Camp Tawonga: Celebrating 100 years of Natural Beauty, Self-Discovery, and Community

By Ellen Lathrop, Program Associate at the Koret Foundation

This March, Camp Tawonga will celebrate a remarkable 100 year anniversary! Camp Tawonga (Tawonga) has long served as a leader in Jewish summer camps, fostering deep connections to Judaism, Jewish community, and nature for its campers, families, and community members who participate in programming. Tawonga is the only independent (non-movement-affiliated) Jewish summer camp in the Bay Area. 

Tawonga has grown significantly since its beginnings. It was originally designed to serve 200 boys each summer. Now, approximately 3,584 youth and adults participate each year for summer camp, teen adventure quests, and family camps—with visitors ranging from newborns to grandparents. Tawonga’s longevity and dynamic programming have created a place that people love returning to year after year, with some families claiming three generations of campers.

While many Jewish institutions in the Bay Area struggle with declining rates of affiliation, Tawonga’s programs at the camp and “Down the Mountain” in the Bay Area are thriving. For many Bay Area Jews, Tawonga is their sole connection to Jewish life. Tawonga and camp programs offer an accessible, fun, and community-centric experience that Bay Area families are seeking. In addition to the experiences at camp, Tawonga offers local programs for the High Holidays, young adults, b’nai mitzvah training and more that keep families connected to Judaism and their community. 

According to research, the benefits of attending Jewish camps are astounding. Kids who participate feel a greater sense of connection to their Jewish identity, their Jewish peers and community, and Israel. In a time where Jewish kids are bombarded with antisemitic messages, having a place to openly and freely celebrate their Jewish heritage feels especially important. Camp Tawonga “offers a haven where kids can feel proud to be Jewish, surrounded by a joyful, welcoming Jewish community.” says Becca Meyer, CEO. “Tawonga provides a warm and inclusive way to celebrate Jewish identity, making Judaism feel fun, relevant, and deeply personal.” 

Jewish summer camps like Tawonga are powerful medicine for today’s youth who live in an era of increased loneliness and mental health crises. Camp is a place for youth to slow down, to take a break from the screens and social media that often dominates their daily lives, and to build lasting in-person friendships. The idyllic setting in Stanislaus National Forest helps campers bond over outdoor adventures that encourage them to problem solve, work together, and push past perceived limits. 

The staff are central to creating the “special sauce” of Tawonga, as camp director Aaron Mandel calls it. Mandel says counselors, “create the conditions for children to thrive and become the best versions of themselves.” Many staffers attended Camp Tawonga themselves, and campers are able to look to staff as role models who have been in their place in the past. As campers age out of camper years, they have an opportunity to join the Specialist and Counselor-in-Training program, receiving training and mentorship to take on a leadership role for younger campers. This cycle keeps all the magic that Tawonga builds in-house, and ensures that newer camp leaders have a strong understanding of Tawonga values.

Camp Tawonga works to build the next generation of Jewish leadership. Observes Mandel, “Many of today’s Bay Area Jewish educators, nonprofit professionals, and community leaders trace their leadership roots to Tawonga, where they first learned to inspire others, listen deeply, and create welcoming spaces.” The opportunity to explore one’s Jewish identity in the company of other young people on the same journey creates a stronger and more personal relationship with Jewishness. The lessons learned during summers at Camp Tawonga resonate deeply with alumni, shaping their values well into adulthood. 

Camp Tawonga is a part of the Bay Area Jewish community fabric. When asked what she hopes for the next 100 years, Meyer says, “for Tawonga to continue teaching generations of young people to lead with kindness, to foster a deep connection to the natural world, and to embrace their Jewish identity with pride.”