By Taly Farber

It’s one of the best parts about the summer months at United Jewish Federation – being able to help send local kids away to camp to make life-long memories through the One Happy Camper program.

A program of the Foundation for Jewish Camp and in partnership with local Jewish communities and Jewish overnight camps across North America, One Happy Camper provides need-blind grants of up to $1,000 to families with children attending nonprofit, mission-driven, Jewish overnight camp for the first time.

Thanks to a gift from UJF and together with One Happy Camper, over the past three years UJF has sent approximately 25 campers to Jewish overnight camps.

One Happy Camper is available to children who are first-time campers and do not attend Jewish day schools, with the perspective that Jewish camp will allow children to explore who they are and who they want to become. During the camp experience, Jewish and Israeli culture is celebrated through song, food, art, and dance, while camp staff use experiential learning to reveal what makes Jewish religion and culture so unique in today’s world.

To learn more about One Happy Camper, eligibility, and the 155 camps that participate in the program, visit www.jewishcamp.org/one-happy-camper or email Taly Farber at taly@ujf.org.