Enrollment Up 40% Over Last Year – How CKids Overnight Camp Grants Are Turning Summertime Break (from Judaism) into Immersive, Fun Jewish Life 24/7

For thousands of Jewish children, the school year is filled with meaningful Jewish learning at their local Chabad Hebrew School and Afterschool programs. They celebrate the holidays, learn Torah, discover meaning in Jewish values, and build friendships that strengthen their identity from September through June.

Then summer arrives.

For many families, these months have traditionally meant stepping away from Jewish life and into secular overnight camps, where being Jewish often becomes just one small part of a child’s identity – if not something they feel compelled to conceal from their peers altogether. 

Nine months of growth, pride, connection, vibrancy – and then three months of radio silence in the Jewish life department.

But that reality is beginning to change.

In 2019, only 150 children attended CKids affiliated overnight camps. Last year, over 500 children enrolled – and this year, CKids overnight camps are seeing a nearly 40% increase over last year’s record enrollment, pushing the total to nearly 800 children from 17 states and 3 countries around the world.

This year’s dramatic jump in attendance is thanks to expanded scholarship funding made possible by generous philanthropic partners seeking to fuel the transformative power of immersive Jewish experiences, including Yitzchak Abehsera in memory of Miriam bat Fibi, Rabbi Shimon Margolin of California, and Mr. George and Mrs. Pamela Rohr. 

Special appreciation is extended to the many shluchim who participated in the funding initiative and to those who encouraged and inspired families to send their children. Their partnership has enabled hundreds of additional Jewish children to experience a summer that will shape their Jewish future.

Rabbi Mendy Cohen – California

Rabbi Yisroel Deren – Connecticut

Rabbi Yisrael Shmotkin – Wisconsin

Rabbi Yossi New – Georgia

Rabbi Meir Shimon Moscowitz – Illinois

Rabbi Tuvia Teldon – Long Island, New York

Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov – Michigan

Rabbi Chaim Bruk – Montana

Rabbi Mendy Herson – New Jersey

Rabbi Doron Aizenman – South Carolina

Rabbi Shimon Lazaroff – Texas

The growth reflects a broader shift taking place across Jewish philanthropy. “Increasingly, major funders recognize that while classroom education is essential, immersive Jewish experiences create unparalleled lasting impact,” explains Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Merkos 302 Director. “Camp is where Judaism is no longer something children study – it becomes something they live, in the most engaging and contagiously fun setting possible.”

For children who attend public school, Jewish overnight camp may be the only extended period all year when every meal is kosher, every friend shares their values, every activity reflects Jewish life, and Shabbos is experienced by an entire community. It is weeks of living Judaism rather than simply learning about it.

“This is such an important opportunity for Jewish children, especially for those growing up in remote places,” shares Rabbi Chaim Bruk, Co-CEO of Chabad Lubavitch of Montana. “CKids Gan Israel overnight camps are really bringing back the Rebbe’s original intention for Camp Gan Israel. Jewish children attending public schools need the immersive 24-7 Judaism you can only get at overnight camp – it was the Rebbe’s vision, and it’s incredible nachas to see these kids thriving from the experience.”

In many ways, overnight camp completes the Jewish calendar year. Chabad Hebrew Schools nurture children throughout the academic year, while Jewish summer camp reinforces and deepens that foundation during the months when those programs pause. Together, they create year-round Jewish engagement that strengthens identity and inspires lifelong connection.

For many campers, the experience is transformative.

Instead of spending the summer as the only Jewish child at camp, they become part of a vibrant Jewish community. Instead of feeling different, they feel they belong more than ever. The highlight of their year, the months every child dreams about all school year long, becomes unmistakably Jewish – a summer filled with friendships, adventure, Torah, mitzvos, and unforgettable memories.

While the scholarship initiative has fueled remarkable growth, the success belongs to the shluchim who have built these camps and work tirelessly to make them thrive:

Rabbi Levi and Chaya Plotkin – CKids Gan Israel Florida

Rabbi Avremi and Shaindy Shapiro – CKids Gan Israel Wisconsin

Rabbi Gershon and Devorah Sandler – CKids Gan Israel Poconos

Rabbi Yitzchok and Chana Steinmetz – L’Man Achai

Rabbi Yitzy and Mrs. Rochel Loewenthal – CKids Gan Israel Denmark

Rabbi Tzemmy and Mrs. Sophie Bassman – CKids Gan Israel Hungary

Each Gan Israel Overnight Camp is independently owned and operated by local shluchim who dedicate themselves to creating exceptional Jewish experiences for their communities. The grant initiative simply helps remove financial barriers, making it possible for many more families to say yes to Jewish overnight camp.

The initiative also showcases the extraordinary strength of the Chabad network. Across hundreds of communities around the globe, shluchim continue expanding access to meaningful Jewish education, ensuring that every family has opportunities to strengthen Jewish identity regardless of background or affiliation.

At a time when Jewish continuity has never been more important, investing in immersive Jewish experiences is investing in the future of the Jewish people.

For Rabbi Zalman Loewenthal, CKids Director, the camp grant’s pilot year has been a resounding success. “Every additional child who spends a summer living Judaism, celebrating Shabbos with friends, singing around a campfire, and discovering pride in being Jewish represents another stronger link in the chain of Jewish continuity,” he says.

And thanks to visionary supporters, dedicated shluchim, and the growing network of CKids Gan Israel overnight camps, that chain is becoming stronger than ever.