RoseMary and Saul Brooks Fund for Jewish Youth Engagement

SUMMER 2025 APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN! 

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The RoseMary and Saul Brooks Fund for Jewish Youth Engagement helps children outside the Louisiana metropolitan areas who are physically distanced from a Jewish community to attend Jewish sleepaway camp.

The fund will provide an incentive grant of approximately $550 for up to ten Jewish children to attend a Jewish nonprofit sleepaway summer camp each year.

Eligibility and Grant Guidelines:

• One parent must be Jewish AND the child(ren) must identify as Jewish.
• Residing full-time in Louisiana, outside of the New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Shreveport metropolitan area for the past year (residents of Orleans, Jefferson, East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Bossier, and Cado parishes are excluded from this grant).
• Entering grades one through 12 (after camp).
• Attending a nonprofit, Jewish sleepaway camp.
• One application must be submitted for each child.
• Child(ren) may re-apply every year he/she is eligible.
• Funding is limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
• Applications will be reviewed by a small group, including JEF staff, Board, and a representative of the Brooks family.
• Funds will be paid directly to the camp.

In 1995, RoseMary Brooks of Baton Rouge created a Charitable Remainder Trust at the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana. Her plan was two-fold: to arrange her estate prudently to take advantage of tax deductions and to provide income for her grandchildren for travel to Israel as well as a permanent legacy for other Jewish youths, enabling them to experience Jewish camp and travel to Israel. Since then, RoseMary’s grandchildren divided the annual income of the assets and used that money to travel to Israel. After her youngest grandchild reached the age of 18, the fund was converted to a Designated Fund held at JEF, at which time, in accordance with RoseMary’s wishes, the money will be used to send other Jewish youths to Jewish summer camp or to Israel.

For more information please contact Sierra Sager, Board and Grants Manager, at sierra@jefno.org.