Russian-Speaking Jewish Outreach and Engagement Initiative
Foundation for Jewish Camp launched the Russian-Speaking Jewish Outreach and Engagement Initiative (RSJ Initiative) in 2013 to expand opportunities for campers from Russian-speaking families in North America to experience Jewish overnight summer camp. The RSJ Initiative has grown over the years and currently works with overnight and day camps and community partners (such as Jewish Federations) to provide summer camp, family camp, and year-round engagement opportunities. The RSJ Initiative also includes a Community of Practice for participating camps as well as a counselor training initiative, Hadracha Internship.
FJC also created a best practice manual to assist camps with recruitment and marketing strategies, showcasing success from the field over the years.
Bring the RSJ Initiative to Your Camp or Community
Please reach out to Yevgeniy Klig at yevgeniy.klig@jewishcamp.org for more information about launching the RSJ Initiative at your camp or community!
Support for Initiative Partners
Each partner organization that is accepted into the initiative will receive funding to support recruitment efforts, marketing and promotion of the program, as well as to provide scholarships/incentives for RSJ families.
Camp Directors and recruiters are invited to attend a monthly RSJ Community of Practice from January-May to share recruitment tactics, best practices, and learn from experts in the field.
Recruitment
Directors of past and current RSJ Initiative camps have confirmed the importance of having a point person from the RSJ community to work on recruitment and engagement, someone who understands the nuances that are specific to the community. While each individual has their own unique experience and identity, camps have found it invaluable to hire someone who can connect with families in a meaningful way.
Marketing
Spreading awareness about this opportunity is crucial for maintaining high enrollment rates among RSJ campers. Camps often create marketing materials such as brochures (in English and Russian), promotional videos, websites in Russian, social media posts, etc.
Scholarship/Incentives
Through the RSJ Initiative, RSJ families are eligible for additional camp scholarships. Eligible campers are required to have at least one Russian-speaking parent or grandparent. FJC provides flexibility to camps and community partners in determining incentive and/or scholarship amounts and additional criteria.
Initiative Partners
Berkshire Hills Eisenberg
B’nai Brith Camp Oregon
Camps Airy and Louise
Camp Avoda
Camp Ben Frankel
Camp B’nai Brith Montreal
Camp Judaea
Camp Livingston
Camp Nageela Midwest
Camp Tawonga
Camp Zeke
Eden Village Camp
Golden Slipper Camp
JCC Camp Chi
JCA Shalom
NJY Camps
Day Camps
Camp Klurman – Miami Beach JCC
Island Quest Day Camp – Commonpoint Queens
JCamp – Westside JCC, Los Angeles
Community Partners
Atlanta Jewish Federation
The Jewish Education Center of Cleveland
Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ
Foundation for Jewish Camp’s Russian Speaking Jewish Outreach and Engagement Initiative has been made possible with the generous support of Genesis Philanthropy Group.
