FJC Awards Additional $4.5M to Camps for Capital Expansion
Multi-year initiative made possible by The Gottesman Fund; with some projects already complete
NEW YORK – Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) today announced the second round recipients of its Gottesman Capital Expansion Grants, awarding more than $4.5 million to 16 day and overnight camps across North America. The funding is part of a multi-year, $15 million partnership with The Gottesman Fund designed to expand camps’ capacity and address critical infrastructure needs such as camper bunks, staff housing, and program spaces. The new funding brings the total awarded to $8.4 million, enabling camps to welcome more kids and ensuring that Jewish camp remains a top choice among summer opportunities.
“From bunks to program spaces, this new round of funding will enable camps to move quickly to improve the camper and staff experience,” said Jamie Simon, CEO of Foundation for Jewish Camp. “Enrollment at Jewish camps is at a record high and camps urgently need additional capacity and infrastructure to meet demand. We are grateful to The Gottesman Fund for their continued partnership so that camps can build new spaces and continue to deliver transformative experiences for young Jews.”
FJC’s recent 2025 State of the Field Census Part I: The Business of Operating Jewish Camp revealed that enrollment at Jewish summer camp hit an all time high in summer 2025, with camps engaging nearly 200,000 young campers and staff. While serving as a testament to the field’s recovery since the pandemic, 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 plans to increase their ability to serve more young people, and additional support is essential in helping them carry out these plans.
At its biennial Leaders Assembly in December 2024, with a record audience in attendance, FJC announced a $15 million commitment from The Gottesman Fund to help camps build critical infrastructure projects so they can welcome more campers, recruit and retain exceptional staff, and deliver safe, modern, climate‑resilient facilities. Each individual grant can be up to $750,000 and can cover up to 50% of a project’s total cost.
12 camps were awarded a total of $4 million in the first round of funding. One third of these first-round projects are already complete or nearly complete, with the rest anticipated to wrap up by next summer.
16 camps were awarded a total of $4.5 million in the second round of funding. The grantee camps and projects include:
| Grantee Camp | Summer Location | Brief Project Description |
| Camp Avoda | Middleboro, MA | Building a new staff housing unit, renovating cabins and bunks to add staff and camper beds |
| Camp Kadimah | Barss Corner, Nova Scotia | Expanding infirmary to allow camp to host more campers and building new staff housing, opening up staff housing to campers |
| Camp Livingston | Bennington, IN | Renovating staff buildings that will open up cabins for campers |
| Camp Ramah in New England | Palmer, MA | Building a new health center to allow camp to host more campers and hire more staff to serve them |
| Camp Ramah in the Rockies | Sedalia, CO | Building new camper tents and a program space |
| Camp Ruach – SSB JCC | Bridgewater, NJ | Purchase of new land for recreation areas and programmatic spaces. Renovation of existing building |
| Camp Sabra | Rocky Mount, MO | Replacing and expanding camper cabins |
| Camp Stone | Sugar Grove, PA | Building a staff program/flexible space, which will improve staffing that supports recent camper growth |
| Camp Wise | Chardon, OH | Building a new covered outdoor amphitheater and renovations of the dining hall to provide larger space for all-camp gatherings and enable camp fill its existing camper capacity |
| Camp Young Judaea Sprout Lake | Verbank, NY | Construction of two new bunks and Merkaz, camp’s central building |
| Capital Camps & Retreat Center | Waynesboro, PA | Construction of new tents and a bathhouse, upgrades for programming space and infrastructure |
| J Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | Renovation of unused space to add multi-purpose room and courtyard to allow camp growth |
| Kings Bay Y Summer Day Camp | Brooklyn, NY | Purchase of portable program spaces, ropes courses, and a track for other program activities to increase programmatic offerings and allow enrollment of additional campers |
| Surprise Lake Camp | Cold Spring, NY | Building four new camper units |
| URJ Camp Kalsman | Arlington, WA | Construction of a new staff summer housing and converting existing staff housing to camper bunks |
| URJ Camp Newman | Vallejo, CA | Construction of a new staff housing unit and opening up existing staff housing to campers |
“These new projects will help camps expand their capacity at a pivotal moment amid record-breaking attendance” said Rebecca Kahn, Vice President of Grantmaking and Funding at FJC. “Our most recent Census confirmed that camps are eager to invest in infrastructure, and we’re proud that Gottesman Capital Expansion Grants are enabling more of them to undertake these critical projects.”
These newly awarded projects are scheduled to be completed before summer 2026 or 2027. Applications for the third round of funding will open later this year after the summer camp session.
About Foundation for Jewish Camp
Foundation for Jewish Camp grows, supports, and strengthens the Jewish camp movement so camps can deliver exceptional experiences for campers, staff, families, and communities, engaging them in lifelong, joyful Judaism. Learn more at 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.
