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In This Issue:
An Exciting Announcement and Sincere Thanks
Meet the 2026 CRS & TELE Campers at Our Global Alumni Assembly!
Ring by Ring: Last Call to Represent Your Year
Estate Planning 101 Webinar: Your Legacy, Your Way
Upcoming Events
An Exciting Announcement and Sincere Thanks
As we near the end of September, I wanted to express my heartfelt gratitude to our community. Thanks to the generosity of our alumni, families, and friends, and the hard work of our staff and board, we have reached our fundraising goal for this fiscal year, which ends on September 30th!
Thank you so much to all who have answered our calls over the past year. Whether you made your annual gift or gave to campaigns like Ring By Ring, told a friend about the importance of our work, volunteered at an event, or simply shared the Rising Sun spirit wherever you are, you played a part in making this possible.
It’s because of the generous support of our community that we can continue to serve future leaders each year, deepen the CRS and TELE experiences, and reach participants from even more regions across the world. In many ways, this collective effort reflects what Camp has always taught us: that we can achieve so much more when we come together, bringing our unique strengths and perspectives toward a shared purpose.
I feel so proud to be a part of this community. This summer, a first-year camper shared that his Leaders Day, when a camper plans and leads the day for everyone at Camp, hadn't gone as planned. He was frustrated, but even more, he was moved by how the other campers rallied to help bring his vision to life. I had nearly the same experience in my own first year as a Camp Leader, and it reminded me that the lessons that matter most at Camp are often the ones we learn together.
It has also been especially meaningful, during our monthly Career & Community Connections series, to see the genuine exchange between alumni who attended CRS decades ago and those whose experiences are newer. I look forward to continuing to create spaces where these intergenerational connections can thrive. You’ll see the invitation forOctober’sAnnual Global Alumni Assembly in this issue, and I hope you will join us.
Let’s keep building together. Reaching our goal is a milestone, not a finish line. As we look ahead toward Camp Rising Sun's 100th anniversary, every gift helps us build something lasting. If you haven't yetmade your gift this year, there's still time: gifts made by September 30 count toward this fiscal year, and your participation matters as much as the amount.
With deep gratitude, Barry Fulton Executive Director, LAJF
Meet the 2026 CRS and TELE Campers at Our Global Alumni Assembly on Oct. 4
What are 2026 CRS and TELE campers taking home from their experiences, and what comes next?
Join us for our Annual Global Alumni Assembly on Sunday, October 4, as our newest alumni share their favorite memories, reflections, and hopes for carrying what they’ve learned into their communities.
This gathering is also a chance for alumni of all generations to reconnect, exchange perspectives, and celebrate the experiences and relationships that continue to bring our global community together.
Whether you attended Camp this summer or decades ago, we hope you’ll join the conversation and help welcome our newest cohort!
Global Alumni Assembly Sunday, October 4 | 10:30am ET Virtual | Free to attend
The countdown is on! Our Ring by Ring alumni participation campaign wraps up on September 30, and there's still time to make sure your Camp year is part of the story.
Alumni across generations have already stepped up to honor their CRS and TELE experiences, and the friendly competition between Camp years is heating up! Check out our latest leaderboard below. Don't see your year represented? Rally your campmates, reconnect with your cohort, and make a gift to put your year on the map.
Every gift counts toward participation, no matter the amount. Let's see how many years we can bring together before the campaign closes!
Which Camp years are leading?
Alums from 36 different years have added their ring! Here is the full list:
Estate Planning 101 Webinar: Your Legacy, Your Way
October is a great time to think about estate planning with National Estate Planning Awareness Week in the third week of the month. We're inviting our community to join us for a free webinar on the basics of making a will!
Whether you've never thought about estate planning or simply haven't gotten around to it, this session will help you understand the essentials, ask questions, and feel more confident about taking the next steps. No legal background required!
Meet Our Presenter: George L. Bischof
George brings over 30 years of legal experience to this conversation. A graduate of Yale Law School with an LL.M. in Taxation from NYU, he founded The Wills & Trusts Firm to make estate planning more accessible and straightforward. We're grateful to George for generously volunteering his time and expertise to our alumni community.
Join us for an informative, approachable conversation about planning for the future.
Estate Planning 101 Webinar Thursday, October 15 | 1:00-2:00pm ET Virtual | Free to attend
Open September Board Meeting Saturday, September 26 | 9:00am-12:00pm ET | Virtual Join the Zoom Meeting Here
Our community is invited to tune in to our September Board Meeting via Zoom. You can access the Zoom meeting by clicking the link above at the time of the event.
Annual Global Alumni Assembly 2026 Sunday, October 4 | 10:30am ET | Virtual Register Here
Hear the stories of our newest alumni from the 2026 sessions of Camp Rising Sun and The Ethical Leadership Experience, and gather with CRS and TELE alums of all generations!
Members of our community are invited to apply to join the Program Committee, which is a volunteer advisory group that helps shape the design and direction of our programs. Reach out to our Director of Programs, Jenn Zanger, for more information. Further details will be shared soon.
Estate Planning 101 Webinar Thursday, October 15 | 1:00-2:00pm ET | Virtual Register Here
Join LAJF and attorney George L. Bischof for an informational webinar about estate planning.
Career & Community Connections: Law, Justice & Human Rights Wednesday, October 21 | 9:00-10:30am or 6:30-8:00pm ET | Virtual Register Here
Connect with fellow CRS & TELE alumni working in — or curious about — careers in law, justice, and human rights. Whether you’re exploring your path, early in your journey, or bringing years of experience, join us for a relaxed, virtual gathering featuring small-group conversations and light facilitation.
As always, these Zoom sessions are designed to be flexible — drop in for a few minutes, stay for the full time, or anything in between.
We hope you’ll join one (or both!) sessions to meet peers, exchange insights, and build cross-generational connections across the LAJF, CRS, and TELE communities.
The final Career & Community Connections gathering for the year will be in November:
—November 18: Healthcare & Public Health
Rising Sun NYC Fall Gathering Saturday, October 24 | 1:00pm ET | Location TBA Save the Date! Registration coming soon.
For our community members local to the NYC-area, we invite you to join us for an informal gathering in the city! This is a chance to welcome home our 2026 campers and hear about upcoming ways to stay connected.
Please save the date — location and more details will be shared soon!
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