Urj Camp Newman & Swig

What Urj Camp Newman & Swig does

URJ Camp Newman & Swig is a nonprofit Reform Jewish overnight summer camp and year-round retreat center operating from a single 4088 Porter Creek Road campus in Santa Rosa, California, originally established in 1958 as Camp Swig and later merged with Camp Newman. The organization serves Jewish children, teens, and families primarily on the West Coast and Southwest through a portfolio of age-tiered summer sessions (Mechina, Bonim, Tzofim, Hagigah, Avodah, CIT), NFTY-aligned teen leadership programming, and a growing year-round retreat business managed through newmanretreats.org that includes family camps, women's retreats, the Grief and Growing bereavement program, and corporate/congregational facility rentals. The camp was rebuilt following the 2017 Tubbs Fire with ADA-accessible facilities, a new Chadar Ohel dining hall for 200, and universal-design programming under the C.A.R.E. philosophy and Nefesh camper care framework.

The business model is diversified across four revenue streams: session-based summer tuition (primary), year-round retreat and facility rental fees (secondary), visitor Shabbat event fees at $36/$18 per attendee, and tax-deductible donations managed by a dedicated development team. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through the third-party CampInTouch registration platform and Campanion mobile app, supplemented by channel partnerships with the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) temple network, NFTY regional teen programming, and individual congregations such as Temple Emanu-El of San Jose, whose 10+ year congregational retreat partnership is being replicated by other Bay Area temples. Marketing is primarily organic and community-led via blog content, Facebook/Instagram, email newsletters, NFTY events, and alumni referrals.

The organization is part of the URJ family of camps (EIN 13-1663143) and holds ACA accreditation and the CampSafe 2024 safety badge. Leadership comprises largely HUC-JIR-trained Jewish educators and camp alumni, with Ari Vared as Executive Director of California Youth & Camping, Rabbi Allie Fischman as Camp Director, and Martee Fischman as Retreat Center Director. Technology infrastructure is non-proprietary and limited to the CampInTouch/Campanion platform; there is no disclosed AI/ML capability. Operational scale is approximately 300 campers and 150 staff/faculty per summer session, with a small year-round full-time team.

Name

Urj Camp Newman & Swig

Legal name

URJ Camp Newman

Website

https://campnewman.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

URJ Camp Newman & Swig is a nonprofit Reform Jewish overnight summer camp and year-round retreat center in Santa Rosa, California, serving West Coast and Southwest Jewish families, teens, and congregations through age-tiered summer sessions, NFTY teen leadership programs, and a year-round retreat and event business.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Jewish Summer Camp and Retreat Services

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Recreation Campgrounds (Amenities/Activities Focus) (THAMAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA), Group Camping & Scout Camps (THAGAOAI)

Keywords

• Jewish summer camp
• Overnight youth retreats
• Family camp programs
• Reform Jewish education
• Accessible camp facilities

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Rosa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Summer Camp Tuition: Primary revenue stream from session-based tuition fees charged to families for overnight summer camp sessions. Multiple session lengths (4-day Mechina, 6-day, 12-day, and longer sessions for teens) with per-camper pricing.
2. Year-Round Retreats & Facility Rentals: Revenue from hosting retreats and conferences year-round at the Porter Creek campus including family camps, women's retreats, grief retreats, corporate retreats, and congregational programs. The retreat center operates independently at newmanretreats.org.
3. Visitor Shabbat & Event Fees: Fees charged for summer visitor Shabbat experiences ($36 for attendees 13+, $18 for ages 3-12, free for 0-2) and alumni Shabbat events.
4. Donations & Scholarships: Donations supporting scholarship funds and camp programming. EIN 13-1663143 listed for charitable giving. Development team led by Associate Director of Development Ben Zeiger pursues grant funding and individual donors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

URJ Camp Newman & Swig operates an overnight residential summer camp for Jewish children and teens (ages 5-17) on a 4088 Porter Creek Road campus in Santa Rosa, CA, offering age-based sessions from Bonim (youngest) through Tzofim, Maccabiah, Hagigah, Hevrah, and CIT/Avodah leadership programs. The organization also runs a year-round retreat and conference center hosting family camps, women's retreats, grief and bereavement programs, food and wine retreats, and congregational/corporate retreats. Programs are anchored in the C.A.R.E. philosophy (Community, Acceptance, Role Modeling, Each and Every One) and supported by the Nefesh camper care team for inclusion of campers with disabilities.

