Vision
We believe in inclusive, innovative, and sustainable Jewish communities that enable self-fulfillment for all their members.
Mission
Szarvas Camp nurtures Jewish identity and belonging within a safe and celebratory educational environment. We cultivate Jewish literacy, leadership and the interconnectivity of young Jews and their communities worldwide.
Goals
- Building Jewish Identity: We nurture and strengthen the Jewish identity of campers and team members by immersing them in an environment that celebrates Jewish tradition, culture, history, and values. Camp programs are designed to help young Jews from diverse backgrounds to relate to their heritage, as well as to connect with their peers.
- Excelling in Jewish education: A cornerstone of our work is to provide high-quality, entertaining, and varied educational experiences rooted in informal educational methodologies. Camp programming is delivered with the help of qualified and knowledgeable professionals, ensuring that campers can further explore Judaism while also developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Developing leaders and communities: By nurturing the next generation of Jewish leaders, Szarvas Camp contributes to the development of vibrant Jewish communities. Profound and lifelong experiences in camp aim to inspire young people to be more engaged in their own communities and take on leadership or professional roles later in their life.
- Creating a safe and encouraging environment: The camp places a high priority on creating an environment where campers and team members can explore and express their Jewish identities and their true selves without fear or concern. This aspect of our approach is essential in enabling personal growth and exploration among the campers and team members.
- Fostering intercommunity relations: We create a pluralistic international environment that is based on understanding, dialogue, and collaboration. By bringing together Jewish youth from different countries and backgrounds, Szarvas Camp aims to contribute to an interconnected global Jewish community.
The camp is a joint program of JDC and the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) is the world’s leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organization. JDC works in more than 70 countries and in Israel to alleviate hunger and hardship, rescue Jews in danger, create lasting connections to Jewish life, and provide immediate relief and long-term development support for victims of natural and man-made disasters. For more information, please visit www.jdc.org
