Summers at Jewish camp build strong Jewish identities. </strong> Much research has been done about the impact of Jewish camping on the formation of strong, positive Jewish identity.

In two studies by Jack Wertheimer[1], Jewish camping, along with Jewish Day School education and travel to Israel, was found to be an essential pillar in developing strong and lasting commitments to Jewish life for young people. Each of these pillars, along with supportive, involved families, participation in youth groups, and Hillel experiences on college campuses, reinforce one another.

Moreover, the collective array of national research has also pointed to some specific indicators on the impact of a Jewish camping experience on our youth and young adults. Within the literature lies broad-based evidence that summers at Jewish camp create adults who are committed to the Jewish community and engaged in Jewish life. As adults, former campers are:

• 45% more likely to attend synagogue monthly or more;
• 55% more likely to be very emotionally attached to Israel;
• 25% more likely to donate to a Jewish charity.

In Baltimore, there are 26,700 children living in Jewish households, with approximately 10,300 either currently or previously attending a summer camp with Jewish content.

Donor-investors are needed to participate in a collaborative process to significantly change the role of Jewish camping in our community. An investment of $10,000 over three years, totaling $30,000, over and above your Associated Annual Campaign gift, pooled with other funders and matched by an anonymous donor will allow us to allocate over $500,000 to make impactful, creative, and efficient changes in Jewish camping. Each funding family will be allowed two participants in the JCGC, with one preferably going to a next-generation family member.

[1] Linking the Silos: How to Accelerate the Momentum in Jewish Education Today (2005) and Generation of Change: How Leaders in their Twenties and Thirties are Reshaping American Jewish Life (2010).