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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.

Funding will support capital expansion projects for Jewish camps

CHICAGO — At its 10th biennial Leaders Assembly in Chicago featuring a record of nearly 950 attendees, Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) announced $15 million in new funding for its network of over 300 day and overnight camps from The Gottesman Fund to support capital expansion projects and field growth.

“For decades, Jewish camps have helped young people explore their Jewish identity, learn about Israel, develop their character, and make lifelong friends,” said Jeremy J. Fingerman, CEO of Foundation for Jewish Camp. “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. We’re incredibly grateful to The Gottesman Fund for their generosity.”

Enrollment this past summer exceeded pre-pandemic highs, with nearly 190,000 young people attending a day or overnight camp across North America. While serving as a testament to the field’s recovery, high enrollment is stretching camps’ current infrastructure. FJC estimates that 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 additional support will be essential in helping them carry out these plans.  

“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,” said Diane Eidman, Director at The Gottesman Fund. “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.” 

With the generous support of The Gottesman Fund, FJC will be able to offer $15 million in 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 where day and overnight camps have expressed their most pressing needs: approximately $5 million for staff and family housing to increase staff retention, approximately $7 million for program spaces to modernize infrastructure and bolster climate resilience, and approximately $3 million for camper bunks and home bases to increase capacity. 

“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,” said Jamie Simon, FJC’s Chief Program and Strategy Officer. “We’re excited to share this opportunity from The Gottesman Fund for new staff housing, program spaces, and camper bunks with such a large group of diverse leaders at this year’s Leaders Assembly.”

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 The Gottesman Fund 

Founded in 1965, The Gottesman Fund is managed by members of the Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman family and is dedicated to enhancing and perpetuating Jewish life in the United States, providing significant support to domestic medical, educational, and cultural institutions, and supporting projects in Israel which improve the quality of life for its visitors and residents.

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Media Contact: Alex Goldstein, 90 West
agoldstein@ninetywest.com

Over 900 Jewish camp professionals, lay leaders, advocates, and friends
set to attend Leaders Assembly in Chicago

CHICAGO — Over 900 attendees, from Jewish camp professionals to lay leaders to a delegation from Israel, will gather in Chicago on December 9th to 11th, 2024 to shape the future of Jewish camp at Foundation for Jewish Camp’s (FJC’s) biennial Leaders Assembly — part of The Jewish Camp Summit that FJC is co-hosting with JCamp180.

Leaders Assembly will share new research affirming camps’ strong recovery from the COVID pandemic and recent success in helping young Jews feel more deeply connected to their identity at a time of rising antisemitism. 

“We’re thrilled to welcome a record-breaking number of participants to our 10th biennial Leaders Assembly, all of whom recognize how Jewish camp helps young people develop their character and explore their Jewish identity,” said Jeremy J. Fingerman, CEO of Foundation for Jewish Camp. “With over 140 expert speakers, dozens of events, and three plenaries, Leaders Assembly will celebrate and elevate camp’s integral role in transforming the lives of young people.”

The three plenaries will focus on Scaling Belonging, Scaling Leadership, and Scaling Jewish Joy & Identity. Featured speakers include American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch; The Wexner Foundation President Rabbi B. Elka Abrahamson; President and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America Eric Fingerhut; Co-Founder of Character Strong Houston Kraft; Program Director, Jewish Community & Israel at Crown Family Philanthropies Wendy Newberger; workplace strategist, author, and podcast host Erica Keswin; Chair of the Board of Trustees Jewish Federations of North America and immediate past Board Chair of Foundation for Jewish Camp Julie B. Platt; and actor, advocate, and podcast host Jonah Platt.

“Jewish camp is the key to the Jewish future — from building positive Jewish identity to helping young Jews unplug and be present in a connected community. Among Jews who go on to become communal leaders, camp is the #1 experience they tend to have in common,” said Jamie Simon, FJC’s Chief Program and Strategy Officer. “We’re excited to bring together a diverse, talented group of leaders to delve into themes at the center of our field.”

