anaheim, the Samueli Family is deepening its commitment to civic transformation in Orange County. Over the last 25 years the Samueli Family, through its various entities, has contributed over $1 billion in charitable grants.

NEW YORK — During Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAIM), observed each February since 2009 to raise awareness and encourage inclusion, Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) is providing resources to boost accessibility at Jewish summer camps.

Since 2019, FJC has provided over $12 million to 46 Jewish camps to improve accessibility for campers and staff with disabilities through its Yashar Initiative, generously funded by The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation. The initiative focused on awarding $10 million in capital grants, with additional funds for capacity building. These grants have enabled camps to construct accessible facilities, create inclusive programming spaces, and provide essential staff training.

“Every person should be able to experience the magic of Jewish summer camp, and our work through the Yashar Initiative has helped make camps even more welcoming and accessible,” said Jeremy J. Fingerman, outgoing CEO of Foundation for Jewish Camp. “Last summer, nearly 8,000 campers with disabilities attended Jewish day and overnight camps.”

“From paved pathways to retrofitted bunks to a rock-wall friendly for campers with developmental disabilities, FJC grants enabled transformational investments at Jewish camps,” said Jamie Simon, incoming interim CEO of Foundation for Jewish Camp. “Our data suggests capital improvements, alongside increased staff training, helped campers be more independent and feel more included.”

One camp noted that “whereas previously the uneven dirt terrain made access to the various spaces in camp a real challenge for individuals with disabilities, the newly paved paths ensure safe travel to and from the various camp areas.” A Yashar Camp Director explained that accessible cabins “reaffirmed that we are an inclusive space” and became the “gathering place for the entire village.”

Examples of Yashar projects include:

• Camp Ramah in New England used Yashar funding to expand their vocational education building, including building four new ADA compliant sleeping rooms.
• Camp Ruach in Bridgewater, New Jersey, built a fully accessible, zero-depth entry splash pad and an “Etz Chayim Center” outdoor exploration area and sensory garden” in two rounds of Yashar funding. Camp Ruach’s leadership observed that the splash park enabled “all children to play together” and gain “a greater appreciation of one another.”
• Round Lake @ NJY Camps in Milford, Pennsylvania, built a retrofitted bunk with an entry ramp and ADA-complaint shower, a ramp to its program space known as “The Den,” an indoor sensory space, and an outdoor sensory playground. 
• Lessans Camp JCC in Rockville, Maryland, constructed a new rock wall with a series of ropes and pulleys that allow for greater access to campers with physical disabilities, with staff trained to find ways every camper can be included. The camp also built a new “sportsplex” for camp-wide programs so that all campers can gather in a single place. 

“FJC strives to ensure that every Jewish child can find a camp they can call home where they feel seen and accepted,” said Rebecca Kahn, Senior Director of Grant Making & Field Expansion at Foundation for Jewish Camp. “By helping camps become more accessible, the Yashar Initiative has fostered a true sense of belonging among campers and staff. Today, 10% of individuals at Yashar camps are campers with disabilities, more than double our initial target .”

To learn more about the Yashar Initiative and the impact of FJC’s work to support campers with disabilities, visit our website and read the Inclusion in Action: Yashar Report prepared in collaboration with EMC Consulting. 

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About Foundation for Jewish Camp 

FJC advocates for over 300 day and overnight camps that provide nearly 190,000 campers and counselors each summer with a meaningful, personal, and lifelong connection to Judaism. FJC is the only public 501(c)(3) charitable organization solely focused on Jewish camp. jewishcamp.org

Media Contact
agoldstein@ninetywest.com for Foundation for Jewish Camp

Jewish Camp Enrollment Surpasses Pre-Pandemic Records in 2024 

NEW YORK — Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) released new findings in their annual Census Report: State of Jewish Camp 2024, revealing that in the first summer after October 7th, Jewish camps have once again demonstrated their resilience and integral role as spaces for growth, connection, and community-building. In summer 2024, the field surpassed pre-pandemic participation levels for the first time, welcoming 189,000 youth, teens, and young adults, a 5% increase from 2023.  

“In summer 2024, we finally exceeded our pre-pandemic record level of participation.  We can be very proud of this huge collective achievement for our field and for the broader community,” shared FJC CEO, Jeremy Fingerman. 

