Arizona Jewish Scouts Deliver Prayer at California Summer Camp
Scouts from Troop 818 out of Scottsdale, AZ (part of Grand Canyon Council, Phoenix, AZ) were attending 2025 summer camp at Camp Emerald Bay in Catalina, California. When the troop was asked to offer grace before dinner, three Jewish Scouts and their Assistant Scoutmaster stepped forward. The scouts were Charlie Mason-Barkin (recipient of Ner Tamid), Gavin Schwartz (recipient of Ner Tamid), and Scott Gottlieb (working on his Ner Tamid), accompanied by Assistant Scoutmaster Josh Mason-Barkin. The troop is chartered by a Catholic church which has been extremely supportive of these Jewish scouts. See video.
2-Week Shomer Shabbat Summer Camp
Seth Rosenberg, Scoutmaster for Troop 210 (sponsored by Jewish War Veterans Post 210) from Grand Canyon Council (Phoenix, AZ) organized a two-week summer camp in July 2025 at Camp Emerson, Inland Empire Council, CA with the help of Cheryl Becker, local JCOS Chair and her son Andrew (a camp director) and brought four Jewish scouts to participate. They enjoyed kosher food for the two weeks and earned at least 40 merit badges among the four boys: Asher and Joseph Judah, Shimmy Smulowit and Max Rosenberg. Dr. Ken Katzman from Golden Gate Council, CA also attended.