Reflecting Jewish camp’s dual role as a place to have fun and learn, Leaders Assembly 2024 will also offer opportunities to engage in art, music, improv, sports, and more, as well as expert-led sessions on topics spanning from youth development to inclusion to Israel, such as: 

• “Making More Mensches: The Mechanics of Character Development at Jewish Summer Camp”
• “Building Connections Between North American & Israeli Staff”
• “Making Camp Accessible for Low to Moderate Income, Unaffiliated Families”
• “Cabins, Carbon, and Climate Change: Reimagining the Camp Footprint”
• “Life after Camp: Expanding Horizons for Adults with Disabilities”

FJC’s Leaders Assembly 2024 is made possible thanks to the generosity and support of lead sponsors Crown Family Philanthropies and The Jim Joseph Foundation. 

Media interested in covering and attending any portion of Leaders Assembly can contact Alex Goldstein at agoldstein@ninetywest.com for more information about the Assembly agenda and logistics. 

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

NEW YORK — New research by Rosov Consulting, sponsored by The Jim Joseph Foundation, reaffirms that Jewish camp is a “Powerful Jewish Learning Experience” that promotes community and individual growth. The report is the latest evidence showing how Foundation for Jewish Camp and its network of over 300 day and overnight camps transform the lives of young Jews by helping them grow and explore their identity. 

Through a series of virtual focus groups, researchers interviewed 48 people between the ages of 25 and 35 who participated in some combination of Jewish camp, youth groups, campus life, and post-grad community. Nearly two-thirds of study participants attended camp at some point. Their reflections converged around the many life-long benefits of the Jewish camp experience, such as:

• Jewish Learning 
  •  “I feel like there’s a lot of prayers that I know in my core because of camp and not necessarily because of Hebrew school and Sunday school.”
• L’Dor Va-Dor 
  • “All of the camp songs that you’d sing on Shabbat… you take with you for the rest of your life. And I have a son who goes to Jewish preschool now and he is singing these songs, and we sing them together in the car…”
• Independence, Joy, and Friendship 
  • “I gained the value of joyous Judaism, social connections… just having a community of people that you get to just be with, [is] just amazing.”
• Connecting to Jewish Identity 
  • “Camp really helped me understand the importance of Jewish community and continuing involvement with the Jewish community after my bat mitzvah. If it weren’t for camp, I would not have done Hillel in college. I would not have joined Moishe house.”
  • “I really feel connected to my summer camp. I think it has given me the foundation to feel at home in a lot of different Jewish spaces.”

“50 years ago, I first attended Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, and it changed my life. It’s gratifying to hear so many participants in this new study detail how it changed theirs,” said Jeremy J. Fingerman, CEO of Foundation for Jewish Camp. “We’re grateful to The Jim Joseph Foundation for all of their support, and to Rosov Consulting for illuminating the long-lasting, wide-reaching benefits of Jewish camp.”

“These are very positive outcomes that show how five organizations are integral in creating a vibrant Jewish communal ecosystem throughout key life stages for the young Jews they serve,” wrote Stacie Cherner, Director of Research and Learning at the Jim Joseph Foundation, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “The Jim Joseph Foundation is eager to engage in more cross-portfolio evaluations to build our base of knowledge and understanding about shared outcomes across the field.”

The study zeroed in on common outcomes among Jewish experiences from camp to college and beyond, such as helping young people find and become part of the Jewish community, achieve personal growth, and form deep and lasting friendships. At the same time, the study highlighted the opportunity for exploration as a particularly strong element of the camp experience.

“Camp, as already noted, is a place to stretch, to experiment and to explore new experiences, in Jewish and personal terms. This is the theme to which alumni consistently returned most often when talking about camp,” said Rosov Consulting in the study. “They recollect experiencing joy and Jewish learning, and they celebrated the friendships formed, but it was the personal growth they experienced thanks to being given the space to explore that exceeded all other outcomes.”