Camp’s pivotal role in fostering Jewish identity was more pronounced than ever before. 

• 96% of overnight families reported that camp created an environment where their child felt proud to be Jewish.  
• 92% of overnight families reported that camp deeply and positively impacted their camper’s Jewish identity, up 4% from summer 2023.  

As one overnight camp parent shared about their child, “After a year in a school where he acutely felt like a minority, he felt celebrated and proud of his heritage.” 

FJC noted the field’s efforts to build bridges across the global Jewish community.  

• Over 3,000 Israelis worked in camps in 2024, fostering cultural and communal ties between North American and Israeli communities, marking an 11% increase from 2023.
• And after a difficult year on college campuses, Jewish camps saw a seasonal staff surge with a 25% increase in new North American young adult staff.

In one staff member’s words: “Camp allowed me to be a proud Jewish adult in a safe environment where I don’t feel alone.”  

Jewish camps also deepened their impact on camper well-being this year. 91% of overnight and 74% of day camp families rated activities for social-emotional health as excellent or good — up 14 and 19 points, respectively. 

Affordability continues to be a challenge for the field. Camps have remained steadfast in their commitment to financial accessibility, increasing their total financial aid distribution to $37 million. Yet significant unmet demand persists, highlighting increased operating costs and rising tuition rates. Once again, funding and grants for capital projects and facility upgrades, as well as staff training and development, are among the highest priorities for both day and overnight camps.  

Reflecting on the outcomes of this past summer, FJC’s Chief Program & Strategy Officer and incoming interim CEO Jamie Simon remarks, “The connections camps foster, the belonging camps create, the leadership camps inspire, and the joy camps build are not just shaping summers—they’re shaping lives and building the future of the Jewish people.” These achievements highlight Jewish camps’ ongoing dedication to fostering vibrant, inclusive spaces that celebrate Jewish identity across generations.  

Read the full report for more trends and insights from the field. 

FJC Chief Program and Strategy Officer Jamie Simon to Serve as Interim CEO

NEW YORK, New York — Foundation for Jewish Camp’s (FJC) Board of Directors announced today that CEO Jeremy J. Fingerman, who has led FJC through a 15-year period of remarkable growth and established it as one of the leading organizations supporting Jewish life in North America, has shared that he will step down as CEO and transition to a new role as Senior Advisor as of March 1, 2025. Jamie Simon, FJC’s Chief Program and Strategy Officer, will assume the role of interim CEO while FJC’s Board conducts a search to permanently fill the position.

“Under Jeremy’s exceptional leadership, FJC has been a catalyst for growth and a critical resource for the field of Jewish camp. Jeremy helped raise nearly $250 million, has overseen dramatic growth in FJC’s network to a peak of nearly 190,000 participants in 2024, and spearheaded initiatives to improve mental health, make camps more accessible, and deepen the quality of field research on the impact of Jewish camp. We are grateful that Jeremy will continue to support FJC as a senior advisor,” said Foundation for Jewish Camp Board Chair Jim Heeger. “We are thrilled to have Jamie Simon serve as interim CEO. A skilled and seasoned leader, Jamie’s deep roots in Jewish camping will ensure a smooth transition for our camps,donors, board, and staff.”

“I’m so very proud of what we’ve achieved collectively – camps, funders, Federations, donors – to advance the field of Jewish camp. I feel fortunate to have assembled such a strong professional team at FJC and to have partnered with an amazing group of generous lay leaders and feel deep gratitude to all who have been a part of this journey,” said Jeremy J. Fingerman, outgoing CEO of Foundation for Jewish Camp. “Now is the right moment to begin to write the next chapter of the Foundation’s story. Jamie is prepared to lead a successful transition and I am confident that in the coming years, FJC will continue to have a major impact on our vital and holy work of building a more vibrant Jewish future.”

Under Fingerman’s stewardship, FJC’s signature program, One Happy Camper® (OHC), continues to provide incentive grants to help camps attract new campers and increase enrollment, including over 125,000 first-time OHC incentive grants since inception. FJC supports 102 day and overnight camps in the Yedid Nefesh – Mental Health initiative with resources to hire and train mental health professionals. And through the Yashar Initiative, FJC invested over $12M towards capital and capacity grants to create accessible spaces, growing the amount of campers with disabilities at grantee camps to 10%. In December, Fingerman secured $15 million in new funding – the largest single grant in FJC’s history – for capital expansion projects from The Gottesman Fund as well as millions of dollars for new Israel education and initiatives.

