Since I will be on sabbatical, I am writing this column in June shortly before my leave begins. Summer camp is well underway at Shalom Austin and both of our Texas overnight camps, Camp Young Judaea Texas and URJ Greene Family Camp, began their first session only a few days ago. Several other Jewish overnight camps across North America will begin in the coming weeks. Jewish immersive experiences, such as Jewish summer camps, both day and overnight, are critical to Jewish continuity, providing our youth and teens a sense of pride in their Jewish identities.    

For an increasing number of families in our community, affordability is a barrier to participation in these important experiences. For many years, we have provided scholarships to families that apply and qualify for our JCamps programs and have even increased the scholarship pool over the years as costs have increased. For the first time this year, Shalom Austin allocated funds raised from our unrestricted Annual Campaign to create a scholarship pool for Jewish overnight camps. Shalom Austin now offers $1,000 need-based scholarships for qualified Greater Austin residents who have enrolled in a Foundation for Jewish Camp overnight summer camp in North America (jewishcamp.org/families/find-a-camp/). By joining our partner synagogues and camps who have provided scholarships for many years, we believe we can adequately address the affordability gap.    

While our leadership remains committed to allocating funds from our unrestricted Annual Campaign, we are working with our stakeholder community to establish a robust endowment at the Shalom Austin Jewish Foundation to ensure that sufficient funds exist in perpetuity to support every Jewish family who wants to attend Foundation for Jewish Camp overnight summer camp in North America. Similarly, we hope to grow and create new funds for other immersive experiences, such as teen trips to Israel and teen leadership development programs through BBYO and other Jewish youth groups.   

As summer concludes and you read this column, we begin our second year of ShinShinim as we welcome Ariella Goldstein and Eyal Butbul to our community. The ShinShinim program is the “year of service program” that offers Israeli high school graduates an opportunity to delay mandatory service in the Israel Defense Forces and serve Diaspora communities for up to 10 months. Ariella and Eyal will spend time in many of our Jewish institutions throughout Greater Austin. We thank our generous investors of this program including our Jewish partner institutions.    

As we reflect on 5784 and turn toward 5785 in the coming weeks, our hearts continue to be with the people of Israel following the events of October 7. Next month, just days after Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, it will mark one year since October 7.  Our community will come together to commemorate this challenging moment in our history.  My prayer is that by the time this column is published all hostages are returned safely to their loved ones and that we have charted a pathway toward enduring peace in the region.    

Shanah Tovah, praying for a healthy, sweet and peaceful new year,  

Rabbi Daniel A. Septimus