JEWISH RECONSTRUCTIONIST CAMPING CORPORATION
Be you, boldly
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Camp Havaya
Camp Havaya is all about the joy of summer camp with the freedom to be who you truly are. Our campers run, climb, swim, play, sing, dance, learn, pray, explore, and connect on 120 beautiful acres in the Poconos Mountains of Pennsylvania.
Havaya Israel
On Havaya Israel, teens hear personal stories, discuss issues from varying viewpoints, and visit sites that complicate the narrative. Along with all the fun of international travel with their peers, these unique opportunities make their connection to Israel – and to Judaism – all that more meaningful.
Where we work
External reviews

Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of families served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Due to COVID, we were unable to operate in-person during Summer 2020. 2018 and 2019 data includes a second site, which did not reopen after 2020.
Number of overall donors
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Havaya Summer Programs are all about the joy of summer camp with the freedom to be who you truly are. In our incredibly diverse and accepting communities, all kids—no matter their race, sexual orientation, gender identity, family structure, or Jewish background—are more than welcomed. They’re celebrated! We are Reconstructionist communities open to all, where campers are encouraged to explore traditions and today’s world to discover what being Jewish means to them. Their different experiences and perspectives are a big part of what makes our camps so amazing.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We’ve worked hard to make each of our Havaya Summer Programs a place where kids of different races, cultures, family compositions, and practices are not only included but welcomed.
At Camp Havaya, kids run, climb, swim, play, sing, dance, learn, pray, explore, and connect on 120 beautiful acres in the Poconos Mountains of Pennsylvania. Through immersive education, social interactions, and outdoor experiences, they have countless opportunities to become their best selves.
At Havaya Arts, campers use the arts as a point of entry and connection – both to the Jewish community and as a means of self-exploration. Guided by resident teaching artists, they dive deeply into visual arts, music, theater arts, and dance and movement, all with the goal of growing as intentional artists and amazing human beings.
On Havaya Israel, teens move past the history books and the news to explore real life in modern-day Israel. They hear personal stories, discuss issues from varying viewpoints, and visit sites that complicate the narrative. Along with all the fun of international travel with your peers, these unique opportunities make their connection to Israel – and to Judaism – all that more meaningful.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
With decades of experience meeting all kinds of needs and providing a safe and loving environment, our staff makes sure our campers have nothing to worry about except deciding what’s the most fun every day. Our year-round professional staff have more than 40 combined years of camp leadership experience; many of them are sought-after speakers on topics of child safety, diversity and inclusion, and immersive Jewish youth experiences.
Reconstructing Judaism has originated many of the core innovations within American Judaism and lead efforts to make our community even more forward-thinking, inclusive, and relevant. As the camps of the Reconstructionist movement, we bring these commitments to the next generation, creating an environment that embraces diverse experiences and beliefs while remaining distinctly—and strongly—Jewish.
In all we do, we partner with families, congregations, and like-minded organizations to learn, grow, and teach – and to amplify our impact.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Founded in 2002 as Camp JRF, we moved four years later to the Aaron and Marjorie Ziegelman Campus in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Over the course of nearly two decades, we grew from 39 campers to more than 400; opened a SARA National Design Award-winning Eco-Village for teen campers; went through a strategic organizational rebranding, including name change; and became known as one of the premier non-profit Jewish overnight camps in North America.
In 2017, we received a $1.4M grant from Foundation for Jewish Camp, funded by the Jim Joseph Foundation and AVI CHAI Foundation, to open Havaya Arts, one of the first exclusively arts-focused Jewish camps in North America.
For more than a decade, Havaya Israel has provided teens with opportunities to explore the intricacies of Israeli life, politics, religion, and culture. In 2019, we became one of the first groups in recent years to bring a group of American Jewish teens into Bethlehem and Tekoa – truly exposing them to varying narratives.
Havaya Summer Programs value all campers for who they are and inspire them to become the best version of themselves. In our camp communities, kids are encouraged to explore and celebrate their diverse perspectives and shared values. This passion for inclusion is core to our mission and vision for the future, and we are rightly recognized as a leader in this work. We look forward to continuing to lead the way in the years to come.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
JEWISH RECONSTRUCTIONIST CAMPING CORPORATION
Board of directorsas of 02/24/2022
Andrew Kaplan
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/24/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.