Fingerman also achieved recognition for his service beyond FJC, serving previously as a board vice-chair of JPro, a network of Jewish communal professionals, and currently as a key leader of The Jewish Federations of North America’s Jewish Together Coalition. In 2023, Fingerman received the distinguished Bernard Reisman Award for Professional Excellence from Brandeis University.

Fingerman’s two adult children now both live in Israel, and they recently celebrated the first birthday of Fingerman’s grandson. After decades of service in the Jewish community and the past five years leading Jewish camp through the pandemic and October 7th, Fingerman looks forward to stepping down from the intensity of the CEO role and spending more time with his family.

“Thanks to Jeremy’s leadership and the incredible work of FJC staff, partners, and camps, Jewish camp has never been stronger,” said Jamie Simon, incoming interim CEO of Foundation for Jewish Camp. “Jewish camp is key to the Jewish future. and I’m excited to continue FJC’s important work to ensure that as many young people as possible can experience the transformative power of camp and so that camps have the resources they need to succeed.”

Jamie Simon joined FJC in 2023 as its first Chief Program and Strategy Officer following a highly competitive national search. Simon previously spent 17 years at the Camp Tawonga Jewish Community Corporation, including for six years as its CEO, managing a year-round team of more than 30 employees and a $15 million annual budget, and overseeing a successful $20 million capital campaign. At FJC, Simon has played instrumental roles in securing seven-figure gifts, leading FJC’s ongoing strategic planning process, and overseeing the recent Leaders Assembly in Chicago that saw the largest turnout in the organization’s history, with nearly 950 camp professionals and field leaders in attendance.

Rob Bildner and Elisa Spungen Bildner, FJC Co-Founders and Co-Chairs of its Board of Trustees, praised Fingerman for his exceptional leadership steering the organization through long-term initiatives as well as emerging crises, most notably the pandemic and the attacks of October 7th.

“During the pandemic’s extraordinary threat to the existence of Jewish camp, Jeremy helped FJC marshal the resources from the Jewish community required for camps’ survival,” said Rob Bildner, Co-Founder of FJC and Co-Chair of its Board of Trustees. “Following the Hamas attack of October 7th, Jeremy provided essential leadership, helping camps to find ways to continue supporting Israel and, at the same time, acknowledging the nuances and complexities of doing so during the war. We can’t thank Jeremy enough for his inspired leadership over the years and especially during these crises,” said Elisa Spungen Bildner, Co-Founder of FJC and Co-Chair of its Board of Trustees.

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About Foundation for Jewish Camp
FJC advocates for over 300 day and overnight camps that provide nearly 190,000 campers and counselors each summer with a meaningful, personal, and lifelong connection to Judaism. FJC is the only public 501(c)(3) charitable organization solely focused on Jewish camp. jewishcamp.org

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Bringing Israeli campers and staff to Jewish summer camps created opportunities for North Americans to have ongoing, meaningful relationships with Israel.

When more than 950 day and overnight camp professionals, board members, and funders gathered in Chicago for the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s three-day Jewish camp summit earlier this month, it had the feel of a camp reunion, academic conference, and trade show all in one.

There were plenary sessions featuring such Jewish community notables as Julie Beren Platt, chairwoman of the board of trustees of the Jewish Federations of North America and immediate past chairwoman of FJC, in dialogue with one of her famous sons, podcaster Jonah Platt, on the topic of “Scaling Jewish Joy and Identity.” Another plenary included two former congressmen – Ted Deutch (current CEO of the American Jewish Committee) and Eric Fingerhut (CEO of JFNA).

The conference included sessions extolling the benefits of Jewish summer camping and its commitment to and deep connection with Israel and Israelis (over 3,000 Israelis worked at nearly 200 Jewish day and overnight camps this summer), and others addressing a smorgasbord of camp-related topics, including building connections between North American and Israeli staff, year-round camper care, emergency preparedness, inclusion, character development, parents as partners, gender dynamics, and mental health.

