A local program
crosses cultural lines fOr a week
of togetherness.

Left: Anytown
delegates learn to
trust each other.

Below: Groups
discuss their
similarities and
differences.

LESLIE JOSEPH

Special to The Jewish News

T

heir motto is "Educating
leaders for the 21st century,"
and for many area youths it
is a summer experience like
few others.
Camp Anytown, or Anytown USA,
was started over 40 years ago by the
National Conference of Christians and
Jews as a way to bring young people of
diverse backgrounds together to share a
dialogue about racial, religious and cul-
tural differences.
knumber of regional Anytown pro-
grams take place each summer through-
out the United States. Anytown
Michigan is now in its 14th year. The
week-long summer program involves
about 55 local campers, or delegates, in
an informal living experience away from
the frenetic pace of everyday life.
Through workshops, discussion
groups, and various team- and skill-
building activities — rope courses, trust
walks, and other typical camp fare —
the delegates learn about others through
a process of understanding and respect,
said Lauren Marcus, a longtime mem-

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1998

88

ber of Congregation Beth Shalom and
this year's camp director.
"Throughout themeek we build on
themes that lead to understanding
diversity — your own as well as oth-
ers'," said Marcus, who has been
involved with Camp Anytown since
1991. Through discussions, recreational
time and creative evening programs,
including culture night and talent
night, delegates teach each other about
their own cultural heritages while open-
ing themselves up to other points of
view and ways of life.
Whether it is a Jewish delegate or
staff member lighting the Shabbat can-:
dies or an African American delegate
sharing a story or dance, the teens have
the opportunity to share their back-
grounds with people who they may not
come in contact with on a regular basis.
"The metro area is very diverse,"
Marcus said. "Whether or not we actu-
ally interact with one another is another
story."
"Camp Anytown was one of the
most important and interesting experi-
ences of my life," said Ema Dzaka, 16,
a junior at Hamtramck High School. "I
learned leadership skills that will help

me throughout my student years and
beyond."
Dzaka, who immigrated with her
family to Hamtramck from Bosnia four
years ago, said she learned to express
herself, even when others did not share
her point of view.
"If we don't learn how to work
together," she said, "we won't get any-
where."

According to Marcus, the mission of
Camp Anytown is really two-fold:
"We hope to either create a person
who is going to go back to their fam-
ilies and their schools and be an
advocate for all the wonderful things
we stand for," she said, "such as
diversity, understanding, tolerance,
patience, and open mindedness. Or
give the kid who already has that