Beth El Temple Center founding members Beatrice (Bea) and Harold Ponn (both of blessed memory) established The Donald Ponn Scholarship Fund in memory of their son. It supports the youth of our congregation by providing scholarships for a variety of activities that help our children develop their identities and bring them into contact with other Jewish children. In the past, the fund has supported activities such as NFTY teen trips to Israel, NFTY youth institutes, Jewish leadership development and education programs, and Jewish summer camps. (Apply online by February 10, 2026).
We welcome your applications for the Donald Ponn Scholarship Fund to support Jewish camping and youth trips to Israel. We know that the prices for both Jewish camps and trips to Israel have increased in the past few years and we encourage you to submit your application keeping in mind if you are requesting additional funds to meet these increased costs. We will try to do the best we can when we review all the applications.
Our committee includes Donald and Katie Ponn, Paulette Ponn Black, Myrna Robinson Weiner, and Karen Pike. We always welcome new members to the committee. Each year we receive so many letters from our campers and youth thanking everyone for the support and sharing how camp and trips to Israel are so important to them and how their lives are changed forever by these meaningful experiences.
Applications are due February 10, 2026.
Apply online today! Use your member login through ShulCloud to sign in. Questions can be sent to Bethany Ramirez at
We look forward to supporting our BETC families in 2026.
The Donald Ponn Scholarship Committee
Don, Katie, Paulette, Myrna, and Karen