Participants at the 10th biennial Leaders Assembly enjoyed a welcome reception on Monday (with a band paying tunes of David Broza and other camp favorites), Tuesday on-site intensives (including sessions on “Engaging the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict at Camp: Exploring Challenges and Opportunities”) and off-site trips, and Wednesday’s “Wear Your Camp Swag” day – though attire for the conference was officially listed as “camp business casual.”

Conference attendees came together for meals, had the option to pray in a variety of styles, and had ample time to schmooze with or friend or walk through the “shuk” to gather pens, bags, candy, stickers, brochures, and other free stuff while learning about climbing equipment, luggage shipping (from Door-Va-Door Tucking), various Israel programs and Camp Medical Services. When vendors were on break, their tables featured such playful campy signs as “Preparing for the talent show – be right back,” “Tie-dyeing my socks – be right back,” and “Roasting marshmallows – be right back.”

FJC advocates for over 300 day and overnight camps which provide nearly 190,000 campers and counselors each summer with a meaningful, personal, and lifelong connection to Judaism. They regularly bring stakeholders in the camping world together to learn of trends, new initiatives, and funding for Jewish camping.

At the conference, Jeremy J. Fingerman, CEO of the organization, founded in 1998, shared data on the importance, success, and growth of Jewish camping.

According to surveys of the 2024 camp season:

• Nine in 10 families reported that camp created an environment that supported their children’s social and emotional health and well-being.

• 85% of camp staff felt that camp connected them to feeling a part of the worldwide Jewish community.

• 94% of parents shared that camp connected their child to the global Jewish community

• 80% of North American overnight camp staff said camp helped them to connect to Israel and Israeli staff.

Fingerman and members of the FJC team reported on camping’s recovery from the recent pandemic, as evidenced by the impressive numbers of campers and staff attending and working at Jewish day and overnight camps in North America this past summer.

They noted that high enrollment is stretching camps’ current infrastructure, and at least a quarter of its camps are operating at or near full capacity. Many have been developing plans to increase their ability to serve more young people – and will surely benefit from a $15 million gift from the Gottesman Fund which Fingerman announced at the conference.

“This new funding will facilitate field growth and enable camps to boost enrollment at a time when so many are seeking positive Jewish experiences and Jewish camp is playing an even more important role,” Fingerman reported.

Diane Eidman, director at the Gottesman Fund, added, “We’re thrilled to partner with Foundation for Jewish Camp to offer funding for capital improvement projects so that camps can enroll more campers, hire more staff, and deliver higher-quality experiences to every member of the community.

“One of our top priorities is enhancing and perpetuating Jewish life in the United States – and it’s hard to think of an experience that’s more formative for young Jews than camp.”

With the generous support of The Gottesman Fund, FJC will be able to offer the funding for capital expansion projects through 2027, with individual grants of up to $750,000 per camp to cover up to 50% of the total project cost. The funding will focus on three areas: $5m. for staff and family housing to increase staff retention, $7m. for program spaces to modernize infrastructure and bolster climate resilience, and $3m. for camper bunks to help increase capacity.

Jamie Simon, FJC’s chief program and strategy officer, offered, “This summer and beyond, we’re committed to ensuring that every camp has the resources they need to provide fun, safe, and meaningful experiences for tens of thousands of young Jews.”

THIS PAST summer, 3,000 Israelis worked at over 200 Jewish camps in North America, and campers from the Gaza border communities and evacuees from northern towns also participated in summer camping.

FJC’s commitment to enhancing personal connections between Diaspora and Israeli Jews was apparent at many conference sessions.

In a session titled “Building Connections Between North American and Israeli Staff,” Or Pode of Kibbutz Zikim and director of youth for the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council, said, “The relationship between Israel and the Diaspora works. We are from the same womb and nurtured on the same values. When I was in pain, you were hurting; with antisemitism, we are here for you, building bridges.”

Pode helped bring 200 campers to six different camps as part of Campers2Gether, a new initiative of the Jewish Agency and Mosaic Teens, a division of Mosaic United, in partnership with the Foundation for Jewish Camp. The program sought to bring 1,500 Israeli teenagers who have been displaced or otherwise affected by the war to Jewish camps in North America and across the Jewish world in the summer of 2024.

