Dear Friends,

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead, American cultural anthropologist

As 2021 comes to a close, I have been reflecting on these words from American anthropologist, Margaret Mead. This quote makes me think of the incredible global community that we have built here at LAJF and Camp Rising Sun (CRS). Our community includes over 6,000 CRS alumni, family members, and friends, who all care about creating a more compassionate and peaceful world.

It only takes one person with a vision to create a ripple effect of change that extends far beyond just them. Through our program, CRS alumni are the ones causing these ripples of change to spread out across the globe. They take the skills and knowledge they learn from Camp and when they return home they are able to transform their communities, near and far, through leadership, activism, and partnership with those around them.

Thank YOU for being a part of our community and for making it possible for us to continue to bring our programs to promising young leaders from around the world. With your support, this past summer we were able to serve 104 youth from various countries through our new Virtual Camp Rising Sun (VCRS) and Virtual Intensives programs! We can’t wait for this upcoming camp season in summer 2022, where we will get to host our in-person Camp Rising Sun program alongside our new virtual offerings for the first time. The addition of VCRS and the Virtual Intensives is helping us to reach even more participants and broaden access to the benefits of our program. Your support has ensured that our programs can grow and expand in this way.

Looking ahead to 2022, I feel inspired by what I see for the future of LAJF and Camp Rising Sun, knowing that you will be there with us. Along the lines of Margaret Mead's wise words — we must not doubt that we have the power to change the world.

Today, continue to be a part of this change and make a donation to LAJF and Camp Rising Sun. By supporting our work, you are investing in the next generation of leaders — change-makers — who are reimagining the world as we know it, for the better. I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together in 2022.


With immense gratitude,

Helene Mattera

LAJF Executive Director