What Shoresh does

Shoresh Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1979 by Rabbi Moshe and Mrs. Carol Kosman in Frederick, Maryland. Operating under the Hebrew meaning of its name ("roots"), the organization provides Jewish educational and identity-building programming for families across Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Its flagship offering is Camp Shoresh, a Jewish day camp with an "overnight feel" that operates on a 107-acre campus in Adamstown, Maryland, serving children ages 3-16 through three age-tiered programs: Junior Shoresh (ages 3-6), Big Camp (entering 2nd through 8th grade), and a Counselors-In-Training (CIT) program for 9th-10th graders.

The business model is a hybrid of seasonal tuition revenue and year-round charitable giving. Primary revenue comes from session-based camp fees (Junior Shoresh first session $1,620; Big Camp first session $1,845; CIT first session $1,990, with multi-week discounts, early-bird incentives, sibling discounts, and grant-funded subsidies for Frederick/Virginia families), supplemented by optional transportation ($270-$480/session), hot lunch ($185-$250/session), and ancillary merchandise. The organization also solicits tax-deductible donations through its 501(c)(3) status, multiple scholarship funds, and the recently launched Shoresh 365 sponsorship program. Registration runs on the third-party CampInTouch platform, and the organization distributes seven charter buses plus vans across Baltimore/Pikesville, Montgomery County, Frederick, and Loudoun County Virginia.

Beyond summer camp, Shoresh operates year-round programming including Youth & Teen divisions, Adult Education classes (taught by Rabbi Tzvi Tuchman across Frederick, MoCo, Baltimore, and Virginia), holiday classes, Shabbatons, and special events. The organization employs 51-100 staff, serves 450+ campers per summer, and is led by Executive Director Rabbi David Finkelstein (in his 41st summer as Director) with an Executive Board chaired by John Davison and presided over by Yona Openden. Strategic positioning emphasizes inclusivity across all Jewish denominations (Conservative, Orthodox, Reform, unaffiliated) and a non-judgmental environment.

Name

Shoresh

Legal name

Shoresh Inc.

Website

https://shoresh.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Shoresh is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates Camp Shoresh, a Jewish day camp on a 107-acre Adamstown, Maryland campus, serving 450+ campers ages 3-16 annually from Maryland, Virginia, and surrounding states, plus year-round youth, teen, and adult education programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Jewish Education & Summer Day Camp

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Group Camping & Scout Camps (THAGAOAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Leadership, Debate & Model UN Camps (EDAMALAK)

Keywords

• Jewish summer camp
• Jewish education programs
• Day camp services
• Nonprofit education
• Children's recreational programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Summer Camp Tuition: Primary revenue stream from session-based camp fees. Families pay per session (4-week first session, 3-week second session) with tiered pricing by program level (Junior Shoresh, Big Camp, CIT)
2. Transportation Services: Optional bus and van transportation from multiple pickup locations. Priced per session with different rates for Frederick vs. other locations
3. Hot Lunch Program: Optional meal program offering daily hot lunches. Must be signed up by May 15 and is priced per session
4. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations as a 501(c)(3) organization. Multiple scholarship funds and memorial funds available for donor contribution
5. Application and Security Fees: $50 non-refundable application fee plus $25 per session security fee, along with $100 per session deposit
6. Camp Merchandise: Replacement camp shirts ($15), birthday cakes for bunks ($35), and swag available for purchase

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Shoresh operates Camp Shoresh, a Jewish day camp with an overnight feel on a 107-acre campus in Adamstown, Maryland, offering tiered summer programs for ages 3 through 10th grade (Junior Shoresh, Big Camp, and CIT). The organization also delivers year-round Youth & Teen programming and Adult Education classes across Maryland and Virginia, plus the Shoresh 365 sponsorship program and the annual BBQ Banquet, all under a 501(c)(3) nonprofit structure.

