2025 Impact Report
Dear Friend,
As we reflect on 2025 — our 100th year — we are struck by how Camp Tawonga remains a profound antidote to many of the challenges our community is navigating.
We are raising children and building community in a time weighed down by an epidemic of loneliness, rising antisemitism, increasing mental health challenges, endless screen time, and growing divisions in our country and world.
Families and individuals continue to seek connection, belonging, and joy. For a century, Tawonga has delivered – and will continue delivering – this timeless mission.
This past year, Tawonga provided a joyful refuge in the face of antisemitism. Tawongans of all ages unplugged from screens and reconnected with nature, friendship, and themselves. They built resilience and character by taking healthy risks, discovering their own strength, and celebrating differences. Most importantly, they experienced true belonging and acceptance — and felt the wonder and awe of being part of something larger than themselves.
Across our 2025 summer programs, family camps, adult retreats, and Bay Area offerings, more than 5,000 meaningful Tawonga experiences came to life — each one a moment of connection.
From a vibrant summer season marked by the launch of our new Garden Kitchen, to a 100th Anniversary Celebration that brought generations together, this year honored both our legacy and our strength going forward.
Perhaps the impact is best captured in the words of one parent:
“Our son had what he says was the best week of his life, and has come home a calmer, friendlier, happier version of himself. He had a tough year at school last year, and this week at Tawonga was the perfect dose of joy and community that he was needing.”
That transformation — from isolation to connection, from stress to steadiness — is the result of a century-long commitment to nurturing the whole child.
Thank you for being part of this sacred community and for helping launch Tawonga into its next century as a refuge of resilience, belonging, and Jewish joy. We invite you to celebrate this year’s impact and join us in shaping the next chapter of Tawonga’s story.
Chief Executive Officer
Lena Brook
Tawonga Board President
🏕️ A Summer of Growth, Joy, and Resilience
Campers began arriving in early June ready to explore and grow in all the ways we know are possible at Camp. For some, it was completing their first backpacking trip; for others, it was performing in a talent show, leading shabbat blessings, or cooking up a new recipe in our Garden Kitchen. In fact, 96% of parents reported Tawonga created an environment that helped their child experience growth and try new things.
One camper, nervous before heading out on a hike, returned beaming: “Tell my mom I did it!” It was a quintessential Tawonga moment — when trying something perceived as hard becomes an opportunity for pride, belonging, and self-discovery. Camp continued to serve as a safe haven during a tumultuous year for the Jewish community: 98% of families said Tawonga created an inclusive and protective space free from antisemitism (Summation Research Group).
🌲 Miles of Adventure on Quest
“Adventure Quest is definitely one of the most magical nature experiences I have ever had.”
💙 Leading with Heart: Teen Leadership Institute
Our Teen Leadership Institute welcomed its largest cohort ever with 64 participants. Teens experienced meaningful, community-focused, service projects with Tivnu, where they constructed housing for the unhoused community in Portland, Oregon. Immersing in adventure and nature, teens also tried their hand at mountain biking, rock climbing, and river rafting!
🌈 From Generation to Generation: Specialists and Counselors In-Training
48 staff in-training, many of whom experienced Camp as children themselves, brought leadership, passion, deep care, and ruach (spirit) to Session 2! From facilitating creative programs to leading bedtime rituals, these teens truly embodied what it means to give an amazing Camp experience to the next generation. We can’t wait to have many of our SCITs on staff for summer 2026!
“As a CIT, I learned how to succeed in unique environments. But more importantly, I learned things about myself that could have only been learned in an environment like the SCIT program. It prepared me for the next steps in my life, fostered my independence, and solidified my identity.”
💫 Our Devoted Summer Staff
By deeply investing in skills training, community-building, and wellness, we equipped 274 summer staff (many of whom were campers themselves) with the tools to support campers in a year when connection, confidence, and Jewish joy were needed and more important than ever. 60% of our summer staff had worked previous summers. Tawonga was proud to have five Cornerstone Fellowship participants this summer — a leadership role for standout counselors of 2+ years through the Foundation for Jewish Camp. We also welcomed 19 international staff members from five different countries, including 11 shlichim from Israel! Our international staff enrich camp life by bringing diverse cultures, perspectives, and traditions that help campers grow in empathy, inclusivity, and appreciation for the wider world.
