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In This Issue:
95th Anniversary Gala Video Recap
CRS 2026 Application Reminders
Introducing Our Director of Advancement, Victoria Enriquez
Register for the RCN's Global Alumni Assembly Panel
Support the First-Ever Camper-Led Fundraiser
Board Applications are Now Open
Jan. 31 Deadline for John Litsios Scholarship
Cameron's Corner
In Memoriam
Upcoming Events
🎥 Watch: 95th Anniversary Gala Video
We’re excited to share the official video from our 95th Anniversary Gala, held at the TWA Hotel in New York City on October 25, 2025.
The evening was a beautiful celebration of Camp Rising Sun’s legacy, honoring Bill Dubey and Helene Mattera, and bringing together alumni and friends from across generations and continents.
✨ Relive the magic, or experience it for the first time on our YouTube.
Thank you to everyone who helped make this unforgettable milestone possible.
We are still accepting and reviewing applications for many regions across the world. Big thanks to the continued work of our selection committee volunteers who make so much of this possible! As always, community support is invaluable in connecting future leaders with CRS. See below for the ways in which you can take an active part in shaping next summer.
Share the application: If you have a young leader in your life who would be perfect for CRS, send them the link to apply.
Second Year Camper Applications: If you already participated this past year, you might qualify to be able to apply for a second year at CRS.
Legacy Camper Applications:Each summer, we reserve several spots for children and grandchildren of alumni so that the tradition of ethical leadership can be passed on. You can learn more on our website here.
Introducing LAJF's Director of Advancement: Victoria Enriquez
We’re pleased to share an exciting leadership update! Following a thoughtful internal process, Victoria Enriquez has been appointed as our new Director of Advancement.
Many in our community already know Victoria from her work as Advancement Manager, where she has brought professionalism, care, and deep commitment to the Rising Sun mission. In this expanded leadership role, Victoria will oversee all fundraising operations, lead advancement strategy, and partner closely with staff, board members, and our Ad Hoc Advancement Committee to strengthen LAJF’s impact and reach.
"In a world that can feel challenging and unpredictable, helping young people from diverse backgrounds grow, connect, learn from one another across cultures, and practice leadership feels like a tangible way to create positive impact." - Victoria
Victoria has quickly become an invaluable part of our community, and we are thrilled to see her step into this new chapter of leadership and service.
Read the full announcement and Victoria's personal message on our blog!
We are pleased to invite you to our Global Alumni Assembly Panel on Saturday, February 7th at 10:30am EST!
This panel will feature CRS alums Josh Thomases ('88), Naina Bhatia ('24), Julián Cancino ('03, '04), and Janyl Djusupova ('23) as they discuss Reimagining Education, bringing to the forefront shortcomings and inequalities present in today’s educational systems.
2025 Campers are Doing the First-Ever Camper-Led Fundraiser— Support Them!
A Message from the Recent Camper Network:
"At Camp Rising Sun, campers do not simply participate, they shape the community. Through deep conversations, shared responsibilities, and everyday moments of reflection, they learn by listening as much as by speaking. In an environment where adults step back to make room for growth, campers learn to trust themselves and one another. These lessons stay with them long after Camp ends.
Right now, a world-changing voice is being told “no”; not because of a lack of vision, but because of a plane ticket. While the powerful rely on borders and budgets to control who leads, we are building a space where leadership belongs to those brave enough to reimagine it.
As a part of the RCN Ambassadors - our fundraising team presents a new campaign where you can support future campers and help them with getting to the place for growth.
By contributing, you help make space for more voices, more connections, and more shared growth. You become part of the journey that brings campers together from around the world!"
Serving on the LAJF Board is a rewarding and wonderful way to give back to the Foundation. With service comes a significant commitment of time, energy, spirit, and resources as well as opportunities for professional and personal growth.
To read more about board directors responsibilities and the nomination process, please visit our website here. You can click the button below to complete the application. The deadline to apply for this round is February 15, 2026.
We’re currently accepting applications for the John Litsios Scholarship for the 2025–2026 academic year, until January 31! This is a special, off-cycle opportunity for CRS alumni and former staff who are current undergraduate or graduate students pursuing careers in the sciences.
This scholarship is open to students currently enrolled at a U.S. college or university (international and U.S. alumni welcome).
