What Camp Mountain Chai does

Camp Mountain Chai is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Jewish overnight summer camp operated by Jewish Community Camp and Retreat Center, Inc. (Federal tax ID 91-2150831), founded in 2006 by Ed and Rae Samiljan after the facility in Angelus Oaks, San Bernardino National Forest was acquired in 2004. The camp serves Jewish youth entering grades 2-12 across six age-based divisions (Shorashim/Rishonim grades 2-4, Netzarim grades 5-6, Amirim grades 7-8, Atid grades 9-10, Kavanah grade 11, and SIT grade 12), with cabin groups of 8-16 campers supervised by 2-3 college-aged counselors. Programming emphasizes Jewish identity development, outdoor adventure (canoeing, archery, climbing wall, ropes course), arts, sports, and progressive leadership experiences including multi-day wilderness trips and a service-learning trip to the Dominican Republic.

The camp monetizes through per-camper session tuition ($1,750-$6,500+ depending on session length and grade), a $150 per-camper Health/Safety/Security fee, multi-session bundling discounts (up to $1,000 off for full summer), donations via the support page, financial assistance administered through multiple Jewish community partners, and year-round facility rentals under the Alpine Meadows Retreat Center sub-brand. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through the CampInTouch registration platform, with staff-supervised bus transportation from San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange County, and Redlands, plus group flights from Tucson/Phoenix and Las Vegas. Marketing leverages partnerships with Jewish Federation of San Diego, synagogues, JCC Association, Foundation for Jewish Camp, and grassroots referral programs including home-based "Mountain Chai Mingle" presentations.

Operationally, the camp is ACA-accredited, employs a Mental Health First Aid-certified staff overseen by a Director of Camper Care through the MESSH program, maintains a Board of Directors, and partners with Sha'ar HaNegev in Israel for cultural exchange programming. Customer satisfaction signals include 95% family recommendation rate (2024 survey) and 96% staff recommendation rate (2019 survey). Headcount is stated at 101-250, reflecting seasonal summer staffing, and revenue is not publicly disclosed given the non-profit status.

Name

Camp Mountain Chai

Legal name

Jewish Community Camp and Retreat Center, Inc.

Website

https://campmountainchai.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Camp Mountain Chai is a non-profit Jewish overnight summer camp in Angelus Oaks, California serving Jewish youth entering grades 2-12, with progressive leadership programs, ACA accreditation, and year-round retreat facility rentals under Alpine Meadows Retreat Center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Summer Camps

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Adventure Base Camps (Trek/Climb/Expedition Camps) (THAGAOAG)

Keywords

• Overnight summer camp
• Jewish youth camping
• Residential camp programs
• Outdoor adventure camps
• Summer camp tuition

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Summer Camp Tuition: Primary revenue from multi-week overnight camp sessions for youth entering grades 2-12. Tuition varies by session length, grade level, and includes early-bird discounts for registrations before December 1st.
2. Year-Round Retreats: Facility available for rental for retreats year-round, generating revenue through facility rental and associated services.
3. Health, Safety, and Security Fee: $150 per camper supplemental fee to offset substantial costs and ongoing expenses for enhanced security infrastructure and medical staff.
4. Donations and Contributions: Nonprofit organization accepts tax-deductible donations through support page. Supports financial assistance to ensure camp is accessible regardless of family financial ability.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Camp Mountain Chai is a Jewish overnight summer camp that delivers multi-week residential camp sessions for youth entering grades 2-12 in the San Bernardino National Forest. Programming combines cabin-based living, age-tiered outdoor adventure, sports, arts, Jewish life, themed special events, and tiered leadership programs including wilderness trips and an international service-learning experience. It also rents its facilities for year-round retreats and accepts tax-deductible donations to fund financial assistance.

Product overview

Camp Mountain Chai operates as a single, unified Jewish overnight summer camp program (not a platform-plus-modules architecture). The core product is the traditional residential camp experience serving youth entering grades 2-12, organized into six age-based divisions: Shorashim/Rishonim (grades 2-4), Netzarim (grades 5-6), Amirim (grades 7-8), Atid (grades 9-10), Kavanah (grade 11), and SIT (grade 12). Campers participate in a structured daily schedule combining cabin activities, elective chugim, evening programs, and Jewish life experiences. The camp offers multiple session lengths (1-week, 2-week, 3-week, and multi-session packages of 4-7 weeks) as duration options within the same core program. Specialty programming includes themed special events (CMC Games, Chai'dol, Maccabiah, Embassy), outdoor adventure activities, arts, sports, and the Kavanah service-learning trip to the Dominican Republic. Year-round facility rentals and financial assistance programs support accessibility. The camp is accredited by the American Camp Association and operates from facilities in Angelus Oaks, San Bernardino National Forest.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Alpine Meadows Retreat Center: Year-round retreat center operated by Camp Mountain Chai for retreats and events.