“Working as a counselor, I have experienced so much growth within myself… Tawonga fosters an inclusive and intentional community which is upheld by the staff and cascades down onto the campers making it such a special place for everyone.”
☀️Family Bonds Built Outdoors
In 2025, nearly 2,000 people participated in our weekend programs that ran from April through December — immersive experiences of reconnecting, celebrating, and building Jewish community in all forms.
Across all weekends, participants shared how deeply they felt buoyed by the staff, appreciated being unplugged and immersed in nature, and experienced the values that guide our programs.
One parent captured the spirit beautifully:
“Family Camp was the perfect blend of running amok like an 80s kid while also being held by Jewish values. My son finally saw what it could be like to be a Tawonga camper.”
As one participant reflected, “It was home in a way I hadn’t anticipated … a revelation of what is possible when Jewish identity, multiracial life, and belonging meet under Tawonga’s grand trees.”
🌷Grown-Up Campers
Adult programs, including Women’s Weekend and Adults Unplugged (a centennial special), were proof that the Tawonga experience is meaningful at every age and stage.
This year, adult retreats incorporated new programming, including a Garden Kitchen Happy Hour and Dance Party, a book exchange, and a “Women’s Wall of Wisdom” where advice and messages were shared from participants across multiple generations.
“This Weekend is a beautiful experience where you are truly cared for and encouraged to just be a participant for the weekend. The food is delicious, the activities are thoughtful, the people are warm and lovely… Spiritual elements were beautiful and moving and will stay with me for a long time. I left feeling fulfilled and present within myself in a way I have not felt in many years.”
✡️ B*Mitzvah Magic
Our B*Mitzvah Program continued to thrive, offering a supportive, experiential pathway to the Jewish coming-of-age journey. Students learned prayers, explored Jewish values, and worked on mitzvah projects that connected them to their communities and the broader Jewish world.
“We are a multiracial and interfaith family. Thank you for making it possible and showing us that a non-traditional Bar Mitzvah can be completed. Camp Tawonga helps us connect to the Jewish community and honor our family’s traditions.”
🎵 Bay Area Big Camp Energy
Tawonga Family School brought families together to experience Jewish learning rooted in play, ritual, nature, and song. Classes focusing on Shabbat, Jewish food, holidays, and values gave children and their grown-ups a space to practice joyous Judaism as a family.
One parent shared, “Tawonga Family School has been an incredible opportunity for our family to learn together, connect, and get to know other Jewish families. It feels so good to be doing this as a family and we all feel more deeply connected to Judaism and the Jewish calendar.” Tawonga is committed to creating spaces that center Jewish families and people of color. In collaboration with our Bay Area partners, Tawonga hosted special Tot Shabbat sing-a-longs, Shabbat services, and a Chanukah celebration for our families of color, which drew over 120 attendees!
“It was wonderful to be surrounded by families like ours – even our 12-year-old loved seeing such a diverse group of Jewish families coming together to celebrate.”
🍎 Holy and Happy
“The Tawonga Erev Rosh Hashanah Celebration was such a thoughtful and beautiful service. We don’t belong to a synagogue, so it made attending services accessible to our family with our young kids. We loved feeling like part of the Jewish community!”
Our Kol Nidre service with 200 participants also offered a meaningful and reflective space for Tawongans to approach the new year with clarity and intention. One participant shared, “At a time when it’s difficult being Jewish, it was lovely being in a space with so many Jewish people who were praying and singing about love, friendship, Judaism, and peace.”
🎉 Shehecheyanu for 100 Years
This past March, 700 Tawongans gathered under one roof for our historic 100th Anniversary Celebration — an unforgettable evening! Alumni from every decade, families, donors, staff, and friends joined together to reflect on what Tawonga has meant to them and to invest in what Tawonga will mean for generations to come. The community collectively donated $1 million to support our beautiful site, invest in staff, and ensure that every child can experience the magic of Camp.