At Tuesday morning’s “Summer Camp in Israel and Jewish Agency Campers2Gether” breakfast, Carly Weinstock, director of Camp Tamarack in Michigan, shared the artwork created in an art elective by Israeli campers who came to her camp from Gevim and Be’eri.

She noted that the camp social worker found the first week to be particularly challenging, and added that camp was extremely beneficial and therapeutic. “It was interesting to see the transformation in the children from the first week to the last,” she observed, and added that, for the Israelis who lived through October 7, “five days in camp was like five years in therapy.”

Bringing Israeli campers and staff to Jewish summer camps this summer in particular created opportunities for North Americans to have ongoing, meaningful relationships with Israel and Israelis and to more closely connect to the war and to the plight of the hostages.

Hanoch Greenberg, director of the Summer Shlichut Program for North America at the Jewish Agency, and Dan Tatar, director of engagement and strategic partnerships at the iCenter, shared a nuanced presentation on the emissary experience this summer.

While most camps enthusiastically brought emissaries to their camps and carefully and thoughtfully prepared them for the unique summer ahead, Greenberg acknowledged that at least one camp “had a vocal donor opposed to emissaries” and refused to bring emissaries to camp this summer. In contrast, he noted, “Some camps said, ‘now more than ever we need them.’” Greenberg and Tatar noted that this was a summer where the discussion partially moved from the “how” of bringing emissaries to the “why.”

Greenberg reported on the experiences of emissaries this summer as compared to past summers, noting, “Israeli staff were grieving over the ongoing crisis. The continuation of the war put the emissaries in a tough place.” To help them, some camps had Hebrew-speaking social workers on-site, which Greenberg noted was “a tremendous act of support,” along with a Jewish Agency hotline offering help and support for the emissaries.

The FJC audience was somewhat surprised to learn that some emissaries were nervous about coming to camps after following the rise in reports of antisemitism in North America.

“Parents of some of the emissaries – even of those who just returned from fighting in Gaza – were nervous and called me to say they were not letting their children come,” Greenberg shared. “I had never before heard this concern about antisemitism.”

Greenberg and Tatar noted the importance of a pre-camp connection between emissaries and the camps. This relationship begins in February with emissaries training in Israel and often continues beyond the summer as meaningful, caring relationships form between Israelis and North Americans.

Greenberg shared stories of Americans reaching out to emissaries post-camp to ask “Is there anything I can do?” when they heard that sirens went off in their hometowns. He reported on emissaries who returned home feeling that “someone cares about me” and feeling “part of a larger family.”

Greenberg and Tatar encouraged camps to carefully plan for the summer by anticipating potential issues and problems that might emerge around the topic of Israel. “They should consider, if there is a clash, who handles it?” The two said unsurprisingly, “Those camps with plans in place had fewer clashes.” Greenberg noted that camps tended to “fall into three categories: those who plan for the summer; those who say ‘let’s not talk about Israel – it is too controversial’; and those who have no plan.”

Greenberg, who spent 19 summers at Union for Reform Judaism’s Camp Coleman in Georgia, is pleased with this past summer’s emissary program “despite all the challenges.” He added, “We can’t ignore all the great things the emissaries achieved.” He stressed how the emissary experience is “mutually beneficial” and that “each side benefits – both the Israelis and the North Americans.”

FINGERMAN is proud of FJC’s initiatives to promote and teach about Israel, and reported that FJC has already awarded $370,000 in Israel education grants to 72 day and overnight camps. At the conference, Fingerman announced several new opportunities designed to elevate Israel education, programming, and resources at Jewish camp for summer 2025 and beyond.

They include the Teaching Israel at Camp initiative, where FJC will provide grants to 60 camps to fund the salary and programmatic efforts of a dedicated head of Israel education. This represents an extraordinary investment of over $1.5m. in Israel education.

Shalom Bayit will offer workshops and coaching to provide camp leaders with the tools to create communities of trust and mutual understanding.

Elevate Israel, a collaboration with the Spertus Institute, will offer seminars and virtual sessions to camp professionals to deepen their knowledge of Israel and its history.

