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Dear LAJF Community,
As we step fully into this season of gratitude, I find myself reflecting on how fortunate we are to be part of a global community as generous, engaged, and inspiring as ours. I'm still basking in the glow of last month's 95th Anniversary Celebration in NYC, which was such a beautiful reminder of the power of gathering. It was an exemplification of what becomes possible when Rising Sun alums, families, and friends reconnect across generations and continents, and reaffirm our shared values.
In this spirit of appreciation, we are also looking ahead. Camper and staff applications for Summer 2026 are now open, thus marking the beginning of a new season of Camp Rising Sun!Each year, our community plays a vital role in identifying future leaders who carry curiosity, compassion, and a spark for positive change. We invite you to share this news widely within your networks so that the next generation of campers can find their way to CRS.
As we move through November, I hope each of us can take a moment to reflect on what compassionate and ethical leadership looks like in our own lives, and how we each can continue to model the values that have sustained this community for 95 years.
We're calling on YOU—our community—to help us prepare for the Summer 2026 Camp Rising Sun season. Here's what you can do to support the launch of a new year of CRS:
SHARE this news with the young people in your life. Do you know a young leader who would be perfect for CRS? Send them the link to apply.
APPLYto be a second year. If you already participated this past year, you might qualify to be able to apply for a second year at CRS.
APPLY as a Legacy Camper. Legacy Campers are campers whose parents or grandparents attended Camp Rising Sun. Each summer, we reserve several spots for Legacy Campers so that the tradition of ethical leadership can be passed on from one generation to the next. You can learn more on our website here. Email programs@lajf.org with any questions.
SPREAD THE WORD about CRSwith schools, organizations, and more. If you believe in the transformative power of Camp, please share widely with your networks and local communities. Reach out to programs@lajf.org if you would like to help us and we can share materials and resources with you.
We're looking for passionate and qualified candidates to join the Camp Rising Sun Summer Team! We are focused on building a strong team of dynamic people for the Summer 2026 sessions.
If this sounds like you, you can spend the season mentoring, teaching, and inspiring teenagers on our campus in Rhinebeck, New York. Our positions are competitive and those who are hired find it to be an incredibly rewarding work experience. You can also forward this to someone in your life who you think might be interested.
*Important deadline note for prospective international staff: We strongly encourage you to submit your staff application no later than December 31st to allow enough time for the visa process.
Save the date! Giving Tuesday is just around the corner on December 2, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to kick off the season of giving by supporting LAJF and our programs. As we continue celebrating 95 years of inspiring young leaders and also look ahead to Summer 2026, your generosity on this global day of giving makes a meaningful difference.
Gifts made on Giving Tuesday help set our team up for success as we enter a new program year: preparing for next summer, launching recruitment for CRS and TELE applicants, and supporting the selection process that brings remarkable young people into our community.
If CRS or TELE has shaped your life or the life of someone you love, we hope you’ll join us in lifting up the next generation of compassionate, ethical leaders.
While fall brings serenity to our Clinton and Red Hook campuses, it is not a time to rest for our Facilities Team, Cameron and Dalton. The off-season at Camp Rising Sun is time for spruce-up projects both large and small including raking leaves, collecting fallen branches, and winterizing the pool house, Wilhelmina, cabins and unused parts of the main building.
The team also took advantage of the mild weather to replace the roof on the Tent Hill pumphouse.
According to Cameron: “The roof was covered with moss and was quickly deteriorating. If we did not replace the roof, it would have started to leak and the water treatment system housed in the pumphouse would have been damaged.”
After several trips to the hardware store and many climbs up onto the roof, the rotting materials came down and a new roof is now in place to protect the water treatment system for many years to come! As Dalton noted, “by keeping improvements like the pumphouse roof in-house, we not only can ensure that projects are completed correctly, we save by not having to hire outside contractors.”
Big thanks to Cameron and Dalton for taking such expert care of our campuses year round!
Camp Rising Sun: In Memoriam 🌅
This corner of our newsletter serves as a place to celebrate the lives of CRS alumni and friends of LAJF who have passed. We will reflect on their impact, share memories, and acknowledge the lasting light they brought to our community. The warmth of their legacy will continue to shine brightly in the lives they touched. Please feel welcome to reach out to us by emailing alumni@lajf.org with any questions.
Helen Brodie Baldwin | Friend of LAJF and CRS
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Helen Brodie Baldwin, a cherished member of the Camp Rising Sun and Louis August Jonas Foundation family.
Helen played an important role in our community during the years when Camp Rising Sun was growing and expanding its reach. She gave her time and energy to the work of the Foundation, serving on committees and helping with camper selection and other New York-based activities. Through that work, she helped open the door for generations of young people to experience the life-changing summers that continue to define our program today.
Helen was also one of the first women to serve as a visible leader and role model in our community, at a time when many of our female alumnae were still in high school or college. Her example helped shape the inclusive and forward-looking spirit that remains at the heart of Camp Rising Sun.
Those who worked with Helen remember her as warm, wise, and deeply kind. She inspired confidence and connection wherever she went, and her contributions continue to echo through our work and our shared history.
Paulus Dipo Sanjoyo | CRS Counselor, 2010
Our heartfelt condolences are with the dear friends and family of Dipo Sanjoyo, who served as a Summer Counselor at CRS in 2010 and left a deep impact on many of the campers that year.
In the words of LAJF Executive Director, Barry Fulton:
"I had the privilege of working with Dipo at CRS. He was such a beautiful soul — gentle, friendly, and full of light. Dipo had a special way of seeing the humanity in everyone, and he brought so much joy to our community. I’ll always remember how he shared his love for the art of Batik with us."
Upcoming Alumni Meet & Greets
You’re invited to casual Regional Meet & Greets with Barry Fulton, Executive Director of LAJF, and fellow CRS/TELE alums. We’re excited to connect and hear what’s on your mind!
These are informal gatherings so come as you are. We’d love to see alumni, friends of alumni, and anyone in our community who wants to reconnect.
JOIN US IN BROOKLYN ON DECEMBER 1
Location: Sharlene’s Bar 353 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238 Date & Time: December 1, 6:30-8:30pm
Join the Communications Committee if you are interested in serving as a strategic and advisory partner to LAJF staff on all matters related to communications. The committee will help guide our communications strategy and messaging across various platforms.
We'd especially love to hear from you if you have professional or personal experience/expertise in communications, social media, PR, or related fields!
Applications for the Communications Committee will be open until the end of November.
Please reach out to us at alumni@lajf.org with your interest.
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