Product overview

Shoresh is a Jewish educational organization offering a multi-tiered portfolio of programs centered around Camp Shoresh, a Jewish day camp with an overnight feel operating on a 107-acre campus in Adamstown, Maryland. The core offering includes Junior Shoresh (ages 3-6), Big Camp/Shoresh (grades 2-8), and a Counselor-In-Training Program (grades 9-10). Year-round programming extends the mission through Youth & Teen divisions and Adult Education classes held in Frederick, MoCo, Baltimore, and Virginia. Supporting offerings include the Shoresh 365 sponsorship program and Fidler Teen Torah Center trips. The organization serves families across Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and D.C. from its founding in 1979, operating as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Camp Shoresh (Big Camp) The main summer day camp program for children entering 2nd through 8th grades, offering Jewish heritage education combined with recreational activities including sports, crafts, challenge courses, archery, swimming, and trips on the 107-acre Adamstown, Maryland campus.
• Junior Shoresh Summer day camp division for children ages 3-6, featuring age-appropriate activities, private swim time, a dedicated playground with climbing structures, and Jewish-themed programming in a specially designed early childhood wing of the Community Center.
• Counselors-In-Training (CIT) Program Leadership development program for campers entering 9th-10th grades, providing skills and knowledge to prepare for future camp counseling roles or other employment, including exclusive trips, activities, and interactive learning sessions.
• Youth & Teen Programming Year-round programming with divisions for elementary-aged children, middle schoolers, and older teens, offering ongoing Jewish educational activities, holiday classes, Shabbatons, and special events beyond the summer camp season.
• Adult Education Year-round adult programming offering classes and events in Frederick, MoCo, Baltimore, and Virginia areas, covering Jewish heritage, contemporary issues, and spiritual growth in an intimate and accepting setting.
• Shoresh 365 Sponsorship Program Sponsorship program allowing individuals to honor special dates and people by sponsoring a day or week of Shoresh programming throughout the year.
• Shoresh BBQ Banquet Annual community event featuring food and entertainment, with ticket sales managed through the organization's website.

Quantifiable outcome

• Grown from 19 campers in 1979 to over 450 campers per summer
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Camp Ramah: National network of Jewish summer camps and year-round programs operated by the Jewish Theological Seminary. Direct peer in the Jewish day/overnight camp space with similar mission of combining recreation and Jewish education, competing for the same Mid-Atlantic Jewish families.
• Camp Gan Israel: Chabad-Lubavitch's international network of Jewish day camps. Direct peer offering Jewish day-camp programming for children, including a Maryland location, competing for the same Baltimore-area Jewish families.
• Capital Camps: Jewish overnight camp in Waynesboro, PA serving the greater Mid-Atlantic Jewish community. Comparable peer because it targets the same regional Jewish families with structured summer programming, though it is overnight rather than day camp.
• Young Judaea: Zionist youth movement running summer camps (Camp Tel Yehudah, etc.) and year-round teen programming for Jewish youth. Comparable peer because of overlapping youth-education mission and similar donor-funded, community-based model.
• Camp Towanda: Privately operated, traditional summer camp in Honesdale, PA. Comparable peer because it is a Mid-Atlantic residential camp serving families from similar geographies (NY/NJ/PA/MD), competing for the same discretionary summer-enrollment dollars though non-denominational.
• Pinemere Camp: Jewish overnight camp in Stroudsburg, PA serving the Mid-Atlantic. Comparable peer because it competes for the same Jewish families from Maryland, Virginia, and DC, offering a structured residential Jewish summer experience.

Broad incumbents

• Associated Jewish Federation of Baltimore: Regional Jewish communal umbrella that funds many community programs including summer experiences and youth education. Comparable peer because Shoresh's leadership participates on its committees, and families flow between its programs and Shoresh's offerings.
• JCC Association (Jewish Community Centers): National network of Jewish Community Centers, many of which operate summer day camps and youth programs. Comparable peer because local JCCs (e.g., JCC of Greater Baltimore) compete for the same families and overlapping mission of Jewish communal programming.

Regional players

• Beth Tfiloh Community Day School: Baltimore-area Jewish day school where Rabbi Finkelstein taught for 18 years. Comparable peer because it serves the same Jewish families year-round in formal schooling and feeds directly into Shoresh's summer and youth programming pipeline.
• Camp Stone: Orthodox Jewish overnight camp in Sugar Grove, PA serving the Mid-Atlantic. Comparable peer because of overlapping Jewish summer-camp mission and overlapping feeder communities in the Baltimore corridor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/shoreshinc
• YouTubevimeo.com/user8067034
• Facebookfacebook.com/Shoresh-144038819001367
• Instagraminstagram.com/shoreshinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/camp-shoresh

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shoresh