THE DETROIT

valise. The "camp mom," Reb-
betzin Ruthie Goldberg, takes
some children shopping for cloth-
ing and other items that they and
their siblings need.
The families who can afford it
pay approximately $3,500 for a
child to spend three weeks at
Camp Simcha. Most cannot, so
donations to the Chai Lifeline
Foundation, which administers
the camp, pay their way.
"These children are not able to
live as children because of their
hospitalizations," Rabbi Goldberg
says. The camp's philosophy is to
give happiness, Yiddishkeit and
security to sick Jewish children.
The camp began 11 years ago,
as a Catskills resort called Club
Getaway. Rabbi Simcha Scholar,
the founder who still serves as
executive director, created the
program after having a sick child
in his class at a Jewish day school
in New York, and another in his
neighborhood. "He wanted them
to have summer activity," Rabbi
Goldberg says.
Because of weakened immune
systems caused by chemothera-
py, cancer-stricken children
"need to be in a protective envi-

ronment" to prevent infection,
says Goldberg. He keeps in touch
with other staffers via walkie-
talkie.
The dining hall works on over-
drive, with chefs preparing
kosher food to order. Although
there may be sandwiches on the
tables, if a child wants lamb
chops, he gets it.
"Sometimes after radiation, a
child is not hungry, may only
want pizza or something, so they
get it," Goldberg explains.
There are drums in the dining
hall for any child to play, and
meals always feature rowdy
singing. Seating is separate
among boys and girls, and adults
in red shirts with white lettered
"Medical Staff' on the back, walk
around administering needed
treatments.
"I can't keep away," says Rivky
Schwartz, 21, from Oak Park, as-
sistant head counselor for the
girls village.
"People ask me how I can go
there, and I always say, 'Because
I see the smiles on their faces,
and know it's the best summer of
their lives.' "
Former Detroiter Yossi Ziffer,
20, a counselor from Baltimore,
also cites campers' smiles as a

The circus comes to camp: Camper Alexa and staffer Shimon Neuman.

reason for coming back.
Rachel Wolkinson, 18, from
Southfield, "always wanted to
come here. These kids are re-
markable, and they teach you so
much — nothing you can get in
school."
Oak Park native Yoni Sher-
izen, 19, agrees. This year
marked his third summer at
Camp Simcha, which he says is
"an overwhelming atmosphere of
ruach [spirit]. You walk in and it
almost sweeps you off your feet.
It's not a normal camp setting; it
picks up their everyday routine
and raises it."
His camper, Jordan, 11, from
Westchester, N.Y., loves playing
with Yoni. "He's like a big broth-
er," Jordan says.
Aliza Pearlberg, 25, originally
from Southfield, has worked at
Camp Simcha for five years. "I re-
ally believe that every kid, no
matter what is going on, deserves
to be in camp," she says. "I can't
imagine ever stopping."
"I don't think you can be here
and look at things the same way,"
says Elana Berkowitz, 18, from
Miami Beach, Fla. "You see life
becoming more alive."
The camper-to-counselor ratio
is usually one-to-one, and it's not
unusual to find campers and
counselors walking hand-in-hand
or hugging. When asked about
the most remarkable part of the
camp, all counselors say simply,
"the smiles."
Most buildings are wheelchair-
accessible. The camp has a struc-
tured program, but Goldberg says
it remains flexible, with game
rooms, TVs and VCRs and a ful-
ly-stocked library for children
who don't feel up to participating.
As the campers face a higher risk
of dehydration, the pop machine
does not require money — they
can get a drink at any time.
There are "cancer camps" all
over the country, Goldberg says,
but this is the only one that takes
children for three weeks at a
time, and it's the only Jewish one.
The Goldbergs came to camp
six years ago, thanks to an invi-
tation from Rabbi Scholar while
he was fund-raising in Detroit.
Having lost a daughter to
leukemia 15 years ago, the Gold-
bergs thought they might be able
to offer "a certain affinity" to the
parents of sick children, the rab-
bi says.
NORMALCY page 16

PHO TOS B Y RICH ARD A. LOBEL L

NORMALCY page 3

Above:
Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg, helping sick children find a few weeks of happiness.

Below:
Sneut(modest)swimming: Yitzy Moeller and camper David.