JCamp 180 Awards

JCamp 180 awards are presented to individuals who demonstrate outstanding achievements in the leading of Jewish camps throughout North America.

The following are the award recipients since the awards began in 2010.

JCamp 180 Outstanding Philanthropist Award


The JCamp 180 Outstanding Philanthropist Award is presented to the individual or individuals who have made significant financial contributions to nonprofit Jewish camp, and therefore have made these organizations more vibrant, competitive and sustainable.

Prior recipients of this award are:

2021: The Leslie Family, Camp Tawonga
2020: All the parents who donated to nonprofit Jewish Camp in 2020 
2019: Julie Platt, Board Chair, Foundation for Jewish Camp & Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles; Former Board Chair, Camp Ramah in California
2018: Azrieli Foundation (Toronto, ON)
2017: Gary Weiss, Camp Stone
2016: Gretchen Gross, Camp Centerland (JCC of Greater Buffalo)
2015: Francine Lavin Weaver, Camp Ramah in the Rockies
2014: Ed Samiljan, Camp Mountain Chai
2013: Paula and Jerry Gottesman, MetroWest (NJ) Camps
2012: Reuben Bar-Yadin, Camp Young Judaea Texas
2011: Alan Franco, URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp
2010: Messinger Family, URJ Camps Eisner & Crane Lake, URJ Camp Newman, and Camp JRF

JCamp 180 Board Leadership Award


The JCamp 180 Outstanding Board Leadership Award is given each year to the individual camp board member who has used his or her leadership to significantly improve their organization's board governance, fundraising, and strategic planning. The recipient shall have shown consistent leadership in guiding the board toward achieving its goals, and made an important and ongoing impact on a Jewish summer camp's long-term vitality and sustainability.

Note: in 2020 and 2021, this award was given in recognition of a camp board or committee whose leadership has produced significant improvement in a camp’s governance, fundraising, and strategic planning. The board will have demonstrated leadership in achieving its goals and/or responding and adapting to the current challenges, resulting in an important and enduring impact on a Jewish summer camp’s long-term vitality and sustainability.

Prior recipients of this award are:

2021: Entire Camp Northland-B'nai Brith Board
2020: Entire Camp Ben Frankel Board
2019: Andrew Kaplan, Camp Havaya/Camp Havaya Arts
2018: Justine Schreyer Lewin, Camp Alonim
2017: Janice Brumer, URJ Camp Kalsman
2016: Michele Burger, Camp Judaea
2015: Judy Spatz, Camp JRF
2014: Liz Bar-El, Habonim Dror Camp Gilboa
2013: Arnold Harris, Camp Ramah in Wisconsin
2012: Daryl Messinger, URJ Camp Newman
2011: Irving Potter, BB Camp Oregon
2010: Efrat Levy, Camp Shomria, N.Y.

JCamp 180 Culture of Philanthropy Award

The JCamp 180 Culture of Philanthropy Award recognizes an organization that has made the transformational change to embrace a Culture of Philanthropy. A Culture of Philanthropy exists when organization-wide attitudes, actions, and structures reflect an understanding, respect, and responsibility for philanthropy’s role in the success of camp. This commitment is reflected in four ways:
  • Culture of Philanthropy is Integral to the Mission
  • Everyone Shares some Responsibility for a Culture of Philanthropy
  • Building and Maintaining Deep Donor Partnerships
  • Community Engagement
A culture of philanthropy enables a camp to be driven by a vision steeped in abundance knowing that resource scarcity will not be a barrier to achieving their most ambitious mission-based goals.

Prior recipients of this award are:

2021: Camp Ramah in the Poconos
2020: Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh; Emma Kaufmann Camp
2019: Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center (Milwaukee, WI); Steve & Shari Sadek Family Camp Interlaken; Albert & Ann Deshur Rainbow Day Camp

JCamp 180 Camp Professionals Field Leadership Award

The first-ever JCamp 180 Camp Professionals Field Leadership Award honors the professional team at an organization whose leadership made an important and ongoing impact to the short-term vitality and long-term sustainability of nonprofit Jewish summer camps. The team will have adapted to the difficult circumstances of this year and shown leadership in the field of Jewish camp through the sharing of knowledge, tools and resources. 

Prior recipients of this award are:

2021: Ontario Jewish Camps and UJA Federation of Greater Toronto
2020: Eden Village Camp

JCamp 180 Outstanding Development Professional Award


The JCamp 180 Outstanding Development Professional Award is given each year to the camp development professional who has made a significant impact on a Jewish summer camp's long-term vitality and sustainability through increased cultivation, solicitation, and/or stewardship efforts. The award winner should represent the highest values of the fundraising profession and the Jewish value of tzedakah.

Prior recipients of this award are:

2021: No award given in this category in 2021
2020: No award given in this category in 2020
2019: Tracey Klapow, URJ Camp Newman
2018: Sharon Rosenfeld, Ramah Darom
2017: Marsha Rothpan, Shalom Institute/Camp JCA Shalom
2016: Jef Nobbe, Camp Solomon Schechter
2015: Deena Lockman, Tamarack Camps
2014: Harriet Rothman, Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center (Camp Interlaken)
2013: Corey Cutler, URJ Eisner and Crane Lake Camps
2012: Ellen Alexander, URJ Henry S Jacobs Camp
2011: Holly Guncheon, Herzl Camp
2010: Linda Hoffenberg, Camp Ramah Wisconsin

JCamp 180 Gail Littman Memorial Legacy Stewardship Award


The JCamp 180 Gail Littman Memorial Legacy stewardship award recognizes the camp that has demonstrated the best active stewardship of its legacy donors over the past year.  Presented for the first time in 2013, this award honors the memory of Gail Littman z'll of San Diego, CA, who was the inspiration and driving force behind the Camp Legacy program, and who tirelessly promoted the value of stewarding legacy donors to everyone who worked with her. 

Prior recipients of this award are:

2021: No award given in this category in 2021
2020: No award given in this category in 2020
2019: Beber Camp
2018: Camp Ramah in the Poconos
2017: Camp Ramah in Wisconsin
2016: B'nai B'rith Camp (Oregon)
2015: Steve and Shari Sadek Family Camp Interlaken
2014: URJ Camp Newman
2013: Surprise Lake Camp

JCamp 180 Impact in Technology Award


The Impact in Technology (or "IT") Award is given to a Jewish camp that has integrated the use of technology for internal effectiveness (donor database), improved communications and community-building (Social Media & eNewsletters), and/or fundraising. The use of technology must have been based on the strategic determination of specific goals and how the technology can help the camp reach them. Finally, organizations must realize that these tools offer incredible potential for engaging constituents and doing their work more effectively. Camps must try new technologies, measure the results of their efforts, and refine based on the goals they set.

Prior recipients of this award are:

2021: No award given in this category in 2021
2020: No award given in this category in 2020
2019: No award given in this category in 2019
2018: In the City Camp
2017: Camp Tawonga
2016: Eden Village Camp
2015: Camp Young Judaea - Texas
2014: Camp Solomon Schechter
2013: B'nai Brith Beber Camp
2012: URJ Camp George
2011: Camp Morasha
2010: Herzl Camp