125th Anniversary Campaign
In 2027, Surprise Lake Camp will celebrate an extraordinary milestone: our 125th Anniversary! For 125 summers, generations of campers and families have gathered at SLC to make lifelong friends, discover new passions, build confidence, and create memories that stay with them long after summer ends. We are incredibly proud to be the longest-running Jewish sleepaway camp in the United States, and our 125th anniversary summer is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate all that has come before, while looking ahead to the next 125 years.
A gift to the 125th Anniversary Campaign will help ensure that generations of future campers can experience the friendships, traditions, Jewish joy, and sense of belonging that make SLC so special. Many of our cabins have welcomed generations of campers and hold countless wonderful SLC memories. At the same time, they are showing their age and are ready for a new chapter. One of our 125th Anniversary priorities is constructing new camper cabins that will provide modern, comfortable spaces where campers can gather, grow, laugh, and build the friendships that make a summer at SLC unforgettable.
As we celebrate 125 summers of making memories, we invite you to help us build the future of Surprise Lake Camp and the next 125 years of SLC memories.
As part of our Gala Celebration, we are proud to honor the Goldwasser, Wyler, and Messinger family, as well as Harold Grinspoon and The Harold Grinspoon Foundation. Their longstanding commitment to Surprise Lake Camp and to Jewish camping has helped shape our history and strengthen our future. We are deeply grateful for their leadership, generosity, and lasting impact on generations of SLC campers and families.
The Goldwasser-Wyler-Messinger Family
Surprise Lake Camp is proud to honor the Goldwasser, Wyler, and Messinger family. This family’s connection to SLC spans five generations, beginning with I. Edwin Goldwasser, one of the camp’s earliest champions, who served as SLC’s first Board Chair. A prominent leader in Jewish philanthropy, Edwin also served in leadership roles with the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, and other Jewish charitable organizations. His commitment to Jewish communal life extended to SLC, where he was the first to recognize the property’s potential as a place where children could experience the joys and lasting benefits of summer camp.
His daughter, Marjorie Wyler, continued that legacy as SLC’s first female Board President, followed by her daughter, Ruth Messinger, who also served as a third-generation Board President. Their family’s enduring commitment to SLC reflects a remarkable legacy of leadership, service, and devotion to Jewish camping.
Harold Grinspoon and The Grinspoon Foundation
Surprise Lake Camp is proud to honor Harold Grinspoon, a major Jewish philanthropist whose generosity and vision have made a lasting impact on Jewish life and Jewish camping. Through the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, which he founded, he has helped expand access to Jewish camp and strengthen Jewish communities. He also founded PJ Library, which connects families with Jewish stories, traditions, and values through free books for children. Through these efforts, he has helped more children and families experience the lasting benefits of Jewish life, friendship, and belonging. We are deeply grateful to Harold Grinspoon and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation for their extraordinary contributions.
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Explore the Possibilities
We are always happy to answer any questions and help you consider your choices. Contact Development Office by email or call us at 845-265-3616.
