It was a small decision with a huge impact.
In the early 1990s, Joshua Goldstein's parents sent him and his sisters to Camp Young Judaea Midwest in Waupaca, Wisc. They came from a small town in Michigan where they were among the only Jews. "Camp was where I learned to be Jewish," explained Goldstein, now living in Deerfield. "That's how I grew my Jewish identity, and figured out what I like to do."
When Goldstein's parents chose to send him and his siblings to Jewish sleepaway camp, they participated in a tradition long tied to lifelong Jewish engagement. According to 2024 research from the Jim Joseph Foundation, conducted in partnership with Rosov Consulting, adults between the ages of 25 and 35 report a strong association between spending time at Jewish overnight camp and "acquiring Jewish cultural building blocks." They also credited Jewish overnight camp with "personal growth they experienced, thanks to being given the space to explore."
While positive impact of Jewish sleepaway camp on Jewish identity and engagement is widely accepted in the community, the reasons behind the lasting influence are often intangible. One answer, however, is clear: the depth of friendships and community built at camp. During his time as a camper and counselor, Goldstein made lasting friendships, including a best friend who became the best man at his wedding.
"My camp friends are still my go-to friends," said Carrie Ross, an alumna of JCC Camp Chi in Lake Delton, Wisc. "When you live among these people all day, every day, for four [or] eight weeks--they become your family." Ross, a school social worker in Vernon Hills, has worked as a social worker at Camp Chi since 2019.
Michelle Farra's two children will attend Camp Chi next summer. The Evanston-based mom looks forward to the impact that their camp experience will have on their identities as Jewish adults.
"They're going to feel bonded with people in ways they never could have otherwise, had they not gone to an overnight camp and just a Jewish camp," she predicted. "That provides such a special opportunity for them to really become closer to their Judaism."
For Mollie Kramer, a Camp Young Judaea Midwest alumna in Wicker Park, friendships from camp are her "easy answer" in terms of what has impacted her long-term. She also cites her leadership experiences within camp, including becoming president of Camp Young Judaea Midwest, teaching her the ropes "on how to engage in Jewish leadership."
Campers aren't the only ones benefiting from the experience. Natalie Blitt, Skokie-based author and family-story archivist, stresses the important social role that counselors--themselves often camp alumni--play in their campers' lives. As Rosh Mercaz--head of programming--at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, Blitt educates and guides bunk counselors.
"The kids look to their counselors as role models," she said. "What does it mean to go to college? What does it mean to have a connection to Israel? When your counselors are talking about what personally connects with them in an integrated way, it's a completely different experience."
"It's so powerful, from a Jewish perspective," added Ali Grange of Lakeview. Her two older children attend Camp Moshava in Wild Rose, Wisc. Grange describes the galvanizing influence of an exciting, fun "world within a world" of camp. Seeing teens excited about Torah and prayer gives campers "a different viewpoint than sitting in shul with all grown-ups, and having to be quiet, but here they're singing and jumping and have all this cheer," Grange explained.
Recognizing the many Jewish engagement benefits of Jewish sleepaway camp, JUF has been a pioneer in helping families send their children for the first time. JUF founded the One Happy Camper initiative 15 years ago, offering need-blind incentive grants of up to $1,500 for children attending nonprofit, Jewish overnight camp for the first time for 19 days or longer.
Jewish sleepaway camp makes an investment in its campers long after the summer is over, said Aaron Hadley, Executive Director of Camp Ben Frankel and Chair of the Midwest Jewish Camp Directors. "Every summer, I watch campers discover confidence, kindness, and a deep sense of belonging," he said. "Jewish camp doesn't just create great summers, it creates grounded, compassionate Jewish leaders."
Julie Sugar is a Chicago-based writer and editor, whose work has appeared in outlets such as Lilith Magazine, The Forward, Kveller, and Jewish Review of Books.
