Camps and Israel

CEC is proud to send campers, staff, and faculty to participate at URJ Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI) in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Camp offers several sessions to meet the needs and interests of campers from rising 2^nd grade through high school. These sessions can be anywhere from five days to seven weeks. During that time, campers stay in cabins or tents all while learning about and experiencing Jewish life. OSRUI is also home to CEC's Congregational Retreat.

OSRUI Camp Video or the Interactive Web Brochure 

CEC partners with the SKIP Program to help make peer Israel travel more accessible.  Check out this brief presentation to learn more. Contact Andrea Schuster, Assistant Director of Education, with questions or to enroll your child. 

The SKIP savings incentive program was created to anticipate and save for our children's Jewish education. SKIP allows families, their congregations, and JUF to become partners in planning for a young person's future Israel experience.

How SKIP Works

Contributions can be made for students whose families belong to participating congregations. Students in 3rd through 6th grade are eligible to enroll in SKIP; families are eligible to contribute to their children's SKIP account for a maximum of 7 years (3rd through 9th grade). Each year that a student is eligible to participate, a total of $255 is added to their savings account. This money includes your annual contribution of $85, $85 from CEC, and $85 from JUF.

• Enroll between 3rd-6th grade
• Contribute to the savings program from 3rd-9th grade
• Each year: you contribute $85, CEC contributes $85, JUF contributes $85 = $255 per year + interest for every year you are eligible
• Spend your savings between 8th grade - age 26
• Full refund anytime with interest, withdraw funds through age 26
• Forms:
  • New Enrollment (3rd-6th)
  • Transfer Form (from another congregation in Chicagoland)
  • Active eligible participants will be billed annually from CEC in the Fall

SKIP BENEFITS

Students enrolled in SKIP can use their SKIP funds toward any approved Israel experience program of their choice any time between the end of 9th grade* and when they turn 27. A full refund of your family portion (contributions plus interest) is available upon completion and submission of the withdrawal form at any time. Please note: When a participating student turns 27, the family will have one year from the student’s 27th birthday to notify Federation in writing that they would like to withdraw their unused funds. During a one-year grace period, the Federation will send one communication to the family using the contact information on file. It is the family’s responsibility to ensure that the Federation has accurate contact information. After the one-year grace period, if the family has not contacted the Federation, the account will be withdrawn by Federation staff and treated as an administrative charge against that share. The family’s portion of the account will become Federation property, and the Federation will return the congregation’s portion to the congregation.

*Families may use their Israel experience funds (SKIP, Gift of Israel, B'nai Mitzvah Certificates, and Walk With Israel Vouchers) for 8th grade Israel programs, such as IsraelNow or day school trips. Please contact our office at israelexperience@juf.org to make sure that your trip is eligible and then use the 8th grade Israel Experience Savings Request Form (for day school trips) to redeem your funds.

Cost of Programs

SKIP savings will not cover the full cost of most Israel experience programs. SKIP families can also use other JUF Israel experience savings, including Gift of Israel funds, B'nai Mitzvah Certificates, and Walk With Israel Vouchers. In addition, SKIP families are encouraged to apply for scholarships from other sources, including the program sponsor, congregation, and JUF.

Use SKIP Savings

When you are ready to use your Israel experience savings for an approved program in Israel, please visit our website for more information on how to redeem your funds.