Belonging, leadership, joy, and identity — four of the core building blocks highlighted in the new study — will be central themes at FJC’s 2024 Leaders Assembly, which will convene over 800 Jewish camp leaders and advocates from around the world on December 9th to December 11th in Chicago. Rosov Consulting will be present to share more detailed findings from this study.

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About Foundation for Jewish Camp 

FJC advocates for over 300 day and overnight camps that provide nearly 180,000 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

About The Jim Joseph Foundation

The Shimon Ben Joseph Foundation, commonly known as the Jim Joseph Foundation, (the Foundation), is committed to the legacy of its founder, Jim Joseph, z”l. The Foundation was established in 2006 as a private foundation, classified legally as a California Public Benefit Corporation. The Foundation is devoted exclusively to supporting Jewish education of youth and young adults in the United States.

About Rosov Consulting

Founded in 2008, Rosov Consulting is a professional services firm helping foundations, philanthropists, and nonprofits in the Jewish communal sector meet their goals, assess progress, and make well- informed decisions to enhance impact. Working at the nexus of the funder and grantee relationship, our expertise includes evaluation and applied research, strategy development, launching new philanthropic initiatives, and systems coaching. We utilize our range of life experiences and knowledge to best serve our clients.

NEW YORK — On World Mental Health Day, which aims to raise awareness of mental health issues and mobilize action for solutions, Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) is providing resources to support the well-being of staff, campers, and their families. 

Over the past five years, FJC’s flagship mental health initiative, Yedid Nefesh, has enabled more than 100 day and overnight camps to hire mental health professionals, train counselors, integrate wellness programming, and more. This summer, camps allocated extra resources and care to support Israeli staff and campers, such as hiring Hebrew-speaking therapists. Yedid Nefesh mental health professionals coach counselors and staff, and FJC’s research demonstrates that this kind of training for staff leads to better support for campers. 96% of overnight camper families believe their camp supported their child’s mental, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being — a statistic that FJC’s annual Camper Satisfaction Insights surveys show has steadily climbed over the past few years.

“Amid a long-term rise in mental health challenges for young people and new trauma and grief in the wake of October 7th, FJC is committed to ensuring every member of the camp community has the support they need to thrive,” said Jeremy J. Fingerman, CEO of Foundation for Jewish Camp. “On World Mental Health Day, FJC is proud of all that our network of camps and mental health professionals do to address mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health.” 

Thanks to an influx of resources, Jewish summer camps are taking an increasingly active role in supporting the camp community not just during the summer but also throughout the year. A growing cadre of camps are retaining mental health professionals part- or full-time even after summer is over, providing workshops for parents or speaking to campers in the run-up to camp.

“When we first opened up applications for grants to support mental health, more than 90 camps applied for just 30 spots,” said Jill Goldstein Smith, Director, Programs at Foundation for Jewish Camp. “The groundswell of interest spoke to an urgent need. We’re thrilled that thanks to the generosity of The Marcus Foundation and other partners, we’ve since been able to expand financial and programmatic support to more than 100 day and overnight camps. Moving forward, we’ll need new, additional partnerships so that we can serve more camps and meet rising mental health needs.” 

In addition to The Marcus Foundation, FJC has received support from UJA-Federation of New York, The Jewish Communal Fund of New York, and The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles for its Yedid Nefesh initiative. 

FJC has spearheaded innovative approaches to ensure camps can hire enough qualified professionals despite a worldwide shortage of youth-serving mental health practitioners. The Mental Health Graduate Student Fellowship, for example, builds a pipeline of qualified professionals at Jewish camps by tapping into the pool of talent looking for summer opportunities to expand their skills through work in the field.

FJC’s 2024 Leaders Assembly, which will take place December 9th to December 11th in Chicago, will convene camp mental health professionals in-person, and feature close to 20 sessions focused on mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health — including deep-dive trainings, peer-led conversations, camp-specific research practicums, and more.

