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CAMPS HOLD STEADY, LOOK TO IMPROVE ONLINE PRESENCE: Some 500 representatives of 112 camps met Sunday and Monday in Jersey City, N.J., for the biannual conference of the Foundation for Jewish Camp. The Jewish camping industry experienced a huge boon over the past decade. Yet a year ago many camps had serious concerns that the growth could recede with the stumbling economy. In speaking with a number of camp officials at the Westin Hotel along the waterfront, however, the sentiment seemed to be that the worst has past and camps by and large were able to hold steady. Historically, according to FJC chairman Skip Vichness, camps have suffered greatly in economic crises. Yet that did not happen this go-round, he said, even though the latest recession appeared to be much deeper than some in the past. While past recessions have seen about a 10 percent drop in enrollment in Jewish overnight camps, this time the numbers were steady: Campership grew from 43,000 11 years ago to about 70,000 in 2008, Vichness said, and the '08 number held last summer. Looking forward to the summer of 2010, the number should hold steady and perhaps grow, the camp foundation's new CEO, Jeremy Fingerman, told me. "Anecdotally, in talking with the camp directors, the overall the impression I had is they were pretty even with a year ago," Fingerman said. "A number of camps already have waiting lists. Other camps are close to being filled, though I think it ranges across the country. Camps in the Southeast, Southwest and West Coast are closer to being full. And I have a list of camps looking to do cabins expansion." The expansion could be helped with a new matching-grant program started by the FJC to help camps add cabins and increase capacity. Fingerman said he knows of at least a dozen camps that are ready to build new cabins. The steadiness of camp enrollment could be attributed in part to the millions of dollars that the FJC and the Jim Joseph Foundation have invested in supplying scholarship incentives to first-time campers in 30 communities. But in talking with those at the camps, it seems the bigger factor is that they were able to really focus over the past year. Most camps basically raise philanthropic money for two things -- capital projects and scholarships. Tuition pays for the actual running of the camps. Over the past 18 months, most camps have put on hold raising funds for capital improvements by and large and laser focused on raising money for scholarships, as the camps have seen a significant spike in parents who need financial aid. Donors have been receptive, it seems. For instance, Camp Ramah of the Berkshires at a recent dinner raised $325,000 for scholarships -- its most ever, according to development director Amy Glazer. It did so by focusing more on midrange donors of $300-$1,200 rather than large donors. Herrell Wittenstein, the director of camp services for B'nai B'rith International, said his organization was able to bring in $100,000 for scholarships for the several camps it runs -- about $40,000 more than in the past. Fingerman, a branding wizard at Campbell's Soup and Manischewitz before moving to the FJC this winter, has his own theory: He says much of the stability in camps has to do with the strength of the Jewish camp brand and the trust that parents have in it. "Trust today is expressed parent to parent, family to family, camper to friend," he said. "It is that word of mouth that is critical. So a positive experience is worth a tremendous amount. If you don't have a good experience, [you won't pass it on]." Still, much of the conference focused on how Jewish camps can move beyond simple word of mouth in terms of passing on and marketing that brand. The conference's keynote speaker was a brand wizard, and several sessions focused on social media and branding itself. Fingerman says camps have significant strides to make, especially in the realm of online marketing. "If you look at the online presence of the camps that we support and try to help and assist, while there is a range of capability we are not marketing to today's consumers and parents and kids in a way that is as effective as should be," he said. "If you look at some of the private [non-Jewish] camp Web sites, your jaw drops. I look at these Web sites and I say sign me up, I want to go to camp. They are great camps, but they are missing the Jewish neshama we try to support. "You look at those Web sites [of the Jewish camps], and look at how they are, they are static, not fresh. They are not active in communicating the strength of the brand." Back to top
