Photo credit: Adobestock/Arthur Mansavage
Summer camps are an integral part of the Jewish experience growing up for kids around the country growing up and the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia is working to support non-profit camps in Pennsylvania.
The Federation lent support to 13 camps across the area during their most recent fiscal year with everything from scholarships to grant writing for security purposes. The goal is to give Jewish kids an experience that helps build and strengthen their Jewish identities.
“Jewish summer camp is really one of the most powerful tools we have for building strong Jewish identity and pride and connection. I know that personally, I went to Jewish overnight camp for my entire childhood. I went to Camp Harlem, and it really gave me my entire Jewish identity,” said Sarah Solomon, the chief development officer at the Federation.
Solomon said a summer camp experience increases the likelihood that a child will stay engaged with the Jewish community into adulthood. Supporting the camps, she said, is investing in the community’s future.
“Camp is one of the only places that creates a 24/7 immersive environment where Jewish values and friendships and confidence are built in ways that last a lifetime,” Solomon said.
Kelly Romirowsky, the chief strategy and impact officer at the Federation, explained that the organization partners with the Foundation for Jewish Camp to support the camps, including with the foundation’s One Happy Camper Incentive Grant Program.
That program is a need-blind grant that can provide up to $1,500 for a child’s first-time experience at a Jewish overnight camp.
Romirowsky said that the Federation also provides security assessments, trainings, and a grant writer to help the camps to access state- and federal-level security funding, an important initiative given rising antisemitism.
The final major way the Federation supports the camps is through community-based camp scholarships.
Romirowsky said that in fiscal year 2024-25, Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia gave scholarship money to more than 40 day and overnight camps in the Greater Philadelphia area and beyond.
Getting that scholarship money can make the difference between a family sending their kid to a Jewish summer camp or making other arrangements for them during the summer break.
“The average camp cost rose 11% at day camps and 2% at overnight camps last year. But just to give you a sense, a full summer for day camp can cost about $5,600 and overnight camp, we’re talking $12,500. So, more and more families are requesting scholarship assistance,” Romirowsky said.
She explained that the Federation has given out around $2.4 million in scholarships over the last four years, in addition to security funding and training aimed at protecting over 12,000 campers and staff each year.
Solomon added that the Federation can maintain and expand their support for the camps through donors and community partners that work with the Federation and camps to make everything possible.
Solomon said that Jewish summer camp is where she made lifelong friends with whom she shared a common experience. Now those friends are raising their own children and working to pass down that Jewish identity to them.
Both Solomon and Romirowsky emphasized their pride in being able to support the Jewish camps and pass along the experiences that were so meaningful to them.
“I’m definitely very proud of the way we invest in all of our nonprofits. But in particular, camp is a priority for us in making it as affordable as possible and safe,” Romirowksy said. “I want there to be full capacity for these camps and our institutions to give the best experience possible. But I really care that it’s affordable, because in this day and age, it costs a lot to be Jewish, whether it’s keeping kosher or belonging to a synagogue or signing your kids up for different events. It costs a lot to raise your kids Jewish, and there’s an extra price tag on that.”
“We are able to make camp possible for so many families, especially ones in difficult situations. It’s something we’re so proud of, and at a time when being Jewish can feel really challenging. Camp reminds our kids that Judaism is joyful and it’s something to be proud of. Supporting camp isn’t just about one summer. We really believe deeply that it is the future of our Jewish people,” Solomon added.