Donate

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About Foundation for Jewish Camp 

FJC advocates for over 300 day and overnight camps that provide nearly 180,000 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

This article originally appeared on The Jewish Telegraphic Agency and was authored by Orna and Eldad Adar.

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Eleven months ago, Hamas murdered our daughter while she was dancing and celebrating life at a music festival in Re’im, Israel.

At 6:50 a.m. on Oct. 7, Gili messaged us that something was going on. She told us not to worry. More texts. Gunshots. She was hiding, warning friends to stay away from the area. At 9:14, she wrote: “Until now I wasn’t afraid. Now I’m scared.” By 9:35, we later learned, the terrorists found her. Within five minutes, they murdered Gili and nearly 30 other young people at point-blank range — a fraction of the 364 people who were killed at the festival.

The brutality with which Hamas murdered our Good Life Gili, our radiant, wonderful girl, at just 24 years old, echoes the evil of the recent execution of hostages Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Alexander Lobanov, Ori Danino, Eden Yerushalmi and Almog Sarusi. Five of these six beautiful souls were at the Nova music festival, like Gili. All of their families are processing the worst news of their lives.

It’s the news we received three days after Gili’s last message, after we frantically headed south to find her, after we pleaded on Facebook for more information — “OUR GILI IS STILL MISSING” — after each passing hour drained the possibility that she would stumble through the front door and into our arms.

We spoke at Gili’s eulogy, like the hostages’ families did at theirs. And yet there were no words. There are no words. When we now watch videos of Gili, sometimes we laugh and sometimes we cry and most times our joy and our grief are not oil and water, they do not separate, but blend into a new, strange taste of life.

As Gili would say: “Why one or the other when you can have both?”

Gili, for whom 24 hours in a day was never enough, took so many roles. An adventurer, she worked three jobs to save money for the dream trip she took to South America. A listener, Gili sat for hours at a time with each of the lone soldiers — those without family in Israel — which whom she worked in the Israeli army.

After Gili’s death, we have found new roles ourselves.

We are gardeners, tending to the flowers on her grave and watering the seeds of her memory.

We are archivists, collecting thousands of photos and videos of our daughter; compiling hundreds, often unsolicited testimonials about the ways she shaped people’s lives.

We are messengers, talking about Gili with whomever will listen: Gili, with a conquering smile and an infectious laugh, “Guppy” to her campers, who took the coffee kit in her backpack to the mountains, the desert, the sea, who gave her heart to everyone from children with special needs to the store cashier.

More than anything, we miss Gili. The faint thrum of our constant grief can balloon in pitch and intensity when we least expect it. Waiting at a traffic light. Or at the supermarket, where our tears condense like the dew on the carton of milk we just removed from the refrigerator. When we’re awake or asleep, in every activity and every moment, we miss our girl. There is no life after Gili. Our only path into the future is with Gili.

And so we share Gili with others. They share her with us. We find her in unexpected places — the group of girls who got a common tattoo in her honor; the memories of a stranger she met on a Colombian beach. And we make pilgrimages to the places she loved the most, which brought us 6,000 miles over the ocean this summer to the United States to visit summer two camps, Tel Yehudah and Ben Frankel, that Gili called home.

The authors with the Star of David that Gili and her friends built at Camp Tel Yehudah as a parting gift. (Courtesy Orna and Eldad Adar)

As we walked through Camp Tel Yehudah, a Young Judaea teen leadership summer camp in Barryville, New York where she worked in 2019 and 2022, there was Gili in her old room with the world map and desk she brought. There was Gili on the roof that she watched the sunset from, even though it was (technically) forbidden. But more than anything, we felt Gili’s presence in the young people at camp, who captured the message she’d want to send to American Jews right now.

On one Saturday night, we saw 400 young Jewish American campers dancing on the grass to Israeli songs. They jumped. They sang along. Those who knew her there told us that Gili was always the first to get up and dance. Her confidence helped others overcome that initial, collective moment of awkwardness.

This dance session reflected two of the things Gili cared most about: close relationships between American and Israeli Jews, and the joy of life.

