Project Campfire

Project Campfire is sponsored by Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation. Camperships for Jewish children in Rochester to attend Camp Seneca Lake for free.

Project Campfire | Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation Kindling the flame of Jewish engagement. Gather around the fire. Every summer has a story.

Ours begins with Max & Marian. Since our inception, all of us at the Farash Foundation have worked tirelessly to fulfill Max and Marian Farash’s vision of creating a thriving Jewish community here in Rochester. This vision aims to illuminate the potential of our community through meaningful grantmaking.

Today, we are thrilled to deepen that commitment with a new project that has the potential to impact every young Jewish person in the Rochester area. The Farash Foundation is launching Project Campfire, a groundbreaking initiative that will offer ‘camperships’ to Jewish children in Rochester, enabling them to attend Camp Seneca Lake (CSL) for free.

We are doing this to help young people foster lifelong connections to their Jewish identity. Jewish overnight summer camps have long been recognized as one of the most effective ways to strengthen the bond between young people and their Jewish heritage.

Jewish camping is about the energy—the ruach—the spirit that comes alive in a space where kids can proudly embrace their Jewish identity and experience our traditions in a welcoming and joyful environment. Camp Seneca Lake has been nurturing this spirit for nearly a century.

This is why we have been a long-time supporter of CSL, and why Project Campfire is focused on making this experience accessible to even more Jewish youth in the Rochester area. Project Campfire is open to any Jewish youth in rising grades three through ten who reside in Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, Livingston, Orleans, Genesee, or Yates Counties more than fifty percent of the time and attend school in one of those counties.

Qualifying campers will receive a ‘campership’ covering the full cost of one session at Camp Seneca Lake . Campers from outside the Rochester area can still apply for subsidies through the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s One Happy Camper program as well as need-based financial aid directly from Camp Seneca Lake.

The Farash Foundation will also continue supporting our Magic of Camp initiative , providing subsidies for Rochester children attending other Jewish overnight camps managed by the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester. The only commitment we ask of you is to pay the deposit to register your child for camp. Camp Seneca Lake will refund the deposit after camp concludes, or you may choose to donate your deposit back to camp.

The Farash Foundation has long been dedicated to investing in today’s youth. Young people represent the promise of our future and are essential to ensuring a thriving Jewish community for generations to come. Project Campfire will be an important new tool to make that investment go even further.

There is no separate application process for a Project Campfire campership. When you complete the Camp Seneca Lake application, simply indicate your address. The campership will be automatically applied if the camper resides in one of the included counties.

You will be required to pay the camp deposit to hold your camper’s spot, and, at the conclusion of the summer, you will be given the opportunity to have your deposit refunded or donated back to camp. To register for The Magic of Camp if your child is attending another Jewish sleep away camp, please click here . Camp Seneca Lake has served the Rochester Jewish community for nearly a century.

It has been a critical stop for generations of Rochester’s young people on their journeys to explore and form their Jewish identity. Why can’t I use my campership for a different camp?

While we continue to subsidize Rochester Jewish youth who choose other Jewish summer sleep-away camps through our Magic of Camp initiative managed by The Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester –Project Campfire is specifically focused on supporting a camp with a deep connection to the Rochester Jewish community and one to which our founders were connected. Is this just for summer 2025?

The Farash Foundation intends for Project Campfire to be a cornerstone of our work going forward. We will continue to evaluate the program in the years to come to maximize our ability to allow every young Jewish person who wishes to attend Camp Seneca Lake to do so in 2025 and in the years to come. Who decides if a child qualifies for a campership?

Camp Seneca Lake is responsible for the enrollment process. Any young Jewish person who lives in Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, Livingston, Orleans, Genesee, or Yates County and is accepted by the camp qualifies for a Project Campfire campership. Is there a maximum number of camperships available?

We are only limited by the camp’s capacity as determined by CSL leadership. What if I want to go for the whole summer? Project Campfire funds any one session at camp lasting up to one month.

A second session would be at the family’s expense. For senior campers participating in the seven-week Tuscarora village program, Project Campfire will fund the full length of that program. If my child gets a Project Campfire campership for the first session, can I get a Magic of Camp stipend for the second session?

No. Campers that have benefitted from Project Campfire support and attended a summer session at Camp Seneca Lake are ineligible for a Magic of Camp Stipend. Will Project Campfire cause so much demand that my child's spot at camp could be at risk? Camp Seneca Lake offers an early registration window for returning campers, ensuring that they are guaranteed a spot for the following summer as long as they register during that window.

Once new family enrollment opens, it will be up to Camp Seneca Lake to determine who is enrolled. The Farash Foundation does not play any role in the camp enrollment process. What if I don’t live in Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, Livingston, Orleans, Genesee, or Yates Counties?

The Foundation for Jewish Camp’s One Happy Camper initiative provides subsidies to Jewish youth to attend summer camp. Campers outside of these counties are also eligible for need-based financial aid directly from Camp Seneca Lake. What if I live in one of the included counties, but my child primarily lives with their other parent in a county not included?

Project Campfire is intended for campers who primarily reside in the Rochester area more than 50% of the time and attend school in the covered counties. My child’s grandparents live in one of the included counties. Does that count?

Project Campfire is intended for campers who primarily reside in the Rochester area more than 50% of the time and attend school in the covered counties. Are there any additional costs that families should be aware of? Project Campfire covers the cost of one session at Camp Seneca Lake.

However, the campership does not cover the camp gear your child will need to bring to camp. Additionally, you will be required to pay the camp deposit to hold your camper’s spot and, at the conclusion of the summer, will be given the opportunity to have your deposit refunded or donated to a camp fund. Can the campership be used for any session, or are there specific sessions it applies to?

The campership can be used for any one session at Camp Seneca Lake. What is the Farash Foundation’s definition of Jewish? Does patrilineal descent count?

The Farash Foundation supports a broad and diverse Jewish community. We ask that applicants self-identify as Jewish. The Farash Foundation has no intention of questioning anyone’s Jewish identity.

My child is not Jewish, but I want to send them to Camp Seneca Lake. Can they receive a campership? Project Campfire focuses on supporting the Jewish community and helping Jewish youth form their Jewish identity through a summer camp experience.

Therefore, for this initiative, the camper must identify as Jewish.