“As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind.” – Henry David Thoreau
Camp Rising Sun offers multiple pathways to help young people grow intellectually, emotionally, ethically, and globally. Just as our Program Team spends the off-season developing curricula that will provide effective pathways to this growth, Cameron and Dalton use the winter months to make sure that the Clinton campus’ physical pathways remain clear. It’s on these paths that campers take walks, explore nature, and find their way to the Council and Vigil areas. And it’s on these paths that campers find their own way of developing into compassionate and responsible leaders.
This month, our Facilities Team used a rented brush hog to clear out the trails. In just a few short months, foliage will once again start encroaching on the paths, but many footsteps will help maintain these paths on the earth – paths that help our campers and counselors expand their minds and their worlds.
We also wanted to give a huge THANK YOU to our board member, Hooman Yaghoobzadeh, and his wife, Deborah Melincoff, for their gift of a beautiful piano for our campers!
We can't wait for the Clinton campus to be filled with the sweet sounds of camper music and voices this summer. Everyone will surely enjoy it!
🌅 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.
John Reiner | CRS Alum ('51-'53, '56-'57)
Our deepest condolences and thoughts are with the family and friends of John Reiner, who was a lifelong altruist and dear member of our Rising Sun community.
Below is an excerpt from a eulogy about John, written by his son, Nicholas Reiner:
John Reiner was a pacifist and an altruist—not as labels, but as daily practices he lived. He embodied natural grace from origins that were anything but graceful.
His parents, Ellen and Paul, fled the Nazi invasion of Prague when he was 3. They left just in time. Half of John’s family was not as fortunate.
He had the pressure to “represent us well here in America” from the earliest age. Paul, his father, who had been a successful lawyer in Prague, had to learn English while reinventing himself as a lawyer in America. Ellen, his mother, was one of only three women in the New York Dermatological Society.
Altruism had always been present, but it found its language when, at fifteen, he attended Camp Rising Sun, in Red Hook, NY. Built on scholarship, selflessness, teamwork, and respect for the earth, the camp selected students from around the world based on character. John returned as a counselor and remained an integral part of Camp Rising Sun, and the Louis August Jonas Foundation, which continues to oversee the camp’s operation, throughout his life.
Upcoming Events
GLOBAL ALUMNI ASSEMBLY, REIMAGINING EDUCATION: FEBRUARY 7, 2026 Join our Recent Camper Network for a virtual assembly centered around the topic of "Reimagining Education". The event will take place Saturday, February 7 at 10:30am ET. Register here!
THE HELENE MATTERA WOMEN'S BRUNCH: FEBRUARY 28, 2026 We're looking forward to this annual event, taking place at Littlefield in Brooklyn on Saturday, February 28 from 11am-2pm.
This gathering is not only limited to CRS alumnae. We warmly welcome friends, partners, spouses, colleagues, and anyone you’d love to introduce to the spirit of Rising Sun. This is a space for all women and non-binary people who are inspired by ethical leadership, global community, and meaningful connection.
Brunch is included and there will be a cash bar available, with a suggested donation of $20 to attend. Please register here!
MAPLE SYRUP DAY: MARCH 21, 2026 Mark your calendars for a day of winter festivities at Camp from 11am-3pm. More details and registration coming soon!
REUNION IN GERMANY: MAY 22-24, 2026
CRS alumni in Germany are excited to invite you to the Camp Rising Sun Reunion in Germany! Let’s spend a wonderful weekend together.
📅 Dates: Friday, 22 May – Sunday, 24 May
📍 Location: Erkrath, near Düsseldorf (just 10 minutes by train)
We’ll gather in a charming private forest – affectionately called our “Wäldchen” – complete with a lean-to and a cozy fireplace. This spot hosted an amazing reunion back in 2022, and we can’t wait to bring back the magic! 🌲🔥🎶🎸🍔
What to bring:
Tent and sleeping bag 🏕️
Your Camp spirit and good vibes 🔥
Let’s enjoy the outdoors, companionship, music and laughter
Mark your calendars and contact Doro (CRS Clinton ‘00, Stendis ‘01, Red Hook ‘06) by emailing dorothee.wachsen@gmail.com, if you consider coming!
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