Realizing a Vision of a Camp Environment Open to the Entire Community Year Round
Sitting in the Santa Rosa Mountains of Sonoma County is URJ Camp Newman, a Reform Jewish summer camp serving 3,500 adults and children for off-season retreats and 1,500 Jewish youth (grades 3 to 12) through its summer camp program. Every summer, these young Jews begin a journey of lifelong Jewish living and learning. They join a loving community where friendships thrive and self-esteem flourishes.
The Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund is proud to announce a $1 million grant in support of Camp Newman
The grant supports the camp's comprehensive $30 million campaign to conduct critical improvements to its infrastructure, housing and program space. With the new retreat center, Camp Newman will be able to serve upwards of 13,000 individuals a year. Including the Federation grant, Camp Newman has already raised $12 million. A state-of-the-art retreat center and a welcome and wellness center are envisioned to serve the entire Northern California Jewish community with innovative, immersive Jewish experiences.
New Campus Center Rendering
New Welcome and Wellness Center Rendering
Beyond the grant
Camp Newman worked with the Federation’s Capital Planning Committee to help hone their message, think through any challenge areas, and build bridges to supporters in the community that they might not otherwise have known. “Our endowment fund represents the legacy of hundreds of members of our community and exists to ensure a vibrant Jewish future. Given the vital role that camp plays in building a strong Jewish identity, Camp Newman is an essential part of the fabric of our community, and this grant will ensure that it remains so for generations to come,” said Jennifer Gorovitz, Federation CEO. Elements of the project include:
• Constructing a Campus Center as a hub for Camp Newman, tripling the number of retreat groups during an off-season that is currently booked to capacity. • Developing a Welcome and Wellness Center to provide on-site health care practitioners and social services. • Replacing core infrastructure, including electrical, wastewater treatment, plumbing, and other physical plant systems. (This stage has already been completed, with $5 million in funding coming from the Union for Reform Judaism.) • Build 16 new cabins to accommodate campers in the summer and retreat groups during the academic year.
New Cabin Rendering
The Campaign for Camp Newman is still in its early stages, with leadership-level gifts as the focus of campaign efforts. Camp Newman is seeking the involvement of the thousands of current and former campers, parents, and staff. For more detailed information about the project or campaign, please contact Advancement Director Ari Vared by e-mail or at (415) 392-7080. The entire project is being phased over several years, so that neither the off-season retreats nor the summer camp will be impacted. "Camp Newman is honored to receive this generous support from our Federation," said Daryl Messinger, Board Chair and along with her husband, Jim Heeger, a lead donor to the campaign. "It is wonderful to have the Federation as a partner in ensuring that everyone can be a beneficiary of the immersive magic of Camp."
