Welcome Home SUMMERS OF HAPPINESS
WELCOME HOME: SUMMERS OF HAPPINESS . Is it running through the welcome tunnel?
. Is it cheering louder then you ever could during Maccabiah? . Is it Shabbat Walk through the trees to the Chapel? FOR GENERATIONS OF CLEVELANDERS, Mandel JCC camps have shaped Jewish identity, built belonging, and developed leaders. At J-Day Camps and Camp Wise, campers don’t just attend, they find their summer home.
CAMP EXPERIENCES EXTEND FAR BEYOND THE SUMMER. Friendships, memorable moments and joy help campers carry Jewish values into adulthood, strengthening families and the broader Jewish community for years to come.
Blast from the past: Camp Wise welcome tunnel, 1990s
DAY CAMP IS WHERE JEWISH IDENTITY BEGINS, AND CAMP WISE IS WHERE IT DEEPENS. Together, they create a seamless journey of exploration and belonging.
WELCOME HOME: SUMMERS OF HAPPINESS will bring all J-Day Camps to the Mandel JCC campus in Beachwood so campers can enjoy high quality programming close to home. Updated facilities will allow campers to spend more time immersed in safe, nurturing Jewish camp experiences. We will also renew and strengthen Camp Wise as the Home of Happiness, ensuring it remains a place of growth, adventure, and Jewish connection where children discover who they are, where they belong, and how they matter, shaping Jewish leaders for decades to come. By investing in this campaign, we are not just building a better camp experience, we are building the foundation for lifelong Jewish connection.
FOR NEARLY 120 YEARS, CAMP WISE AND J-DAY CAMPS HAVE BEEN CREATING SUMMERS OF HAPPINESS THAT SHAPE JEWISH LIVES.
WHY JEWISH CAMP MATTERS
AT PERFORMING ARTS CAMP, CAMPERS STRETCH THEIR IMAGINATIONS, BUILD CONFIDENCE, FIND THEIR
Research consistently shows that Jewish camp is one of the most impactful experiences a young person can have. Campers develop confidence and skills in a safe environment where Jewish values are practiced every day. JEWISH CAMPERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO: • Feel deeply connected to the Jewish community • Build lasting Jewish friendships • Take on leadership roles in Jewish life • Create Jewish homes of their own
VOICES AND FORM LIFELONG FRIENDSHIPS.
Blasts from the past Performing Arts Camp, 2007
AT MANDEL JCC CAMPS: • J ewish rituals are lived, not just taught • Values like kindness, responsibility, respect, tolerance, and joy are practiced daily •C ampers leave with the confidence and skills to lead and contribute in the years ahead J-DAY CAMPS AND CAMP WISE ARE JEWISH HOMES WHERE LIFELONG BONDS ARE FORMED AND LEADERSHIP TAKES ROOT, LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR A STRONGER JEWISH FUTURE.
J-DAY CAMPS
TRANSFORMING THE DAY CAMP EXPERIENCE It is time to bring all J-Day Camps to the Mandel JCC campus, unifying our programs in a single location. This consolidation will allow campers to spend less time on buses and more time engaged in enriching Jewish experiences. Updated facilities create a foundation for exploration, creativity, and teamwork while advancing the broader goal of a year-round Jewish youth engagement. INVESTMENTS INCLUDE: • Climate-controlled Fieldhouse for year-round programming • Auditorium upgrades • Aquatics center • Arts center and adventure center • Open-air sports pavilion and home base pavilions (moadon)
Blasts from the past Anisfield Day Camp, 1991
WITH THIS INVESTMENT: • J-Day Camps will be the premier choice for families seeking joyful, values-driven camp close to home • Facilities will serve as platforms for growth, play, and Jewish learning • Campers will benefit from a cohesive, high-quality experience on a unified campus • Enrollment can expand to meet growing demand • Activities can flourish in updated, safe, and modern facilities • Year-round programming opportunities will be fully supported
IT IS TIME TO BRING ALL J-DAY CAMPS TO THE MANDEL JCC CAMPUS.
CAMP WISE
REIMAGINING THE OVERNIGHT EXPERIENCE
IMMEDIATE INVESTMENT IS ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE SAFETY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND LONG-TERM EXCELLENCE.
CAMP WISE IS AT A PIVOTAL MOMENT. The ruach (spirit) remains strong, but decades-old facilities must be renewed to meet today’s needs and serve future generations. Immediate investment is essential to ensure safety, sustainability, and long-term excellence. INVESTMENTS INCLUDE NEW: • Villages and cabins with in-unit bathrooms • Creative and performing arts center • Kosher dining hall and commercial kitchen • Open-air outdoor chapel • Aquatics center and waterfront improvements • Adventure zone and recreation spaces • Multipurpose program areas • Infrastructure upgrades, including connection to municipal water and sewer
Blast from the past: Shabbat at Camp Wise, 1960
WITH THIS INVESTMENT: •C amp Wise will continue to be the Home of Happiness for decades to come • F acilities will support high-quality Jewish overnight programming in a safe, modern environment •C ampers will experience a setting that fully supports growth, independence, and Jewish connection •C amper capacity can expand to welcome more children •P rogram innovation will be enabled by upgraded infrastructure • L ong-term sustainability will be secured for future generations
FROM SUMMER TO EVERY SEASON Beyond camps, this investment will benefit Mandel JCC members and the entire Jewish community throughout the year, establishing a 12-month Jewish youth engagement. The Fieldhouse will provide secure indoor gathering space for more than 1,000 people, creating a hub for athletics, youth, and community engagement.
The upgraded auditorium will host Playmakers Youth Theatre, the Cleveland Jewish film and book festivals, as well as community gatherings and performances. This will extend the impact of our camps beyond summer, keeping Jewish life vibrant throughout the year. Together, these year-round facilities anchor a continuous pathway from J-Day Camps to Camp Wise and beyond, keeping families engaged in Jewish life from childhood through teen years, turning summers into lifelong connection.
A LASTING INVESTMENT IN CLEVELAND’S JEWISH FUTURE MAKE A GENERATIONAL IMPACT. YOUR GIFT MAKES THIS ALL POSSIBLE:
. Ensuring Jewish children experience summers of happiness for decades to come
. A catalyst for enduring community impact and year-round Jewish engagement
Your gift will be multiplied 4:1 by the transformational matching gift of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Supporting Foundation – an extraordinary opportunity to reimagine
Blast from the past: On the lake at Camp Wise, 1960s Back cover: Left: Camp Wise 1980s, Right: Playland Day Camp, 1942
the Jewish camp experience in Cleveland for generations to come. Naming opportunities are available.
MISSION The Mandel Jewish Community Center of Cleveland builds, connects and strengthens our Jewish and Greater Cleveland communities through exceptional lifelong programs and services that reflect the richness of Jewish life and enhance physical, intellectual and spiritual well-being.
COMMITTEE Enid Rosenberg, Chair Rachel Glickman Rebecca Heller Ryan Levine Greg Marcus Bruce Rosenbaum Alan Semel Bradley Sherman Harvey Siegel
Scott Spiegle Rachel Weinberg Dan Zelman Jesse Rosen, President and CEO