Charitable youth ensure all kids can attend summer camp
In 2021, our Bar/Bat Mitzvah Funds reached a major milestone. Over $100,000 has been added to the JFM's Jewish Community Campership Fund from the annual distribution decisions of our Bar/Bat fundholders. The Campership Fund helps subsidize Jewish summer camping experiences for children of families facing economic challenges.
Bar/Bat Mitzvah fundholders choose where their distributions go to ensure that recipients are places they hold close to their hearts. This new significant milestone in distributions to the Jewish Community Campership Fund perfectly exemplifies that. Helping to support these camps so that others can share in their exciting summers is genuinely profound.
These distributions, directed by the fundholders, help the organizations in our Jewish and General communities continue providing their services that make our community what it is.
Since the Campership fund was established in 2011, Bar/Bat fundholders were given the opportunity to direct their distributions to it - and they responded over 1,200 times!
In addition, two prominent Jewish camps, B'nai Brith Jewish Community Camp and Camp Massad have also been consistent recipients of Bar/Bat Mitzvah Fund distributions.
These gifts speak volumes of the impact that summer camps have on the kids who go to them. From a young age, they realize the opportunity they had and the memories they made each summer and are actively helping others to have those same experiences.
Since the program's inception in 2002, Bar/Bat Mitzvah Funds have given weight to the vital theme of building for the future, and hundreds of organizations have received distributions from Bar/Bat Mitzvah Funds. The program offers an opportunity for young people to gain experience with endowment building and begin planning for their futures as philanthropists and charitable adults. The funds act as a way to teach young community members about the importance of tzedakah and tikkun olam, two essential concepts in Judaism.
When a child's fund reaches $750 by the time they reach age 15, the Nora & Davidz'' l Kaufman Bar/Bat Mitzvah Fund contributes an additional $250 to bring the fund to the $1,000 level. At this point, the fund becomes Designated and the fundholder is able to give us their annual decision of which organization or cause they would like to support. To date, the Nora & Davidz'' l Kaufman Bar/Bat Mitzvah Fund has contributed $71,000 to top up 284 Bar/Bat Mitzvah Endowment Funds.