When she was 17, Gili first came to the U.S. in 2017 to share Israeli culture with American Jews at Camp Ben Frankel, an overnight summer camp in Illinois. If she messed up in English, one of her friends told us, she’d laugh and say: “You know guys, I’m really smart and funny in Hebrew.” Gili channeled that same passion for cross-cultural connection working with American lone soldiers back in Israel.

Gili’s warmth melted barriers of language and distance until young campers felt part of one community. Gili never believed in a blank-check relationship with Israel, the kind that says always support and never question. She did, however, see the bonds between American and Israeli Jews as inviolable and fragile: ties that cannot be denied yet must be nurtured with joy, music, dance, food and more.

Today, as some young American Jews drift away from Israel, we ask them to remember that Israel is also Gili. It is Gili dancing at the Nova music festival, living a normal life in her early 20s, trying to figure out what career path she’ll pursue. Young American Jews should remember that they don’t have to choose between loving Israel and criticizing it: they can have a complex relationship that includes both.

Those kids dancing on the grass that Saturday radiated joy. At her funeral, we made a promise to Gili and to ourselves: “We will not surrender to sadness, we will sanctify joy. This is your will, Gili, our beloved.”

Many times, forward is a bog, and we sink with each small step. Every day when we visit Gili’s grave, we see our charismatic girl inscribed across a headstone, a juxtaposition that feels like a contradiction. What does our daughter, always so full of life, have to do with a grave?

We try to take care of her, even though she was the one who often took care of us — staying awake until 3 a.m. when we were out late to make sure we were okay. We replace her memorial candle. We gather leaves that have fallen. We search for buds, signs of life, on the trees we planted in her honor.

We search for life ourselves. We go to the theater and sports events. Months after an unimaginable rupture, we remain enveloped in an endless stream of love. Gili’s friends come to light the eighth candle of Hanukkah. Kids at Ben Frankel approach and ask if they can hug us.

There will never, ever, be an end to the grief. But there is, there must be, a continuity to the joy.

Five years ago, Gili and her friends built a giant Star of David out of wooden planks as a parting gift to Camp Tel Yehudah. To the right, in one photo, stands Gili, sporting denim shorts, a black long sleeve, sunglasses, and as usual, a smile. Pummeled by rain and snow, the structure was expected to remain intact for less than a year. Half a decade later, the Star of David stands tall.

Who would have thought Gili would be gone instead?

The two of us take a photo in front of the Star of David during our visit to Tel Yehudah. We try to smile. One of us wears a T-shirt with that favorite slogan of Gili’s: “Why one or the other when you can have both?” We grasp onto its wooden planks as if we are touching our daughter, and in a way we are, because in her 24 years Gili created so much that outlasted her.

And she continues to be the catalyst of so much good: A new research center in Gili’s name at Israel’s Geha Mental Health Center will aim to prevent suicide and save lives. A new trail in the town of Lapid, full of trees and flowers, is being built in her name. At her old high school, a new garden with benches and tables will provide spaces for kids to sit and talk, reflecting Gili’s love of nature and willingness to listen.

A few months ago, Gili’s friends created a sticker of her. They asked to bring our Gili, whom they described not as a ray of light but as the sun itself, to nature sites in Israel, to guest houses in South America and East Asia, to inscribe her on their guitar cases, to carry her to all the places she might have visited.

Like us, Gili’s friends want to share her light with others. We humbly ask, for our daughter, that you search for a sliver of joy wherever you can find it right now and share it with whoever you can.

This article originally appeared in the Rochester Business Journal and was authored by Andrea Deckert adeckert@bridgetowermedia.com / (585) 653-4021 

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The Farash Foundation is launching Project Campfire, a new initiative which makes it possible for Rochester-area Jewish children to attend Camp Seneca Lake for free.  

The Farash Foundation expects to commit $16 million to Project Campfire over the next nine years. 

