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The Louis August Jonas Foundation

About Us
Our Mission and History
Our Staff
Board of Directors
Financial Reports
Strategic Plan
Contact Us
Work With Us
Programs
Our Programs
Camp Rising Sun
The Ethical Leadership Experience
Custom Programs for Schools & Groups
Curriculum
Apply
Apply
Apply to be a Second Year
Legacy Campers at CRS
Summer Staff
Frequently Asked Questions
Alumni
Get Involved
Our Global Community
CRS Alumni Directory
Alumni Networks
Alumni Scholarships
Alumni Opportunities
Alumni Publications
Events
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Media
Blog
Podcast
Newsletter
Why Give
2025 Impact Stories
Why Give?
Ways to Give
CRS Sustainers
Planned Giving
Matching Gifts
Donate
December 22, 2025
Emily Barnard
Why I Give Back to CRS - A Letter from Evan ...

CRS alum and LAJF Board Member, Evan Schwartz, shares why Camp Rising Sun has remained such a meaningful part of his life, and why he continues to give back, year after year.

Click to read his personal year-end note and gift match announcement! Please consider making a gift to LAJF and Camp Rising Sun before 2025 ends. Go to lajf.org/donate to give now.

Why I Give Back to CRS - A Letter from Evan Schwartz
December 16, 2025
Emily Barnard
Be the Roots that Support Ethical Leaders - ...

LAJF and Camp Rising Sun are fortified by strong roots that stretch back 95 years. What began as a summer camp in 1930, is now a global movement that has grown generations of ethical leaders. Click to read the full end of year letter from our Executive Director, Barry Fulton.

Be the Roots that Support Ethical Leaders - Letter from Executive Director, Barry Fulton
October 30, 2025
Emily Barnard
95th Anniversary Reunion and Gala Photo Gallery

Thank you for celebrating 95 Years of Camp Rising Sun! From October 24-26, 2025, we gathered at the iconic TWA Hotel to celebrate 95 years of Camp Rising Sun—and the global community that has made it all possible. Click to view photo highlights from the weekend celebration!

95th Anniversary Reunion and Gala Photo Gallery
October 8, 2025
Emily Barnard
11th Annual NYAA Picnic in Central Park

This year was the 11th Annual CRS NYAA Picnic in Central Park! Thank you to the New York Alumni Association for hosting and for everyone who joined us. Click the post to check out photos from the event.

11th Annual NYAA Picnic in Central Park
October 7, 2025
Emily Barnard
95 Years of Impact: Liz Lee

Since 1930, LAJF and our programs, Camp Rising Sun and The Ethical Leadership Experience, have shaped the lives of more than 6,500 alumni from dozens of countries around the world. Across generations and continents, CRS and TELE alumni continue to lead with empathy, curiosity, and courage—bringing Rising Sun values into classrooms, courtrooms, creative industries, clinics, and communities. As we celebrate 95 years of impact, we’re spotlighting just a few of the many stories that show how a summer at Camp becomes a lifetime of meaning.

Here’s Liz Lee’s story—current Minnesota state representative of St. Paul’s Eastside district—who attended Camp Rising Sun in 2004.

95 Years of Impact: Liz Lee
Helene Mattera
August 16, 2023

CRS '23 Session 2 Week 3

Helene Mattera
August 16, 2023
CRS '23 Session 2 Week 3

Let’s see what peoples’ first thoughts are about the nature trip without knowing anything but rumors about it. What are they excited about? What are they scared of?  What do they think is going to happen as they let their imagination run free?

Helene Mattera
August 9, 2023

CRS '23 Session 2 Week 2

Helene Mattera
August 9, 2023
CRS '23 Session 2 Week 2

Ambitious, passionate, inspired– these are the words that come to mind when describing this year’s campers.

Helene Mattera
July 21, 2023

CRS 2023: Session 1 Recap

Helene Mattera
July 21, 2023
CRS 2023: Session 1 Recap

We hope you enjoy this glimpse into our unforgettable summer!

Helene Mattera
June 23, 2023

CRS 2023: Staff Training Highlight

Helene Mattera
June 23, 2023
CRS 2023: Staff Training Highlight

As the first trains and cars journeyed towards Rhinebeck in early June, the magic of a new Camp Rising Sun season was already in the air.

Guest User
March 22, 2023

CRS 2023 - Second-Year Campers

Guest User
March 22, 2023
CRS 2023 - Second-Year Campers

Second year campers share their passions and what they’re looking forward to this summer.

Guest User
December 16, 2022

Ecological reconstruction requires changing the stories our communities are built on

Guest User
December 16, 2022
Ecological reconstruction requires changing the stories our communities are built on

What does ethical leadership mean during the era of multiple ecological crises? How does the necessity of sustainability transition challenge the stories we tell about our communities’ pasts and futures? How can we envision a regenerative culture at CRS?

Guest User
September 29, 2022
Alumni Spotlight

Selector Spotlight: At-Large

Guest User
September 29, 2022
Alumni Spotlight
Selector Spotlight: At-Large

Camper Selection for the 2023 camp season is about to begin and volunteers across the globe are preparing to select the newest cohort of Rising Suns! Take a moment to read about the At-Large Selection process and the amazing alums who organize it!

Tagged: Camper Selection, CRS 2023

Guest User
September 7, 2022
CRS TIMES, Camp Life

VCRS 2022 BLOG

Guest User
September 7, 2022
CRS TIMES, Camp Life
VCRS 2022 BLOG

This blog post is brought to you by Session 2 of 2022 Virtual CRS. Read on to hear about their Virtual Camp Rising Sun experience!

Tagged: Virtual CRS, Projects, Summer 2022

Newer Posts
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Featured
Why I Give Back to CRS - A Letter from Evan Schwartz
Dec 22, 2025
Why I Give Back to CRS - A Letter from Evan Schwartz
Dec 22, 2025
Dec 22, 2025
Be the Roots that Support Ethical Leaders - Letter from Executive Director, Barry Fulton
Dec 16, 2025
Be the Roots that Support Ethical Leaders - Letter from Executive Director, Barry Fulton
Dec 16, 2025
Dec 16, 2025
95th Anniversary Reunion and Gala Photo Gallery
Oct 30, 2025
95th Anniversary Reunion and Gala Photo Gallery
Oct 30, 2025
Oct 30, 2025
11th Annual NYAA Picnic in Central Park
Oct 8, 2025
11th Annual NYAA Picnic in Central Park
Oct 8, 2025
Oct 8, 2025
95 Years of Impact: Liz Lee
Oct 7, 2025
95 Years of Impact: Liz Lee
Oct 7, 2025
Oct 7, 2025
CRS Alumni Directory

LOUIS AUGUST JONAS FOUNDATION
6 RISING SUN LANE
RHINEBECK, NY, 12572, UNITED STATES
+1 (212) 686-1930
CONTACT@LAJF.ORG

The Louis August Jonas Foundation (LAJF) and Camp Rising Sun (CRS) have a long-held commitment to the principles of diversity, stemming from our mission. In that spirit, LAJF and CRS do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, creed, color, sexual orientation, nation of origin, gender, sex, or gender identity. 

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Louis August Jonas Foundation, 6 Rising Sun Lane, Rhinebeck, NY, 12572, United States(212) 686-1930contact@lajf.org