Be a Part of a Life-Changing Summer at Camp Rising Sun
Camp Rising Sun is a full-scholarship leadership education program for participants from around the world. Each year, only 60 candidates are selected to attend Camp Risings Sun, from among hundreds of applicants from more than 30 countries!
During the course of the program, people who were once strangers find meaningful connections with each other, share unforgettable experiences, and along the way, learn more about themselves as leaders - and as people.
This summer, as we return to our in-person programming in Rhinebeck, New York, 60 campers will be joining us for an unforgettable summer. Your support is needed to help us make this the summer of a lifetime for our campers.
Please consider a donation today to fuel our program’s success and to create a more compassionate world that starts with the young people we serve. Share in the excitement of our incoming campers - read more below!
Your contribution today helps us provide transformational experiences at Camp Rising Sun!
Share in the excitement: Meet the 2022 cohort of campers
Hover over the photos below to read what are campers are most excited about this summer!
Amy appreciates LAJF's mission and value on diversity. She sees herself in the community and has high hopes that the camp will meet her needs and abilities.
Karina hopes to join CRS and find her community and others that resonate with aspects of her identity. CRS is a safe community for youth like Karina.
Annie hopes to learn how to be a better leader and role model. She is excited to apply what she learns this summer to the leadership of her community service team, First Step.
Carla feels that CRS will help her grow as a leader and person by allowing her to bond with more leaders with different backgrounds and diverse ideas. CRS believes youth can change the world, and she believes that too.
Noa is looking forward to getting to know other campers and creating an environment filled with knowledge and different points of view on the world we live in.
Daniela is enthusiastic about being a part of a unique experience that will broaden her minf and heart and help her gain more confidence in finding ways to bring value to her community.
Zoe Parrot from Livingston, New Jersey
“I think Rising Sun will help my skills with advocating for myself and my community. I want to attend Rising Sun because I believe that meeting with other, international students, as well as students of different race, sexuality, class, etc., will put my problem is perspective, as well as give me ideas on how to make a change, or at least call awareness to make change.”
You can be a part of Zoe’s summer at CRS - make a donation today!
Elina is excited to figure out what type of leader she is and how she can grow into a better one! CRS is an opportunity for her to learn about other cultures and more about herself.
Keira says that it would be an honor to meet other young adults from all over the world and is thrilled to have the opportunity to learn from their experiences and build forever friendships.
Ella is looking foward to being a part of the Camp Rising Sun community and its culture, having fun, and growing as a person.
Veera believes that Camp is a great way to learn independence and make new friends all around the world. She is thrilled at the possibility to hear people from different cultures and backgrounds and gain new perspectives on the world.
Maha is looking forward to sharing their culture with other campers at CRS as well as learning about the backgrounds/communities of others.
Sadie believes Camp Rising Sun will be a special experience and is excited to learn about and relate to her fellow camper's experiences and share her own with them.
Anna heard great things about CRS and is excited to learn about the differences among the campers joining.
Zhoujinyi sees CRS as a way to prioritize communication skills and how to engage with a wide variety of people around the world.
Eliana Kohl from Germany
“I want to broaden my horizon and meet many new people from other cultures. This became a major concern, especially during the pandemic, as opportunities to learn new things were limited. Encounters outside the family environment were hardly possible. That’s why I long for more: more cultures, more unknown, but above all more challenges.”
You can be a part of Eliana’s summer at CRS - make a donation today!
Heeyun admires how CRS provides opportunities to take on leadership roles and she is excited to learn how to become a well-rounded leader.
Helmi wants to gain knowledge and insight into different cultures.
Laila likes thinking about how kids her age live differently, in different places, speak other languages, and have different outlooks and ways of thinking. She is excited for the opportunity to be a part of the the CRS community.
Irene wants to grow and change as a person. She wants to become a better leader and believes that CRS will help her acheive those goals.
Angie is hopeful that CRS will teach her how to use her voice and build her strength to make a difference in the world.
Maxine is looking forward to making new friends and learning about their cultures. She hopes to share her knowledge and perspectives with them and widen her view of the world with the knowledge and perspectives of others.
Mira Wagabaza from Santa Monica, California
“I learned about Camp Rising Sun from Marni Gittleman, a close family friend. She told me about her father, Robert “Bob” Gittleman’s, positive and life-changing camp experiences and shared a speech he wrote in his eighties that reflected on his time at camp, ‘The camp stressed fostering an appreciation of both diversity and our common humanity. It stressed being true to ones self and to be respectful and to give back to family, community, country, and our precious earth’. This resonated with me and made me excited to apply.”
You can be a part of Mira’s summer at CRS - make a donation today!
Maria dreams of attending a program like Camp Rising Sun in the United States. She already considers camp to be a second home and is ready to learn and grow in the CRS community.
Silje looks forward to seeing how despite the differences between different cultures, there are similarities that can be shared amongst campers.
Paula is excited to be a new environment away from home and learn how to live away and work closely with others.
Karol shared her ethusaism of exploring other places outside of her normal personal spaces! CRS is a new place for Karol to step out of her comfort zone and collaborate with other youth.
Shloka is ready to prove to world wrong. She is excited to influence, be influenced, and make an impact with what she will learn at Camp Rising Sun this summer.
Vasiliki is excited to engage in lively discussions with individuals that share her interest in improving the world, educating herself, and learn more about the problems society faces.
Sigrid is excited to take chances and initiative. She hopes to grow a lot from being at camp and take what she's learned to make a change for equality in the world.
Torie believes that leaders need to learn how to lead and is ready to take on the challenges presented by CRS. She is excited for the opportunity to meet new people and teach/be taught by those with different experiences.
Julia Viteri from Pichincha, Ecuador
“Camp Rising Sun seems like a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people, grow my independence, learn about other cultures, and learn about myself. I expect an experience that I have never encountered before, with its respective challenges and successes. I want to meet new people and get to know their personalities, their dreams, their lifestyle and their culture.”
You can be a part of Juli’s summer at CRS - make a donation today!
Niki was influenced to join CRS because of her sister's participation. Niki is excited to develop her leadership skills and recieve a worthwhile experience.
Molly is looking forward to learn and grow by meeting people from different communitees and gaining a new perspective on the world.
Naomi thinks CRS is an incredible opportunity to develop worldwide friendships, broaden her perspectives, and be a part of a supportive commity of like-minded campers.
Megan Chan from Great Neck, New York
“I want to attend Camp Rising Sun because I believe it will truly change my life. This camp will give me the opportunity to meet people from diverse backgrounds and to gain a greater appreciation for different cultures from all over the world, which will help me get a stronger sense of the world and a stronger sense of self in the world as well. This knowledge will be useful for making more compassionate and informed decisions moving forward.”
You can be a part of Megan’s summer at CRS - make a donation today!
Help us change the world by inspiring the leaders of tomorrow
Your gift to LAJF and Camp Rising Sun provides:
$6,400 - Covers the full cost of Camp Rising Sun for one camper
$250 - Goes towards necessary repairs and upkeep of our campgrounds
$1,000 - Provides airfare to Camp for an international camper
$100 - Buys outdoor gear and equipment for camping activities
$500 - Tuition costs for one camper to attend our Virtual Intensive program
Any amount helps - Your gift will have a direct impact on our campers