The Opportunity

The magic of the arts, whether dance, music, theater or visual, has been part of the magic of Jewish life for thousands of years. In California, the first synagogue was founded in 1852 in Sacramento by Gold Rush settlers and Jewish life expanded throughout the state.

Today, budget pressures often mean that support for the arts is one of the first programs cut, in schools, in summer camps and in synagogues. Children, especially, miss the transformative influence of crafts, drama, song, painting and performing.

In fact, the CreativeCA activist organization noted that surveys from 2006 through 2020 showed that “only 11% of California schools offered a sequential, standards-based course of study in all four of the arts disciplines required by California state policy.”

And the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s 2025 State of the Field Census found that “families requested a combined $58.4M across overnight and day camps,” but distributions were “$33.5M in financial aid.” This was an increase of $3.4 million from 2024, but still well short of the need. The average support award for day camps was $1,490 and $1,730 for overnight campers. Each one made a difference.

Founded by a longtime songleader at Southern California camps and temples, Hagiggah.org aims to directly support the arts at Jewish organizations throughout the state, whether they be camps or synagogues or youth acting studios.