THE ARON ZIMMERMAN CAMP RAMAH SCHOLARSHIP FUND

By Jennifer Rensch Foundation Manager

Aron Zimmerman, of blessed memory, was a kind and exuberant young man who easily made friends with people from all walks of life. He freely offered time to anyone in need. Aron was also very proud of his Jewish heritage and loved being in nature. All these qualities found expression in the summers he spent at Camp Ramah Darom, a place where Aron nurtured his Jewish identity, made many friends, and enjoyed the outdoors. The Aron Zimmerman Camp Ramah Scholarship was established to honor his memory by ensuring a young person in need has an opportunity to enjoy summer at Camp Ramah Darom as he once did.

In Aron’s eulogy, Rabbi Lubliner shared the following memory, of one specific summer he had spent with him at Camp Ramah Darom:

“He had taken up archery and really loved it. I watched him enjoy target practice, so I told them a story about two types of archers: the one kind who becomes an expert marksman, always hitting the target, and the second kind, who also always hits the target, but for a different reason - that he’d shoot the arrow first, and then draw a bullseye around it. I went on to share that success for the second type of archer is actually harder to achieve, because to shoot at a target defined by someone else, requires discipline and practice - and those are important - but it requires very little creativity, very little originality. The person who’s capable of thinking outside the box, of having the chutzpah and the nerve to take chances and dream dreams, sometimes discovers amazing things about oneself by daring to draw a new target around the place where the arrow lands and turning that into a bullseye. Aron was always the second type of archer. There were times when he missed the mark, plenty of them, but he would take a deep breath, he would pick himself up and get back on track... Yes, he took chancesreckless ones - but he was always true to himself and one of the most authentic human beings you’d ever meet. He lived with an openness and eagerness to learn, a willingness to fail, and always the courage to learn from his mistakes... To know Aron, even casually, was to know a human being with a big heart...”

Preceded in death by his father, Scott Zimmerman, of blessed memory, Aron’s life was permeated by his love of Judaism. In the words of his long-time friend, Josh Gordon:

“Aron lived the principle ‘Ahavat Yisrael’ by loving every single Jewish person he met. In fact, Aron would always tell me that he wasn’t the best Jew, but that he was the proudest Jew... I’d always receive a call from him once a week excitedly telling me [about someone he met], whether it be from Etz Chaim, the Center, the Temple, or unaffiliated - he didn’t care what denomination you were, he cared that you were a fellow Jew... Aron lived one of our most sacred principles of ‘Tikkun Olam’, repairing the world, but he did this both in a figurative and literal manner through his endless love of people, through acts great and small... Aron changed the world by making every single person he knew - no matter their situation in life, no matter their wealth, no matter their classknow that they were important and that he loved them. In a literal sense, Aron repaired the world with his own hands - no matter if it was a broken pipe, a piece of furniture, or an empty propane tank on a cold night - Aron was there for you.”

Aron will be greatly missed by the many circles of family, friends, and community who knew him. May Aron’s memory be for a blessing and may all who mourn him be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem. The Aron Zimmerman Camp Ramah Scholarship Fund has been established in honor and beloved memory of Aron Zimmerman by the DuBow Family upon his passing in 2023. The Fund is managed by the Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida and will be used to provide financial aid for teens attending Camp Ramah Darom. The 2023 inaugural winner, Joshua Solomon, will be attending Camp Ramah Darom this summer.

To give to the fund, please visit jewishjacksonville.org/ aronzimmerman.