🎥 A Centennial on Screen
We premiered “Tawonga at 100: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future,” a video paying tribute to a century of joy, resilience, and community. This video, and the work that was put into creating it, serves as a reminder: the magic of Tawonga is not bound by time. It is carried forward by the people who love this community.
📖 Our Story: A Visual History of Tawonga at 100
This year, we also launched an immersive digital anniversary book, Almost Heaven: A Visual History of Tawonga at 100 — a pictorial and heartfelt narrative weaving together photographs, historical records, memories, and archival treasures that trace Tawonga’s origins and evolution over a century. Created with deep care, this book is a gift to our whole community, spanning topics from our early history and land, to music, songleading and the Tawonga kitchen.
Thanks to the generosity of Tawonga donors, 2025 marked the culmination of a decade of visionary capital improvements. Three major projects were completed, each significantly enhancing our capacity to deliver unique and exemplary programs aligned with our sustainability goals.
🍳What’s Cookin’ in the Garden Kitchen?
The Garden Kitchen opened to rave reviews — a hub for cooking, tasting, harvesting, and hands-on learning. Campers delighted in making fresh food from the expanded garden, and the space quickly became a favorite for creativity, connection, and farm-to-table exploration. Participants explored Jewish recipes from around the world within a culture rooted in sustainability and cooperative community.
In 2025, summer and weekend program attendees concocted challah, shakshuka, sushi, pickled vegetables, bourekas, scallion pancakes, boba tea, and more! (MMM that sure made us hungry)…
☀️ The Golden Triangle, Renatured
Opening night campfires, talent shows, and Havdalah services felt more vibrant than ever this year. This central area in Camp is one meant to foster gathering, eating, exploring, and learning — and in 2025, we did just that!
🔋Sunshine, Mitzvot, and Megawatts
Now fully operational, the Solar Array is offsetting a substantial portion of our energy use, dramatically reducing our carbon footprint and supporting Tawonga’s longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship.
In 2025, these panels generated 232 Megawatt-hours — enough electricity to power approximately 21 average U.S. homes for an entire year. This clean energy production also prevented roughly 164 metric tons of CO2 emissions — equivalent to taking about 36 gasoline-powered cars off the road for a year.
📊 2025 Operating Budget and Funding Sources
Tawonga’s annual budget of $10,521,830 reflects a stable and resilient organization, grounded in strong financial management and community investment. We are grateful for the many contributions that ensure camp remains vibrant, accessible, and impactful.
Program fees only cover about 75% of the full cost of the camper experience. Fundraising makes it possible for Tawonga to continually innovate our programming, award financial assistance, and maintain our beautiful 160-acre site.
🫶 Camperships
Many families count on financial assistance to help make Tawonga possible, and we’re committed to lowering the barriers so more people can experience the magic of Camp. This past year, campership support opened the door for 450 families.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Camp Tawonga. My family greatly appreciates this generous assistance – it makes an enormous difference in our lives.”
🌲 Institutional Donors and Community Partners
Our heartfelt appreciation goes out to the amazing individuals, families, and organizations who give so generously to Tawonga’s Annual Fund. We truly couldn’t do this work without you.
Thank you also to the following foundation donors and community partners who help make our programs possible:
💛 Legacy Giving
In honor of our centennial, we launched a special campaign to inspire new legacy commitments that will support and sustain Camp for generations to come. Thank you to our Legacy Society members who secure Camp’s future by including Tawonga in their will, trust, retirement account, or life insurance policy.
✨ Our Board of Directors
We are also deeply grateful to our dedicated and talented Board of Directors, whose vision, guidance, and commitment ensure Tawonga remains strong and healthy. Get to know our Board here.
♥️ In Closing
As we close out a landmark year, we are humbled by the dedication, generosity, and love that fuel Camp Tawonga. Every camper who found confidence, every family who felt belonging, every staff member who grew into a leader — these moments are made possible by you.
Thank you for believing in our mission, for supporting this community, and for helping us steward Tawonga into its second century. Together, we ensure that generations to come will continue to experience the Jewish joy, wonder, and grounding that only Tawonga can offer.
Shalom Chaverim – Peace Friends, We’ll See You Again!