Products and services

• Core Summer Camp Program
• Kavanah Service-Learning Program
• SIT (Staff-in-Training) Program
• Year-Round Retreats (Alpine Meadows Retreat Center)

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of families likely to recommend Camp Mountain Chai to family or friends (2024 Camper/Staff Satisfaction survey)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Camp Association (ACA)coreOthersACA is the only independent accrediting organization reviewing camp operations in the US. CMC is proud to be an ACA-accredited member. ACA standards focus on health, safety, and risk management. ACA collaborates with American Academy of Pediatrics, American Red Cross, and other youth-serving agencies.
• Jewish Federation of San DiegocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerJewish Federation of San Diego provides funding directly to CMC for scholarships for CMC families. Also partners on One Happy Camper grant program and hosts fundraising events.
• Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerFJC operates the One Happy Camper incentive grant program in partnership with local Jewish organizations. Offers grants up to $1,000 for first-time campers. Also offers Israeli American Grant for families in western states.
• JCamp 180coreGTM or Marketing PartnerJCamp 180 is a partner organization supporting Jewish overnight camps with resources, training, and network connections to strengthen camps.
• JCC AssociationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCMC operates as part of the JCC network of day and overnight camps, providing brand recognition and network support.
• U.S. Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMC is located on leased land within San Bernardino National Forest. Partnership includes environmental stewardship and compliance with forest service regulations.
• Sha'ar HaNegevminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Sha'ar HaNegev creating connections between CMC and an Israeli youth village. Includes delegation of Israeli staff (Mishlachat) and cultural exchange programs.
• Jewish Family Service of San DiegominorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides financial assistance to Jewish parents living in San Diego based on financial need. Awards distributed first-come, first-served subject to available funds.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Camp Ramah in Wisconsin (OSRUI): Large Jewish overnight summer camp in Wisconsin. Comparable across age-tiered programming, leadership-trip curriculum, ACA accreditation, and Foundation for Jewish Camp affiliation, though operating in a different regional market.
• Camp JCA Shalom: JCC-affiliated Jewish overnight camp in Northern California serving grades 2-12 with progressive age programming. Strong comparator given JCC-affiliated network positioning and similar curriculum ladder.
• Camp Ramah in California: Conservative Jewish overnight summer camp serving California families with multi-week sessions and progressive age-tiered programming. Closest direct peer given shared SoCal geography, Jewish identity focus, and grade-2-through-teen programming model.
• URJ Camp Newman: Reform Jewish overnight summer camp in Northern California operated under the Union for Reform Judaism. Comparable across grade-tiered programming, Jewish life integration, ACA accreditation, and identity-formation value proposition.
• Camp Alonim (Brandeis-Bardin Institute): Jewish overnight summer camp in Southern California operated by the Brandeis-Bardin Institute. Comparable in geography, pluralistic Jewish programming, multi-session structure, and youth-development curriculum across grade tiers.
• Camp Harlam: URJ-affiliated Jewish overnight camp in Pennsylvania with grade-tiered programming and progressive leadership tracks. Comparable age-tiered curriculum, multi-session structure, and Reform Jewish identity integration.
• Camp Beber (URJ): URJ-affiliated Jewish summer camp in Wisconsin offering overnight programming for grades 2-12. Comparable age-tiered structure, multi-session enrollment model, and Reform Jewish identity focus.
• GUCI (Goldman Union Camp Institute): URJ-affiliated Jewish overnight camp in Indiana serving Reform Jewish youth with multi-week sessions and progressive programming. Comparable across denomination-overlapping Jewish identity programming and ACA accreditation standards.

Others

• Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC): Industry and grant-making body supporting Jewish overnight camps. Operates the One Happy Camper grant program that CMC distributes. Relevant as a sector peer and ecosystem enabler shaping demand and funding across the Jewish camp category.
• JCC Association of North America: Umbrella organization for JCC day and overnight camps including Camp Mountain Chai. Relevant as the network and brand umbrella under which CMC operates, providing shared marketing, training, and benchmarking infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/campmountainchai
• Instagraminstagram.com/campmountainchai
• Xx.com/campcmc
• Facebookfacebook.com/CampMountainChai
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/camp-mountain-chai

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Camp Mountain Chai