TAKING THE PULSE OF REFORM DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORS: Last year was a difficult one for Reform synagogues, but the development directors at some of the country's congregations appear to be feeling optimistic and are looking toward recovery, according to several who took part in a conference in New York this week. Reform Synagogue Development Professionals is not a large group, with only about 25 development directors from the estimated 900 Reform congregations. But the 25 represent a pretty decent cross-section of the field. I spoke Wednesday with four of the participants -- Patsy Goodman of Temple Emanuel in Dallas; Robyn Cimbol of Temple Emanuel in Manhattan; Jann Blitz of Temple Emanuel in Birmingham, Ala.; and Maxine Lowy of Temple Oheb Shalom in Baltimore -- just after their most recent meeting (the group has been gathering annually since 2003). Each of them described 2008-09 as a year in which they had to lower expectations for their annual appeals and cut expenses, and one in which their congregations enacted program cuts, salary freezes and minor layoffs. New York's 3,000-member Temple Emanuel, for instance, reduced its annual appeal goal from $1.5 million in 2008-09 to $1.2 million in 2009-10 and saw a significant drop in its endowment. Oheb Shalom cut its goal from $275,000 last year to $250,000 this year. Meanwhile, last year marked the first time that Temple Emanuel in Dallas did not reach its fund-raising goal, falling about $50,000 short of the $725,000 standard it had set. At this time last year, each fund-raiser said, they had been bracing for the worst. Already they were grappling with membership attrition resulting from the deaths of older congregants. And with membership costs ranging from about $1,100 for an individual to upward of $2,200 for a family, synagogues were fearing that younger members would start to jump ship. But the worst never came, the development directors said. Temple Emanuel in New York "never saw the huge exodus from our synagogues we had anticipated," Cimbol said. "Especially with high unemployment in financial sectors, we anticipated that people would move out of the city or would spend diminished or no dues on synagogues. But we have not seen this in the Reform synagogues in New York." Each of the four directors has seen members cut back. Many who had held onto extra seats for the High Holidays that belonged to either deceased relatives or grown children who moved away have given them up. And they have had to reduce membership fees for many in financial distress. But other synagogue members stepped up to help fill the gaps, the directors said. All four said they expect to meet or surpass their fund-raising goals for this year, and they were able to take the last year to plan long term, trying to turn the recession into an opportunity to streamline and look forward with endowments and renewed efforts to cull legacy gifts. In New York, Temple Emanuel started a campaign to raise $2 million for its endowment -- and met the goal. "While we were distressed by the hit to our endowment, it was not as bad as we feared it would be," Cimbol said. "But the foundation board looked at the entire process as long term. We did not lose it all. We chose to look at it as a long-term process." Birmingham's Temple Emanuel used the recession to make the case to its donors that an endowment was necessary, said Blitz, who is also the chairwoman of the Reform development directors' group. "We used the year for rebuilding and strategic planning," she said. "We launched a fund-raising effort to build endowment for the future. Our annual dues from our 700 families were stable, but the endowment effort involved greater participation. We significantly grew our participation by 20 to 25 percent." But the key, they said, was that the synagogues did not panic and did not act rashly. They cut where they had to and tried to minimize the impact for their members. And most importantly they looked at the situation as an opportunity to foster the relationships they have with their congregants. By being there for them now, even when the donors may be in distress, the fund-raisers think they will make long-term gains once the economy fully recovers. "We feel very optimistic because we have weathered the storm and with the least amount of disruption to congregants," Lowy of Oheb Shalom said. "Their synagogues are still there for them. We are still giving pastoral support. We are still there for them. We have nurtured and supported our relationships. And we will be better positioned over the next few years to go after big gifts with confidence because we know it is a good relationship." Despite reducing its appeal goal from $275,000 to $250,000, Oheb Shalom already is at $300,000 with a significant chunk of the year to go. Back to top IN CONVERSION FIGHT, IMMIGRATION IS THE TICKET: Israelis again ruffled the feathers of the American