Jewish Camp Israel Trip Incubator will provide 10 overnight camps that do not currently run an Israel trip with the know-how to create trips that align with their values and goals.

Expanding North American-style Jewish summer camping

Meanwhile, back in Israel, Shawna Goodman is working to expand North American-style Jewish summer camping. She created Summer Camps Israel and brought 17 Israel camp directors who operate a wide variety of programs to experience the FJC conference in Chicago.

Goodman, a chef by training, playfully noted that she is a “bridger and a blender,” and offered that her camps have five key components: They are immersive; they mix populations together for “tikkun” (repair); they have a volunteer component; they feature “joyful Judaism”; and they are device-free.” This summer, they provided camping experience to 14,000 Israelis, including over 1,000 evacuees. She hopes to offer camping to over 18,000 children next summer.

Jewish summer camping is alive, growing, and evolving, as camps provide meaningful Jewish and Israel experiences to children and young adults in both North America and Israel.

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This article was originally published by The Jerusalem Post by author Howard Blas. Read the full article.

Originally published on ejewishphilanphohy.com – 12.12.2024

The temperature in Chicago may have been well below freezing, but summer was on the minds of the hundreds of Jewish professionals who came to the Windy City this week for a first-of-its-kind Jewish camp summit hosted by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s JCamp 180 and the Foundation for Jewish Camp, writes eJewishPhilanthropy Managing Editor Judah Ari Gross.

The summit — really two conferences crammed together — offered discussions, panels and networking opportunities for both sides of the Jewish camp industry, from the practitioners to the funders who support them. Bringing together the two events, which are normally held at different times of the year, apparently maximized the number of attendees, with record high numbers for each.

This all comes as Jewish sumer camps have seen significant growth, surpassing pre-pandemic numbers — driven perhaps by the precipitous drop in Israel travel this past summer, as well as “The Surge” in Jewish engagement post-Oct. 7.

For the camp directors, board members and other staff, the summit provided an opportunity to discuss the nitty-gritty details of running a Jewish summer camp, from better cooperation with a board and more effective fundraising to responding to the practical effects of climate change and how to use artificial intelligence and data collection, as well as more far-reaching topics like how to cultivate leadership and deepen Israel education. 

For philanthropists, bringing hundreds of Jewish camp professionals under one roof allowed them to more easily understand the field and find ways to support it. (Read more about this below.)

For the other stakeholders, it was an opportunity to consider the role of Jewish summer camps in the context of the North American Jewish community and the Jewish people more generally. On Tuesday, for instance, Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee; Eric Fingerhut, CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America; and Rabbi Elka Abrahamson, president of the Wexner Foundation, discussed the role of Jewish summer camps in developing Jewish leadership.

Julie Platt, JFNA board chair and immediate past board chair of the Foundation for Jewish Camp, held an onstage discussion with her son, actor and podcast host, Jonah Platt, about the role that Jewish camp has played in their lives.

JCamp 180 and Foundation for Jewish Camp partner for Jewish Camp Summit, leading to record attendance

Originally published on ejewishphilanphohy.com – 12.12.2024

For the first time, the two organizations held their normally separate gatherings together, as Jewish camps take on outsized significance with growing attendance.

More than 900 Jewish camp professionals joined together on Monday to say Shehecheyanu.

The prayer, signifying special occasions, marked a historical partnership between the Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) and Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s JCamp 180 as the organizations partnered for a joint, four-day gathering, the Jewish Camp Summit, which ended on Wednesday.

In previous years, JCamp 180 held its annual conference in the fall, while FJC held a biannual conference in late winter or early spring. This year, to both save expenses and make it easier for attendees, many of whom journey to both, the organizations opted to hold a joint gathering with a common theme: scaling new heights.

The conferences still have separate identities. The JCamp 180 Summit, which focuses on fundraising, board engagement and strategic planning, ran first, from Sunday to Monday. It was followed immediately by FJC’s Leaders Assembly, emphasizing professional development, the Jewish/Israel experience at camps and growth. But there is plenty of overlap, with presenters from JCamp 180 presenting at Leaders Assembly and vice versa.

The joint summit led to both conferences clocking record attendance, with over 500 attending the JCamp 180 Summit and over 950 attending the Leaders Assembly (some 400 attendees overlap).

