“The most important thing I learned last summer is that Jewish things can be fun if I just pay attention to them,” said Sam Nass, 12.
Sam received a $1,000 grant from THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore and The Foundation for Jewish Camp to attend Camp JRF (Jewish Reconstructionist Federation) last summer. He said he loved discovering how much he had in common with other Jewish kids.
Sam was among over 100 Jewish youth from the Baltimore area who applied and received money towards a first summer of 19 days or more at Jewish overnight camp. The program, a partnership between THE ASSOCIATED and FJC, aims to increase the likelihood that Jewish students will select the richness and warmth of Jewish overnight camp over a secular option. This year, the partnership is offering 100 new $1,000 incentive grants and $750 each to campers who received money last year and want to return to Jewish camp for a second summer.
Sam will be going back.
“I’m still in touch with all the friends I made there,” he said. “I don’t have a lot of Jewish friends at [Roland Park Middle School]. My JRF friends are Jewish, so we have even more in common.”
Alex Lerner, 15, and Hannah Levin, 9, had experiences similarly stimulating to Sam’s. Alex said being at Capital Camps, his first all-Jewish experience, he felt a lot of camaraderie with his peers.
“It was amazing, just waking up every morning and not being afraid to daven [pray] and being thought of as weird. It felt welcoming to know I was part of a Jewish community -- instead of hearing it, I was experiencing it,” he said.
Hannah and Sophie Lachow, 11, both who attended Camp Louise, said they connected with their Judaism through Shabbat.
“We had Shabbat services every week at camp and I really liked the environment,” Sophie said.
Said Hannah, “Shabbat at camp made me feel special.”
Aryeh Berman, 8, spent his first summer away from home at Camp HASC (Hebrew Academy for Special Children). Aryeh has severe disabilities and though he comes from a traditional Jewish household, he cannot attend Jewish school or join his peers for Jewish activities. Mom Ruth said the summer was a much-needed respite for her and her family, but also knowing that Aryeh was in a positive Jewish environment, “meant a lot.”
For Aryeh, said Mrs. Berman, the summer was about growth and independence. She said he built close relationships with the counselors and other staff, who continue to call and interact with him and to be supportive of the family. Mrs. Berman noted that if had her family not received the $1,000 incentive grant, they would have been unable to send Aryeh to sleep away camp. She is hoping this year’s $750 grant will make a second year possible.
All those interviewed said they, too, gained a lot from their overnight camping experiences, well beyond their new-found comfort with being Jewish.
Hannah met a peer from China. She also learned the importance of taking responsibility for herself. Alex became inspired to try out for a youth soccer league in Israel this summer. Aryeh connected to new types of music. Sophie learned to hike.
“It was just super awesome,” Sophie said. “Am I going back? Definitely!”
Learn more about THE ASSOCIATED Baltimore Campership Program.
APPLY for a Campership Incentive Grant now!
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