Jewish community in the past week when several Knesset members suggested changes to the legal process for conversions to Judaism in Israel. The Yisrael Beiteinu party of Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman proposed a bill that would give municipal rabbis the right to perform conversions in Israel, which now is the strict domain of the Chief Rabbinate. On the surface it appears that the change could ease the conversion process, which critics say is under the control of increasingly rigid forces in the Orthodox world, much to the chagrin of Jews who seek a more pluralistic Israel. But in reality, the measure says that the municipal rabbis would have to be approved by the Chief Rabbinate. Further a provision in the bill states that non-Jews who visit Israel and then convert to Judaism are not eligible for automatic citizenship under the Law of Return. The provision is aimed at foreign workers, but the proposed change is a big no-no in the eyes of the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Jewish Federations of North America, prompting the agency's chairman, Natan Sharansky, to convene a meeting of federation officials and members of the Israeli parliament. The author of the bill, Knesset member David Rotem, appeared to back down somewhat on Monday, after meeting with Diaspora Jewish leaders led by Sharansky and Rebecca Caspi, the senior vice president of the Jewish Federations of North America, which had issued a statement strongly rejecting the proposal. Explaining that no law will be passed before the Knesset's Passover break, Rotem pledged to consult with Diaspora Jewry on issues involving conversion and assured the group that no future bill would affect the status of conversions outside of Israel. The New York Jewish Week and the Forward have similar overviews of the situation. Fundermentalist's take: Both newspapers delve pretty deeply into the religious matter at hand here: The Orthodox rabbinate in Israel is trying to keep control over "Who is a Jew?" and maintain Orthodoxy's near-total monopoly on state-sanctioned religious affairs, while most of mainstream Diaspora Jewry and most of the organized Jewish communal world want to see Israel recognize all denominations. "Part of the visceral reaction was that this was viewed as a slap in the face," said Rabbi Steven Wernick, executive vice president and CEO of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, in an interview with the Forward. "This had all the makings of an end run around pluralism." It's easy to see how the federation system, the Jewish Agency and the United Israel Appeal could join Reform and Conservative leaders in seeing this as a slap in the face on pluralism. But what gives them a right to demand a seat at the table is how this particular debate on pluralism ties into immigration. According to one high-up insider, the federation system, the Jewish Agency and the United Israel Appeal pay for 100 percent of all immigration to Israel and all initial absorption of new immigrants, and the State of Israel has an agreement with the Jewish Agency that it will make no changes to the status quo without the involvement of the quasi-governmental organization. In other words, the Diaspora is picking up the tab, saving the Israeli government $100 million or so a year, and now Knesset members want to change the rules of the game -- and started to do so in a way that circumvents the ground rules of the agreement under which the Diaspora foots that bill. "It's another nexus that actually demands our presence at the table," said another high-ranking insider. Back to top Daily Briefing reminder (why are you receiving this newsletter): JTA's Daily Briefing readers are joining us for several Fridays (and beyond, if they wish). On the flip side, Fundermentalist readers should feel free to sign up for JTA's Daily Briefing by clicking the link at the bottom of this e-mail to update your profile. Back to top LOOSE CHANGE - Adam Kredo at the Washington Jewish Week gets into some of the nuance involved in William Daroff's tweets -- and the controversy they can stir.
- Despite signs of an economic recovery, some 700 out-of-work Jews recently showed up for a job fair in New York, The N.Y. Jewish Week reports.
- Chabad has caused a stir by moving an outpost into the upscale Israeli secular suburb of Ramat Aviv, Tablet reports in this podcast.
- The Jewish Museum of Maryland just turned 50, according to The Baltimore Jewish Times.
- The CEO of Jewish Funds for Justice, Simon Greer, asks what the Tea Party could do for you in a post on JSpot.
- The Wall Street Journal's Wealth Report asks if billionaires really need generosity coaches.
- How does your nonprofit salary match up with the norms found in this survey by nonprofitstaffing.com?