“I’ve been trying to push for this for the last 10 years,” Jeremy Fingerman, CEO of FJC told eJewishPhilanthropy. “Making it easier for the field.”

A larger summit also means more exposure for attendees to philanthropists, Andrea Wasserman, the founder and president of ABW Partners, who presented at the JCamp 180 Summit and whose firm leads the strategic planning process for FJC, told eJP.

These philanthropists are hungry to invest in initiatives that allow Jews to “wear their Judaism proudly” and “move the needle on ensuring a vibrant, vital, cohesive Jewish community,” she said, especially spanning Israel and the Diaspora.  

The future of the partnership between JCamp 180 and FJC is currently being fleshed out, Sarah Eisinger, JCamp 180’s director, said. “We’re just getting started… We will be back in Massachusetts on our own next year. And I don’t know what will happen in two years,” she said. 

The summit is held after a year of rising camp attendance, surging past the pre-pandemic levels of 2019. Last summer, nearly 190,000 attended an American day or overnight camp. There’s also been an increase in camp counselors, Fingerman said. “After being on the front line of the fight on campus, [counselors] decided they wanted to be in a positive, safe, Jewish bubble.”

While welcome, this increase of staff and attendees is straining camps, with FJC estimating that a quarter of camps are at or near full capacity. As demand jumps, “the long-term prospects and the challenges that are affecting the field are really the same, they just get more and more complex,” Eisinger told eJP.

Topics discussed at the summit included emergency preparedness, working with boards, building endowments, discussing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at camp, cultivating an inclusive experience and how camps can use artificial intelligence. There were also sessions allowing attendees to sing favorite camp songs, create arts and crafts, and participate in a massive game of “Who Knows One,” led by Micah Hart, the host of the “Campfires and Color Wars”podcast.

Camp is one of the last tech-free places for kids, yet there is plenty of potential for AI, Fingerman said, whether it be for parent communication or organizing photos. AI can also help campers stay bonded over the year, which he said is vital, because camp is not just a summer connection, it can build lifelong relationships.

One of the themes of this past summer was the relationships cultivated between American campers and Israelis. On a typical summer, 1,500 Israeli teens visit American camps, but this year saw an additional 1,500 coming from displaced communities. Twenty representatives from Israeli summer camps attended this year’s summit to discuss North American Jews having a reverse exchange, with American teens staying at Israeli camps in future years. 

“There was a lot of anxiety going into [last] summer,” Eisinger said. “How we’re we going to get all these divergent populations together after this terrible year? And it was just much better than anyone had anticipated.”

This success led to FJC announcing a $1.475 million Teaching Israel at Camp grant on Wednesday, allowing 60 camps to hire an Israeli educator to create additional Israel programming. The grant is funded by Crown Family Philanthropies, UJA-Federation of New York, One8 Foundation, the Einstein Astrof Foundation and the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation.

Camp is the perfect safe place for attendees to hold tough conversations about Israel, Fingerman said. “You’re away from family. You have the ability to have one on one conversations or group conversations in a way that maybe you can’t do in other venues,” he said.

With increased attendance comes increased needs, including for updated infrastructure, whether it be for more bunks, a larger infirmary or to adapt to a changing climate. At the Leaders Assembly on Tuesday, FJC announced a $15 million grant, funded by Ruth and David Gottesman’s family foundation, to help over 300 camps expand their capacity and modernize their facilities.

Now is the time to invest in camps, Eisinger said. “I want to look back on this moment, this period since Oct. 7, in 50 or 100 years, and say it was a watershed moment for the camps. The camps welcomed Israelis. There was an incredible cross-cultural connection this summer at the camps, and it was a hugely healing experience for the Israelis [and] also the Americans, these young people who had experienced terrible antisemitism at their college campuses.”

Now, more than ever, camp is needed, Lee Trempeck, the CEO of Tamarack Camps, told eJP. It was a message laced throughout the summit, which was especially resonant because it brought together so many across lay leadership and professional staff.  

“Just being together allows people the opportunity to share the emotion that we’re all feeling from the weight of the world,” he said. 

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Read the entire article, “JCamp 180 and Foundation for Jewish Camp partner for Jewish Camp Summit, leading to record attendance”, on ejewishphilanthropy.com.