Our Mission: Inspiring Jewish Life in Texas and Oklahoma
all year long
URJ Greene Family Camp takes the magic of camp and translates it into a year-round experience!
URJ Greene Family Camp offers an expanded menu of fun, immersive Jewish experiences, 365 days a year. Our mission is to become a year-round hub for Jewish engagement—broadcasting the top hits from our camp playlist, far and wide, all year. We accomplish this through three key offerings:
summer programs
From Greene Family Camp in Bruceville, TX, to social action corps nationwide, to educational trips to Israel, our summer programs empower children, teens and adults to better themselves, their communities, and the world.
year-round programs
We offer meaningful Jewish experiences for all ages, all year, in Texas, Oklahoma and beyond! Inspired by the magic of camp, our programs foster a love of Judaism while connecting you to our local and global Jewish community.
Rent our facility
Nestled in a central location to Austin, Dallas, San Antonio and Houston, our camp and facilities is the perfect setting for your corporate, congregational or family retreat. Enjoy multiple indoor and outdoor spaces, acres of hiking trails, and more.
Rooted in Jewish Values
Our summer and year-round programs are rooted in four core values:
- Myself – Hineni – הנני, being an individual
- Friendship – Reut – רעות, making meaningful and worthwhile relationships
- Respect – Kavod – כבוד, respecting your peers and yourself
- Jewish People – Am Yisrael – עם ישראל, pride in being part of the Jewish people
- Holy Community – Kehillah Kedosha- קהלה קדושה, being part of our magical camp community
- Safety – B’tichut – בטיחות, caring for the safety of yourself, of others, and of camp
These timeless, universal values form the backbone of every program we plan, anchoring each event in our Jewish tradition. It’s just one way we make Judaism relevant, accessible and meaningful today.
Lay Leader Resources
Our GFC Mentors
FOUNDERS:
Robert Rosow, San Antonio
Edward Greene, Dallas
Davna Brook, Houston
Swede Cersonsky, Houston
Harry Wood, Jr., Waco
Jake Gandler, Waco
Abbye Freed, Waco
Arnold Miller, Waco (joined in 1976)
DIRECTORS:
Rabbi Solomon Kaplan 1976
Rabbi Lawrence Jackofsky (Jake) 1977 – 78
Loui Dobin 1979 – 2019
Rabbi Erin Mason 2020 – Present
CAMP COMMITTEE CHAIRS:
Edward Greene, Dallas 1976-1983
Davna Brook, Houston 1976-1983
Arnold Miller, Waco 1983-2004
Michael Wolf, Beaumont 2004-2008
Michael Solka, Austin 2008-2012
Steve Donchin, Oklahoma City 2012-2016
Carol Margolis, Dallas 2016-2020
Mark Levine, Houston 2020-2022
Michelle Lynn-Sachs, Austin 2022-2024
Neal Spielman, Houston 2022-present
Camp Committee members
Meet our Camp Committee!
Fran Cohen
Steven Daum
Suzie Daum
Todd Doctor
Susan Feldman
Duncan Friedman
Graham Gadd
Michael Glazer
Scott Hertz
Hilary Kamin (vice-chair)
Alisa Makler
Jason Makler
Jennifer Melrose
Elena Paull
Daniel Pesikoff
Laurie Pickei
Jacob Preble
Susan Rosenberg
Michael Rosenberg
Sarah Shabot Doctor
Neal Spielman (chair)
Amy Strickland
Wendy Wormser
Camping movement glossary
As in all organizations, the Jewish Camping Movement has its share of acronyms and words that are camp specific. Below are some of the more common words and acronyms that will help you understand both our history and current operations.
ACA– American Camp Association is a community of camp professionals working to preserve, promote, and improve the camp experience.
Ambassadors – A group of lay leaders separate from the GFC Camp Committee who promote GFC at their home congregations.
Avi Chai Foundation– is a private foundation endowed by Zalman C. Bernstein that is committed to the perpetuation of the Jewish people, Judaism, and the centrality of the State of Israel to the Jewish people.
CC – Camp Committee: A group of lay leaders who provide guidance, fundraising assistance and support to GFC and its leadership.
FJC – Foundation for Jewish Camp – a public foundation dedicated solely to the Jewish overnight camp movement. Provides training and guidance to camps and financial assistance for campers.
GFC – Greene Family Camp, a Reform Jewish summer camp, which serves the children of Texas and Oklahoma.
Harold Grinspoon Foundation– established in 1993, is a philanthropic organization deeply committed to charitable giving, primarily in the Jewish world.
NAC – North American Camping – NAC is a unit of the URJ (formerly UAHC) that oversees the Union’s 16 summer camps. The NAC sets policies, provides funding for operational support and training for staff. Locally, GFC receives guidance and support from the CC, Ambassadors, and Southern District. It also receives support from the FJC.
NCCI – National Commission of Camp Institutes which was the forerunner of the NAC, this organization loosely oversaw the UAHC camps.
NFTY – National Federation of Temple Youth which was established in 1939 to serve the youth in Reform Congregations.
NFTY-TOR– Texas-Oklahoma region of NFTY.
TOCC –Texas-Oklahoma Camp Committee – A non-profit organization that was created in the early 1970’s to oversee fundraising for the new UAHC camp in Texas that was yet to be named.
TOFTY – Texas-Oklahoma Federation of Temple Youth, the local NFTY region of Jewish youth served by GFC. (Now NFTY-TOR)
UAHC – Union of American Hebrew Congregations – established in 1873 as the umbrella group of Reform Congregations. (Now the URJ)
URJ – Union of Reform Judaism – the umbrella group of Reform Congregations. Name changed from UAHC in 2003. Reform congregations throughout North America are members of the URJ. The URJ is divided into four districts. Texas and Oklahoma are part of the newly formed Southern District. The District promotes GFC as well as other URJ camps in its district.