RoseMary and Saul Brooks Fund for Jewish Youth Engagement

SUMMER 2025 APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED. 

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 up to $750 for each approved Jewish camper 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 at least the past year (residents of Orleans, Jefferson, East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Bossier, and Caddo Parishes are excluded from this grant)
• Entering grades one through 12 (after camp)
• Attending a 501(C)(3) nonprofit, Jewish sleepaway camp•One application must be submitted for each child
• Child(ren) may re-apply every year they are eligible
• Grant amounts will vary from year to year. Grants awarded to each approved camper are determined annually by the number of qualified applicants as well as the amount avaliable from the fund for distribution.
• First-time campers who apply for the Goldring Jewish Summer Camp Experience grant are not eligible to apply for the Brooks grant, but may be eligible in subsequent years
• 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.