The Campership program, supported by UJA-Federation of New York's Commission on Jewish Identity and Renewal, the Foundation for Jewish Camping, and Jewish Communal Fund, aims to strengthen and build Jewish identity by attracting new campers who are not getting daily exposure to Judaism, and who might otherwise choose a secular summer program, to Jewish sleepaway camps. In 2007, Campership provided 300 first- and second-time campers with subsidies of up to $1,250 per child to help children in the New York metropolitan area attend Jewish sleepaway camps. In 2008, the program plans to offer the same assistance to 600 children.
We are no longer taking Campership applications for summer 2008. Please check back in fall 2008 for information on Camperships for summer 2009.
Get the answers to some frequently asked questions about the Campership program and a list of participating synagogues below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this program for?
Campership is designed to attract new campers between the ages of 8 and 16 (as of June 1st) to Jewish sleepaway camps, regardless of financial need. Although the huge impact of camp on Jewish youth has been proven time and again, less than 10 percent of camp-age Jewish children attend Jewish summer camp, and about 18 percent of available beds at Jewish camps remain unfilled every summer.
Campers must reside in New York City or Nassau, Suffolk, or Westchester counties and enroll in a session of three weeks or longer at a residential camp listed on the Foundation for Jewish Camping website. Since the program is meant to strengthen Jewish identity in children who do not get daily exposure to Judaism, program participants must attend a secular or non-Jewish school.
How can I find an approved camp?
A list of approved camps is available at www.jewishcamping.org. You can also call the Foundation for Jewish Camping at 1.646.278.4500.
How can I get a Campership application?
Applications are available through the offices of participating congregations. Please note that Campership applications for summer 2008 are no longer being accepted. Check back in fall 2008 for information on Camperships for summer 2009.
What if I'm not a member of a synagogue?
This program is open to synagogue members and nonmembers alike, although campers must obtain an application from one of the participating synagogues and have it signed by the rabbi to receive a Campership stipend. Each participating congregation may determine its own criteria for selecting applicants to support. To find a participating synagogue in your area, please see the list below.
Can a camper who already signed up for camp apply?
This program is intended for campers who signed up for camp on or after Friday, February 1, 2008. However, campers who originally signed up for less than three weeks of camp and decide now or over the course of the summer to extend their time at camp to three weeks or longer may apply retroactively when they make the decision to extend their camp time. Please be aware that last year all available Camperships were taken by July.
How much is the stipend?
Two stipend levels are available: children attending a Jewish camp for the first time for a session of three weeks or longer will receive $1,250, and those attending camp for the second time for a session of three weeks or longer will receive stipends of $750. If the total camp cost is less than these amounts, the stipend covers the cost of camp.
How are Camperships awarded, and how many are available?
Campership stipends are awarded on a first-come-first-served basis through the synagogues listed below.
Where does the money come from, and how does it get to the camps?
The program is supported by UJA-Federation of New York, the Foundation for Jewish Camping, and the Jewish Communal Fund. After a camper's application is received and approved, checks are sent directly to the camp.
My child does not qualify for Campership. What can I do?
- Check out www.jewishcamping.org/scholarships for a list of other Jewish camp scholarships.
- Discuss financial aid opportunities with the director of the camp to which you wish to send your child. Many camps allocate funds for scholarships.
- Contact your local Jewish community center about scholarships for Jewish children in your area. To find contact information for community centers in our network of beneficiary agencies, visit www.ujafedny.org/agencies.
What if I still have more questions?
For administrative questions, please contact info@campership.net; for more information about the Campership program, contact campership@ujafedny.org.
Participating Synagogues
Bet Am Shalom Synagogue, White Plains
Bet Torah, Mount Kisco
Beth El Synagogue, New Rochelle
Brotherhood Synagogue, Manhattan
Commack Jewish Center, Commack
Community Reform Temple, Westbury
Community Synagogue, Rye
Congregation Beth Emeth, Hewlett
Congregation B'nai Avraham, Brooklyn
Congregation B'nai Yisrael, Armonk
Congregation Emanu-El of Westchester, Rye
Congregation Kehilat Jeshurun, Manhattan
Congregation Machane Chodosh, Forest Hills
Congregation Or Zarua, Manhattan
Congregation Sons of Israel, Briarcliff Manor
Congregation Tiferes Israel, Port Chester
Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale, Bronx
East Meadow Jewish Center, East Meadow
Greenburgh Hebrew Center, Dobbs Ferry
Huntington Jewish Center, Huntington
Khal Nachlas Avos, Richmond Hill
Merrick Jewish Center, Congregation Ohr Torah, Merrick
North Country Reform Temple-Ner Tamid, Glen Cove
North Shore Synagogue, Syosset
Oceanside Jewish Center, Oceanside
Park Slope Jewish Center, Brooklyn
Riverdale Temple, Bronx
Sephardic Jewish Congregation of Queens, Forest Hills
Shaarei Tikvah, The Scarsdale Conservative Congregation, Scarsdale
Shelter Rock Jewish Center, Roslyn
Sinai Free Synagogue, Mount Vernon
Society for the Advancement of Judaism (SAJ), New York
The Suburban Temple, Wantagh
Temple Avodah, Oceanside
Temple Beth El, Huntington
Temple Beth El of Great Neck, Great Neck
Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester, Chappaqua
Temple Chaverim, Plainview
Temple Isaiah, Stony Brook
Temple Isaiah of Great Neck, Great Neck
Temple Israel Center, White Plains
Temple Israel of City of New York, Manhattan
Temple Shaaray Tefila, Manhattan
The Village Temple, Manhattan
West End Synagogue, Manhattan
Westchester Jewish Center, Mamaroneck
