Foundation for Jewish Camp Launches New England Regional Center
Partnership builds on decades of collaboration to expand access to and strengthen the impact of Jewish camps across the region.
BOSTON — Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) and Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) today announced a new FJC New England regional center, with additional financial support from The Krupp Foundation. The center will work to deepen support for Jewish day and overnight camps across the region; help camps deliver safe, joyful, and meaningful Jewish experiences for thousands of young people; and offer new scholarship opportunities for campers. Recruitment for a New England regional director is now underway.
The new center will increase the number of Jewish kids going to camp and provide camps with the resources they need to thrive. Together, these steps build the foundation of Jewish life and a vibrant Jewish future: Jewish camp is a proven pathway for identity, community, leadership, and growth — values that will be woven throughout the regional hub’s work.
FJC’s New England regional center builds on a longstanding partnership between FJC and CJP. Since 2008, CJP has partnered with FJC on its signature One Happy Camper® (OHC) program, which provides need-blind incentive grants for first-time campers. To date, FJC and its over 100 partners have awarded more than 130,000 OHC grants. This summer, CJP distributed over $900,000 in OHC grants and need-based scholarships, helping more than 400 new and returning campers experience the magic of Jewish camp.
“FJC is thrilled to partner with CJP to open our new regional center in New England, our first hub in collaboration with a federation,” said Jamie Simon, CEO of Foundation for Jewish Camp. “Regional centers boost participation in professional learning and grant opportunities, and bolster local philanthropic relationships to better support camps. Having a leader on the ground enables us to tailor support to local trends, pilot ideas, and scale what works across the field. We are also grateful for The Krupp Foundation’s commitment to making this vision possible.”
FJC’s regional model embeds local expertise and relationships to serve camps and communities more effectively. Since launching its first center in Los Angeles in 2019, FJC has expanded to the Midwest (Chicago) and Southeast (Atlanta), with each center tailored to its local ecosystem but united in convening stakeholders, strengthening staff, providing local funding to camps, offering advisory support, and inspiring families to send their kids to Jewish camp. The New England center will be FJC’s fourth, and will bring the organization’s approach to the region’s dozens of day and overnight camps.
CJP works to make camp more accessible for families and supports the professionals serving those families. The New England center will build on CJP’s OHC grants and scholarships, further ensuring that Jewish camp remains a valuable aspect of the teen community’s experience in Greater Boston. This initiative aligns with CJP’s broad commitment to meaningful, relevant, and joyful Judaism and Jewish Peoplehood.
“We are a community that is deeply committed to inspiring our future generations, and CJP has a longstanding commitment to young families and teens,” said Rabbi Marc Baker, CEO of CJP. “In this moment, our partnership with FJC will strengthen the power of Jewish camp as one of the most joyful and transformative expressions of Jewish life. This center will inspire, nurture, and empower the next generation of Jews in New England and beyond.”
As part of the new effort, The Krupp Foundation will provide additional support that helps launch the center and expands scholarships for New England overnight campers. This investment reflects a growing coalition of local partners who see Jewish camp as a powerful pathway for identity, community, and leadership.
“Jewish overnight camp offers something increasingly rare: a safe, immersive environment where young people build joyful, lasting connections to Jewish life,” said Douglas and Judi Krupp, founders and board members of The Krupp Foundation. The Krupp Foundation is proud to partner with FJC and CJP to ensure more children and families have access to this transformative experience.”
About Foundation for Jewish Camp
FJC’s 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
About Combined Jewish Philanthropies
Founded in 1895, Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) is Greater Boston’s Jewish Federation and was created with the purpose of building vibrant Jewish communities and igniting positive change at home, in Israel, and around the world. As a philanthropic organization driven by Jewish values, learning, and culture, CJP mobilizes communal philanthropy and provides grants, builds partnerships, and brings Greater Boston’s diverse Jewish community together. For more information, please visit www.cjp.org.
About The Krupp Foundation
The Krupp Foundation is a multigenerational family foundation based in Boston and New York. Guided by a deep commitment to the Jewish values of social justice, The Krupp Foundation supports organizations and leaders working to build and sustain vibrant, inclusive, and connected communities across three primary program areas: Environment, Education, and Jewish Life. While grounded in these core areas, The Krupp Foundation aspires to remain open and responsive to emerging needs and opportunities that may lay outside of its strategic priorities.
