Together, as three couples, we decided that we wanted to create an endowment that would benefit a cause to which we all felt equally passionate. Jewish Overnight Camp was our one common denominator. All of us had the privilege to attend a Jewish community-affiliated overnight camp in Canada and each of us recognizes the immeasurable value the experience holds.

Our decision to create this endowment is also credited to those who have influenced us in our charitable giving habits and the ones who made the decision to send us to our respective camps: our parents. They have been wonderful role models and we truly appreciate -- arguably more so now than before -- their conscious choice to send us to Camps Ramah, Shalom and Hatikvah. We are grateful to have had the opportunity and feel compelled to provide others with the same opportunity, if they can’t manage it on their own.

Jewish camping has been proven to leave a lasting and profound effect and instills such strong Jewish values while teaching a love for Israel. These are values that we hold dear and which we are instilling in our own young families.

Many of our closest friendships today were first established at camp and so much of our Jewish identity was enhanced during those two short months, every summer.

Our fund is also a way for us to demonstrate to our own children that it is never too soon to actively participate in the act of tzedakah and that even a small gift can make a difference. Each year the endowment grows impacting more and more kids as the years pass.

Knowing that our fund has had a positive and lasting effect on its recipients, that it is supporting something we all love and that we are participating in and promoting the importance of tzedakah, we are assured we made the right choice when we began this together five years ago.

And in the not-too-distant future when Ethan, Chloe, Kyle, Dylan, Caleb, Noah and Stella ask their parents for a concrete example of how they are supposed to care for each other and help those who need assistance, we will have a wonderful, concrete answer.