- About half of the countries small and medium-sized foundations will cut their spending in 2010 according to a new report, says the Foundation Center.
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GRANTS - The Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland has given $60,000 to the Birthright Israel Foundation to slash the city's waitlist for Birthright Israel trips. The one-time gift will leverage a Birthright Israel dollar-for-dollar match to send approximately 40 Jewish young adults from Cleveland together on a Birthright Israel bus this summer. Birthright Israel has taken more than 2,100 Jewish young adults from greater Cleveland on trips in the 10 years since the program's inception, but some 58 percent of applicants have been left behind each year. This winter, Birthright Israel was able to accommodate 79 of the 261 Cleveland applicants -- just over 30 percent.
- The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee has announced that it will give $100,000 to ProDev to start 10 temporary schools for children in Port-au-Prince who were displaced by the devastating earthquake in Haiti in January. The schools -- "Kay Timoun" (Children's Haven in Creole) -- will provide free education and a daily meal to 2,000 children aged 6-14. The curriculum will be based on a 60-40 divide between academic subjects and recreational activities including sports. Additionally, the Haitian schools will train and monitor teachers, university students and volunteers to help create a stable educational program for the displaced children.
- The estate of Isadore Gershman has given $1 million to The Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford. The estate of Gersman, who died in January at 85, is expected to give an additional $3 million distribution. The gift will be used to create an unrestricted community fund that will address a broad range of local causes and enable the foundation to respond to the community's most pressing needs, according to The Hartford Business Journal.
- Using a $1 million anonymous gift, Muhlenberg College will break ground April 25 on a new Hillel House that will involve a major renovation and expansion of its existing Hillel House. Muhlenberg, in Allentown, Pa., is the only small liberal arts college in America with a fully accredited Hillel Foundation. The college's Jewish population is the fifth highest in the country. Jewish students represent approximately 34.5 percent of the Muhlenberg student body.
Back to top COMINGS AND GOINGS
- The Board of Trustees of Touro College and Touro University appointed Alan Kadish as president and chief executive officer and Rabbi Doniel Lander, the son of recently deceased Touro founder Rabbi Dr. Bernard Lander, to the position of chancellor. In succeeding Lander, Kadish becomes only the second president in Touro's history. The senior Lander founded Touro 40 years ago and led the institution through tremendous growth. The younger Lander is dean of the Institute for Advanced Talmudic Studies at Yeshivas Ohr Hachaim in Queens, N.Y., a position he will continue to hold.
- The Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, Va., named Samuel Asher as its new CEO. Asher will assume the post on May 1. Most recently, Asher served as executive vice president of the Jewish Federation of Delaware, where he spearheaded a $23 million capital campaign to build and renovate space for all of the federation's local beneficiary agencies.
- The UJA-Federation of New York has nominated Jerry Levin for president and Alisa Doctoroff for board chair. The board will vote June 10, and the new leaders' terms are slated to begin July 1. Levin and Doctoroff will serve for three years. Levin is currently board chair of UJA-Federation. Doctoroff currently chairs UJA-Federation's Commission on Jewish Identity and Renewal.
Back to top OPPORTUNITIES - The Orthodox Union's Pepa and Rabbi Joseph Karasick Department of Synagogue Services launched a comprehensive survey for presidents of OU member synagogues throughout North America, with the goal of obtaining information about which programs synagogue presidents desire; areas where help or advice is needed; and areas of expertise, so presidents might mentor each other and educate them on their particular skills. The survey is available here.
- The UJA Federation of Chicago has launched its area Jewish Community Survey. The results help planners, agencies, congregations, communal organizations and others assess the Chicago Jewish community's changing make-up and needs, and guide the innovation and distribution of services for the next decade. For more information, click here.
Back to top ANNOUNCEMENTS WANTED: Send us your grants, send us your announcements, send us your RFPs -- all to Fundermentalist@jta.org. Back to top | 
