Kohn Fund for Jewish Camping

“In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.” – Albert Camus

Those of us who have had the privilege and joy of experiencing Jewish camping, or perhaps have lived it vicariously through the eyes of our children, know what an incredible gift it is. Jewish camping supports children’s growth as they form unbreakable bonds with their peers, find Jewish role models in their counselors, develop leadership skills, take risks, gain independence, cultivate a love of Israel, learn Hebrew songs and prayers, and form deep connections in a peaceful, screen-free environment.

Our long-time and beloved congregant Paula Scharf Kohn truly understood the value of Jewish camping and the critical role it can play in shaping a person’s Jewish identity. She spent many summers at Cejwin Camps and Camp Ramah in the Berkshires. Many may remember her fondly as the camp nurse. In these most special spaces she built both spiritual connections to her Judaism, and life long friendships. She also sent her daughter, Rachel, to Camp Ramah for 13 summers.

Before Paula passed away in 2017, she had the vision and generosity to create The Kohn Fund for Jewish Camping to encourage and incentivize WJC families who send their kids to Jewish sleepaway camp. Paula’s daughter Rachel is proud to roll out The Kohn Fund for Jewish Camping for WJC families for the summer of 2024.

Applicants who are current members of WJC are eligible to receive a one-time stipend of $1000 towards their child’s 2024 Jewish sleepaway camp tuition. This scholarship is completely needs-blind and is open to anyone in the congregation. If you are applying for multiple children in your family, please fill out a separate application for each child, with the understanding that we are trying to serve as many families as possible and we will determine our abilities once we see the total applicant pool.

Applications will be reviewed in the order in which they are received, with a deadline of March 1st. If you would like more information or have questions that are specific to your family, please reach out to Sarah Rosenwasser at sarahrosenwasser@gmail.com

Please apply here