Last summer, Foundation for Jewish Camp announced a grant from the Jim Joseph and AVI CHAI Foundations for a pilot initiative to create senior experiential Jewish educator positions to be shared by nonprofit Jewish overnight camps and Jewish day or synagogue schools. The program, Nadiv, was designed with several goals: the first, to experiment with a new model that could enhance the quality of education at Jewish camps in a sustainable way. The second, to create a new model for year-round positions for trained and talented Jewish educators and the third, to model a new way to foster deeper collaboration between different kinds of institutions in the Jewish educational world. The selected camps, and schools, for pilot program partnerships have now been announced: Camp Mountain Chai (Angelus … Continue Reading
Foundation for Jewish Camp Surveys the Future
by Abigail Pickus Enrollment in nonprofit Jewish summer camps in North America is steadily increasing - and there are more innovative Jewish camping experiences than ever before, according to the recently released strategic plan of The Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC). In addition to surveying past years, the plan focuses on the strategic direction for the next five years (2011-2016) with the goals of increasing affordability; fostering greater connections between camps and Jewish schools, communities and synagogues; increasing awareness and creating innovative programming. “Jewish summer camp is higher on the communal list today across the country than ever before and a lot of that is because of the great work being done by local Federations and synagogues,” said Jeremy Fingerman, … Continue Reading
Russian-Jewish Canadian Camp Program is a Success
Ninety teenagers from Russian-speaking Jewish families in the Toronto area spent last week at Camp Gesher, located on Skootamata Lake, Ontario, attending J.Academy Camp. Operating for the second summer, J. Academy is the only sleepover camp program in Canada that is specifically geared to teens from Russian-speaking background families. Through a variety of informal educational and recreational experiences, the program encourages participants to explore their roots and to discover their place in Jewish civilization through the artistic prism. J. Academy offers its participants five areas of specialization: theater, dance, journalism, design and marketing. For the majority of the participants, J. Academy is their first experience with the culture of North American Jewish camps and with Jewish … Continue Reading
Foundation for Jewish Camp Receives Grant for Pilot Jewish Educator Program
The Foundation for Jewish Camp has received a $3.3 million grant from the Jim Joseph Foundation and AVI CHAI Foundation for a pilot initiative that will create senior experiential Jewish educator positions to be shared by nonprofit Jewish overnight camps and Jewish day or synagogue schools. This groundbreaking program, Nadiv, has several goals. The first is to experiment with a new model that could enhance the quality of education at Jewish camps in a sustainable way. The second objective is to create a new model for year-round positions for trained and talented Jewish educators and the third is to model a new way to foster deeper collaboration between different kinds of institutions in the Jewish educational world. Developed in partnership with the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), Nadiv will … Continue Reading
Foundation for Jewish Camp Convenes One Happy Camper Conference
Approximately 50 attendees, representing thirty federations and foundations from across North America participated in the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s continental One Happy Camper Conference in New York City on Thursday. The One Happy Camper program (OHC) is a need-blind cash grant that has, to date, allowed over 20,000 children in the U.S. and Canada to attend nonprofit Jewish overnight camp. OHC typically awards families $1000 if their child attends one of 150 camps for the first time. Occasionally there are grants available for families who continue to send their children to camp for a second and third time as well. Since 2006 when OHC began (fka Campership Incentive Program), FJC has been collaborating with organizations in order to match funds which are subsequently provided to … Continue Reading
Building a Sustainable Summer Camp
by Tamra L. Dollin Ever wonder what it takes to build a ‘green’ camp from the ground up? What does it mean to build in an environmentally sustainable way? How do you minimize your impact on the land while building a facility to comfortably house hundreds of campers and staff every year? In what way can the physical buildings reinforce the educational values being practiced at camp? Ramah in the Rockies is responsible for building up the magnificent 360 acre Rocky Mountain site which hosts Ramah Outdoor Adventure, a unique specialty camp (funded by the Foundation for Jewish Camp and the Jim Joseph Foundation) combining outdoor adventure and environmental awareness with vibrant Jewish living and learning. The core values of Ramah in the Rockies are: Limud (Learning), Etgar (Challenge), Yirah … Continue Reading
Jewish Summer Camp Rocks
The Foundation for Jewish Camp has released the first study focusing on the long-term impact of Jewish summer camp. For those of us with first-hand experience of the value added from summer camp experiences, the study, Camp Works, only reinforces what we've long known: Jewish summer camp not only works, but lays the groundwork for a more vibrant Jewish future - for the campers themselves, their families and the broader Jewish community. The study takes the next step by exploring the long-term effectiveness of overnight Jewish summer camp in instilling Jewish commitment and thereby Jewish engagement. As the report shows, the childhood camp experience has a significant impact - in some respects a highly substantial impact - on adult Jewish practices and commitments. And something that Jewish … Continue Reading
Rehab for the Smartphone
Bucking the trend of technology that allows people to tell everyone that they’ve checked into their local restaurant, cafe or bar, Reboot has developed a smartphone app that helps users “check out” of the internet altogether. The app ironically will use technology to shut down technology. Think of it as rehab for the smartphone. By using technology, the Sabbath Manifesto app is intended to spur a massive movement away from technology on the National Day of Unplugging, March 4-5, 2011 and beyond, and a return to the values inherent in a modern day of rest: reconnecting with family, friends and the world around them. The inverse of tools like FourSquare that allow you to check into a venue or location and notify friends where you are, the new Sabbath Manifesto app, for the iPhone, Android, … Continue Reading
It’s Camp Time!
Despite the continuing financial struggles of many families, nonprofit Jewish overnight camps are filling up. As in 2009, camps are projecting a flat or increased enrollment over last year. Yet, over the next two months, tens of thousands of kids will be attending 160 Jewish camps across North America. Camps are also doing all they can to ensure that every parent is able to send their child to camp. This includes providing an increased number of scholarships, payment plans, discounts for siblings sent to camp together, and “early bird specials.” These camps continue to present a premium product at a great value. The Foundation for Jewish Camp will shortly be releasing preliminary findings of a major new research initiative which serves to advance the understanding of nonprofit Jewish … Continue Reading
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