Something For Everyone
H
arvey Finkelberg be-
lieves camp is for
everyone.
That's why the ex-
ecutive director of
the Fresh Air Soci-
ety feels so strongly
about his camp's Horizons Pro-
gram. Established last year,
Horizons is open to Jewish chil-
dren with a variety of disabili-
ties, all of whom are integrated
into the regular camp program.
"They do everything that
everyone else does, with a spe-
cial counselor available to help
when and if they need it," Mr.
Finkelberg said. "They can wa-
ter-ski, stay in the bunks and
participate in every aspect of
camp."
Held at Camp
Maas in Ortonville, Participants
Horizons is one of in Camp
Ramah's
a number of pro- Tikvah
grams nationwide program.
for Jewish youth
with disabilities.
The programs generally inte-
grate physically- and mentally-
challenged campers into the
regular sessions, offering special-
needs youth the opportunity to
fully participate in everything
from sports to Shabbat activities
to fine arts.
In addition to Horizons, pro-
grams for disabled youth are
available at Camp Ramah, with
the Union of Orthodox Jewish
Congregations of America's
Yachad, and New York's Camp
HASC.
Horizons opened last year
with 12 participants, including
autistic boys and girls and those
with Down syndrome. Mr.
Finkelberg believes the num-
ber could well double by
next summer. Two-, three- and
four-week sessions are avail-
able.
For information, contact the
Fresh Air Society, 6600 W.
Maple Rd., Suite 301, West
Bloomfield, MI 48322, (810) 661-
0600.
The Conservative movement's
Camp Ramah Tikvah program
also incorporates Jewish youth,
with learning and other
developmental disabilities
into the regular camping ses-
sion.
The four-week Tikvah (He-
brew for "hope") program at
Camp Ramah in Canada, which
serves children from Michigan,
is open to those aged 12-16. Di-
rected by psychologist Dr.
Mitchell Parker, it includes wa-
Founded in 1957, Camp
Fowler has programs for adults
and children aged 6 and older.
It serves those with disabilities
of all kinds.
Bay Cliff Health Camp
310 W. Washington St.
Suite 300
Marquette, MI 49855
(906) 228-5770
A therapy-based program
for children aged 3-17 with or-
thopedic, speech and hearing
pi .oblems.
SCAMP
West Hills Middle School
2601 Lone Pine Rd.
West Bloomfield, MI 48323
(810) 932-6325
Operated by the Bloomfield
Hills School District, the camp
has programs for those 3 and
older. It includes academic
work, field trips, athletics and
music and dance therapy.
Jewish and secular camps offer options
for special-needs children.
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Eagle Village
4507 S. 170th Ave.
Hersey, MI 49639
(616) 832-2234
For children aged 8-17 with
behavioral problems.
Parents also may want to con-
sult the following resources:
ter and sports activities, music,
dance, fine arts, Hebrew and
Jewish education.
For information, contact Dr.
Parker at Camp Ramah in Cana-
da, 801 Eglinton Ave. W., Suite
406, Toronto, Ontario, M5N 1E3,
(416) 789-2193, fax (416) 789-
3970.
Tikvah programs also are held
at Camp Ramah in the North-
east, 233 Harvard St., Brookline,
MA 02146; and Camp Ramah in
Wisconsin, 59 E. Van Buren St.,
Chicago, IL 60605, (312) 939-
2393.
Camp HASC (Hebrew Acade-
my for Special Children) offers
an eight-week summer program
for those aged 2 and up with a
variety of disabilities, ranging
from autism to emotional dis-
abilities.
The camp is glatt kosher and
chalav Yisrael and includes a
daily education program.
For information, contact
HASC summer program,
Parksville, NY, 12768, or call
(718) 851-6100.
The National Jewish Council
for the Disabled's Yachad ("to-
gether") is an ongoing program
designed to bring those with de-
velopmental disabilities into the
mainstream of Jewish life. It is
affiliated with the National
Council of Synagogue Youth and
includes weekend retreats, holi-
day adventures and summer pro-
grams.
Established 10 years ago,
Yachad comprises a junior divi-
sion (ages 9-16) and a senior di-
vision (17-30).
Summer programs are held
both in Israel and the United
States, with disabled youth
mainstreamed into regular
NCSY camps. The programs in-
clude specialized tours; the
Yachad U.S. East Coast contin-
gent often visits the seaport and
aquarium in Mystic, Conn., while
the West Coast group recently
traveled to San Francisco.
Some 1,000 developmentally
disabled Jewish youth are active
in Yachad programs, which has
23 chapters nationwide, includ-
ing one in Detroit.
For information about Yachad,
call the office at (212) 563-4000,
ext. 229, or write he National
Jewish Council for the Disabled,
333 Seventh Ave., New York, NY
10001. The fax number is (212)
564-9058.
A number of Michigan camps
offer nonsectarian programs for
youth with disabilities. These in-
clude:
Camp Niobe
19620 Cherry Hill
Southfield, MI 48076
(810) 540-9329
For children, aged 6-14, with
learning disabilities and/or emo-
tional impairment.
Camp Shady Trails
111 E. Catherine St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
(313) 764-8440
For children, 8-18, with
speech, language and hearing
problems.
Central Michigan University
Summer Clinic
Moore Hall 444
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
(517) 774-7294
For children aged 6 and up
with speech, language and hear-
ing disorders.
Camp Fowler
2315 Harmon Lake Rd.
Mayville, MI 48744
(517) 673-2050
Exceptional Parent magazine
gives awards each summer to the
best camps nationwide for chil-
dren with special needs. For in-
formation, contact Exceptional
Parent, 1170 Commonwealth
Ave. Third Floor, Boston, MA
02134.
The Complete Directory for
People With Chronic Illnesses
contains extensive lists of asso-
ciations, research centers, sup-
port groups and other
information for 82 ailments rang-
ing from hepatitis to obesity to
spina bifida. It is published by
Grey House at Pocket Knife
Square, Lakeville, CT 06039,
(203) 435-0868.
The National Park Service
lists wheelchair-accessible parks
throughout the country (like Pic-
tured Rocks National Lakeshore
in Munising, MI, (906) 387-3700).
For information, contact the
Park Service, U.S. Department
of the Interior, Washington, D.C.,
20013, (202) 343-3676.
The American Camping As-
sociation publishes The Parents'
Guide to Accredited Camps in the
United States:To order, call 1-
800-428-2267.