Through Project Campfire, Jewish children in grades three through nine and residing in Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, Livingston, Orleans, Genesee and Yates Counties will receive a “campership” to fully fund one session of attendance at Camp Seneca Lake.  

Campers from outside the Rochester area can continue to apply for subsidies through the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s One Happy Camper program. The foundation will continue to support their Magic of Camp initiative that provides subsidies for Rochester children attending other Jewish overnight camps. 

“When I think about Jewish camping, I think about the energy — the ruach – the spirit — that comes alive in a space where kids can proudly embrace their Jewish identity and experience our traditions in a way that is welcoming and joyful,” said Jennie Schaff, CEO of the Farash Foundation. “Through Project Campfire, we are thrilled to provide this opportunity to even more Jewish youth, fulfilling Max and Marian Farash’s lifelong commitment to building a vibrant Jewish community here in Rochester now and into the future.” 

This article was authored by Jeremy J. Fingerman and published by The Jewish Journal. Click Here to read the original version.

This week, we bid farewell to a true prince among us — a mensch in every sense of the word, a ray of sunshine who embodied the spirit of community in every fiber of his being. We lost not just a valued colleague and cherished friend, but the heart and soul of our community — a one-of-a-kind happy camper, Julius “Julie” Eisen z”l.

In organizational life, it has always been about the people — the ones around the table who lead with both vision and compassion. Julie first took his seat at the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s table in 2004, and over the past two decades, he did much more than simply occupy that space. He infused it with his boundless optimism, curiosity, creativity, and an infectious positivity that lifted us all. Julie wasn’t just part of our board; he was the heartbeat of our mission, a constant reminder of why we do what we do.

Just 10 months ago, on October 5, only two days before the world changed for all of us, we shared a special visit with Julie and Susan Eisen in their sukkah. It was an afternoon tea that now feels like an exquisite memory. As we gathered in person and on Zoom, current and former FJC board members reflected on Julie’s profound impact personally and organizationally, and several themes emerged:

• His fresh insights, unwavering encouragement, and positive energy were a constant source of inspiration and motivation.

• He welcomed and mentored each new board member, offering guidance, perspective, and support.

• He set the tone for every gathering, never hesitating to jump into the circle, to dance, to celebrate, and to remind us of the true essence of camping.

• Julie was a steadfast partner for our professional team, bringing wisdom, passion, and an outlook that always saw the light, even in the darkest times.

Julie spoke of his deep belief in the transformative power of camp:

• “No other activity gets as deeply into the soul of a young child as Jewish summer camp. It’s the most enduring, the most enjoyable, and nothing has a more positive, long-term impact.”

• He told us, “Sometimes when I can’t sleep, I think about my time at camp. I find a sense of peace, a joy that things will work out.” His days as a happy camper stayed with him throughout his life, a constant source of comfort and joy.

• Julie believed in the ripple effect of our work at FJC, saying, “You never know how your actions will lead to impact. Because of what camp did for me, I followed my heart… I believed in our mission and I am very proud of how FJC has really made an impact.”

About 12 years ago, Julie joined me on a visit to one of the new specialty camps launched by FJC, Eden Village Camp, an organic, sustainable farming camp in Putnam Valley, N.Y. We were captivated by its organic garden, where small plots represented each of the 12 Hebrew months. During Av, rose bushes flourished,  symbolizing both the thorns of sadness, adversity, and destruction observed during the mournful fast day of Tisha b’Av and the comforting rosebud that represents the promise of joy and happiness of the Jewish day of love that follows on Tu b’Av.

Even when faced with heartbreaking loss or difficult challenges, Julie embodied renewal, love, generosity, and menschlichkeit and remains a sterling model for us all. We feel blessed and grateful for all he did for our Jewish world.

In our profound sadness, we overcome the thorns and we cling to Julie’s light — his positive outlook and energetic spirit. His legacy, like a rosebud in full bloom, will forever be part of our camp community. We will carry forward his unwavering belief in the power of camp, the joy it brings, and the lives it transforms.