Product overview

URJ Camp Newman & Swig is a Reform Jewish overnight summer camp offering residential camp experiences for children ages 5-17 and leadership programs for teens. The camp operates a portfolio of summer session programs (Bonim through CIT/Avodah), year-round retreats (family camps, women's retreats, grief support, NFTY teen programs), and special events. The organization also provides a parent portal (Camp In Touch/Campanion) for registration, communication, and photo sharing. The camp emphasizes inclusive programming through its Nefesh camper care team and serves as a facility for the Union for Reform Judaism's West Coast camping operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Summer Camp Sessions Overnight residential summer camp offering age-based session programs (Bonim through CIT/Avodah) for Jewish children and teens at the Santa Rosa Porter Creek campus. Each session includes kosher-style dining, Israeli staff delegation (mishlachat), Jewish education, and access to swimming, ropes courses, climbing tower, and hiking.
• Year-Round Retreats & Conferences Non-summer retreats and conferences hosted year-round at the Porter Creek campus, including School Year Retreats, Family Camps, Shabbatons, Women's Retreat, Grief and Growing retreats, and Food & Wine Retreats. Pricing varies by program; retreat packages include meals and lodging.
• Grand-Family Camp Multi-generational camp experience for grandparents and grandchildren together, featuring Shabbat programming, camp activities, and Jewish traditions designed for young children ages 0-12.
• Sunday Fun-Day Free sensory-friendly family event for individuals with disabilities and their families, co-hosted with Camp Tawonga. Features accessible camp activities, art, music, and outdoor experiences in a Jewish communal setting.
• NFTY Teen Programs Teen-powered weekends and events for grades 9-12 delivered through NFTY (North American Federation of Temple Youth), including West Coast Party retreats hosted at Camp Newman that drive teen camper enrollment.
• CHAI 5 Early Childhood Program Early childhood programming for families with children in pre-school through kindergarten, including Taste of Camp family weekends introducing young children to the camp experience.
• Nefesh Camper Care Program Comprehensive camper care and inclusion service providing mental health support, accommodation planning, and accessibility services for campers with diverse needs, including those with autism, ADHD, cognitive delays, sensory differences, and hearing loss.
• CampInTouch & Campanion Parent Portal Parent portal and mobile app platform for camper registration, forms, health records, photo galleries, and e-letters during summer sessions. Single login works on both web (CampInTouch) and the Campanion mobile app.
• Grief and Growing Retreat Specialized Jewish grief and bereavement retreat for adults and families, combining clinical and spiritual expertise in partnership with the Bay Area Jewish Healing Center's 30+ year program. February 2026 session served 59 participants across all ages.

Quantifiable outcome

• 59 participants attended first Grief and Growing retreat (Feb 2026)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Union for Reform Judaism (URJ)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCamp Newman is a URJ camp, part of the Union for Reform Judaism family of camps and youth programs. URJ provides the organizational umbrella, movement support, marketing network, and programmatic framework. Camp is co-branded as URJ Camp Newman. EIN 13-1663143 is the URJ tax ID used for donations.
• Temple Emanu-El of San JosecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership (10+ years) where Temple Emanu-El's 3rd-5th graders attend Camp Newman's Winter Camp Retreat and Fall Camp/West Coast Party Jr. Temple provides educator (Phil Hankin) as camp faculty. Model has been adopted by many Bay Area congregations.
• Camp TawongaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of Sunday Fun-Day, a free sensory-friendly event for individuals with disabilities and their families, held at URJ Camp Newman.
• Bay Area Jewish Healing CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Grief and Growing retreat at Camp Newman was inspired by the 30+ year program of the same name run by the Bay Area Jewish Healing Center. This partnership brings clinical and spiritual grief/bereavement expertise to camp programming.
• NFTY (North American Federation of Temple Youth)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNFTY teen programming (West Coast Party, etc.) drives teen camper enrollment at Camp Newman. NFTY CWR, SOCAL SW and other regions participate. Camp hosts NFTY events that serve as pipeline to summer camp enrollment.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Camp Ramah in California: Conservative Jewish summer camp in Ojai, CA serving the same West Coast Jewish family market with comparable overnight camp programming, Israeli staff delegation, and year-round retreat offerings. Direct competitor for Jewish overnight camp enrollment in California.
• Camp Harlam: URJ-affiliated Jewish summer camp in Pennsylvania. Same URJ brand and operational framework, similar age-tiered programming and NFTY integration. Comparable in scale and mission; geographically distant but directly analogous in operating model.
• OSRUI (URJ Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute): URJ-affiliated Jewish summer camp in Oconomowoc, WI serving Midwest Jewish families. Shares URJ brand, similar year-round retreat offerings, and Jewish educational programming; Amanda Radman (Family Engagement Coordinator at Newman) is an OSRUI alumna.
• Eisner Camp: URJ-affiliated Jewish overnight camp in Massachusetts serving Northeast Jewish families. Same URJ movement framework, comparable program structure, and similar size; competitor for the broader URJ camp ecosystem and alumni pipeline.
• URJ Camp Kalsman: URJ West Coast sibling camp in Fall City, WA. Shares URJ brand, donor infrastructure, and marketing leadership (Rachel K. Slaton previously served as Director of Marketing and Communications for both Camps Kalsman and Newman). Operates similar Jewish summer camp + year-round retreat model with shared business manager.
• Camp Tawonga: Bay Area Jewish summer camp located near Yosemite, serves similar Reform/Conservative Jewish family demographic from the same Northern California market. Co-hosts the Sunday Fun-Day accessibility event with Camp Newman and competes for the same West Coast Jewish family camper pool.
• Camp JCA Shalom: Bay Area Jewish overnight camp in Sonoma County (Malibu-adjacent). Competes directly with Camp Newman for Northern California Jewish families and overlaps geographically; Jessie Shamout (Associate Camp Director at Newman) is a JCA Shalom alumna.
• Camp Alonim: Southern California Jewish summer camp (non-denominational Zionist) serving West Coast Jewish families. Jordanna Flores (Director of Year-Round Programs at Newman) previously served as Director at Camp Alonim, evidencing close operational comparability and shared talent pool.
• URJ 6 Points Sci-Tech West (URJ 6 Points West): URJ specialty camp for STEM/arts/sports in Southern California. Shares URJ affiliation and brand ecosystem; serves overlapping West Coast Jewish family market with a specialty-day-camp format rather than traditional overnight. Rachel Dubowe previously served as Senior Assistant Director.

Emerging players

• Steve & Kate's Camp: Non-Jewish for-profit day camp model where Jessie Shamout previously worked. Comparable in serving the same parent demographic (working families seeking high-quality summer programming) but operates a different format and value proposition; relevant comparable for staffing/execution practices rather than direct competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/URJCampNewman
• Instagraminstagram.com/urjcampnewman
• Xx.com/urjcampnewman

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Urj Camp Newman & Swig