Julie Eisen was, and will always be, our very happy camper.

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Jeremy J. Fingerman has served as CEO of Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) since 2010. Jeremy, a former board Vice-Chair of JPRO (the network of Jewish communal professionals), received the 2023 Bernard Reisman Award for Professional Excellence from Brandeis University.  He and his wife, Gail, live in Fort Lee, NJ and have a son and a daughter who recently gave birth to their first grandchild in Jerusalem.

This article was authored by Jeremy J. Fingerman and published by The Jewish Journal. Click Here to read the original version.

From Israeli hostages remaining in captivity to the rising fever of global antisemitism, the heartbreak of Oct. 7 and the days since feels endless. We cannot ignore this pain. But neither can we let ourselves drown under its weight. Now is the time to embrace joy, and the hundreds of Jewish camps in full swing across North America are teaching us how. 

Right now, over 180,000 campers and counselors are filling their days with fun and friendship, creating Jewish memories that will last a lifetime. I know this because 50 years ago this summer, in Wisconsin’s remote northern woods, I began to forge my Jewish identity in a camp community infused with Jewish joy.

At Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, I felt embraced at Friday night services on the shores of Lake Buckatabon, where golden sunsets refracted off the water, through the pine trees, and carried our community into Shabbat. I whispered, laughed, confided, and cried in the sacred space of my bunk. In that spartan wooden cabin, I met some of my closest friends, including one who, more than 49 years later, recently celebrated with me at my grandson’s bris.

I recognize that this summer isn’t normal. All of us, and all of our camp communities, continue to struggle with the trauma and grief that began on Oct. 7. Many of the over 25,000 college students serving as counselors have experienced antisemitism on campus. Close to 3,000 Israeli shlichim and displaced Israeli teens are spending time at camp after a long stretch of war. 

Yet camp proves that we can pursue joy in tough times without denying that times are tough. As young campers in the mid-70s, my friends and I weren’t immune to the turbulence of Vietnam, the Yom Kippur War and Watergate, just as today’s campers aren’t immune to the world around them. But camp provided me with a reprieve, a function it’s serving for young Jews today even after Oct. 7. 

Early reports from this summer reveal that camps are effectively navigating their roles as places to have difficult conversations, communities of in-person connections, and bubbles that offer respite. Little of the tension and rancor of campus has spilled over into our camp communities.

Camps aren’t just showing us the power of joy. They’re teaching us how to pursue it: by disconnecting from technology and the news and connecting to our creativity and one another.

My experience at camp was tech-free because in the 1970s, there wasn’t much tech from which to be free. But even today, camps are dialing down the noise of the outside world. They’re acting as islands of in-person interaction where young people addicted to screens can rediscover their attention, directing it inward toward their feelings or outward toward people and nature.

Like Shabbat, camp reminds us that disconnecting does not mean disengaging from community. It’s the opposite: we disconnect so that we can be more present with loved ones. In this regard, Jewish camps reveal and model the importance of sacred, communal spaces.

Over the past nine months, many Jews and Israelis have been mocked or dismissed for bringing up their pain, no matter their politics on Israel. These young people, like all of us, need opportunities to heal around people they are confident will accept them. Camps have long reported that shared Jewish identity enables campers and staff to explore complex emotions and opinions in a way they can’t anywhere else — and the same has been true this summer so far.

In a time of communal crisis, camps are also reaffirming that sometimes we need to remove our fingers from the pulse of the world’s trauma. Instead, we can listen more closely to our breathing and the birds by the lake. We can cheer and stomp in frenetic song and dance sessions. And we can step into new roles that expand our character, whether it’s growing as a communal leader or discovering a love of theater, both of which I took part in as a camper 50 years ago.

In their emphasis on tech-free spaces, the wonders of nature, in-person community, and fun activities such as sports, ceramics, hiking, sailing, and drama, camps provide a roadmap for pursuing joy, especially in difficult times. This isn’t a joy that papers over our problems. Rather, it replenishes the strength we need to tackle them.