the past, when we were
working in a deficit situa-
tion, camp simply
Tamarack's Rick
decayed. When money
Goren, counselor
was tight we simply
Carla Danson and
patched. Today, we have a
camper Daniel
proven maintenance plan
Jonas enjoy the ride.
with money set aside each
year for repairs.
Harvey Finkelberg
"Finally, we kept the
talks to some
parts that worked well.
campers.
We still have a tripping
program, and every child
Joshua Bre; 13,
goes on some sort of trip,
checks out a tram-
whether
an overnight or a
poline in the new
two-day
hiking trip. \W
camp gym.
also focus on skill devel-
opment — not just having
fun but learning."
JN: What about the
Jewish component?
"Despite all the stuff
we have done to jazz up
camp, the mission has
stayed the same: giving
Jewish kids a Jewish expe-
rience. Every child at
Tamarack has to do a
mitzvah project. They all
participate in an oneg
Shabbat on Friday, a
Saturday morning service
and a Saturday evening
Havdala.
All the programs have a
Jewish flavor when possible,
and Tamarack programs
work to ensure a strong Jewish iden-
tity, Jewish ethics and values."
JN: Are all the kids at
Tamarack Jewish?
"Some 99.9 percent of the chil-
dren are (self-identified) Jews. But
of those, a third have no other
Jewish activity in their lives aside
from their summer at camp."
JN: Does Camp Tamarack still
encourage a broad social and eco-
nomic cross-section of the 'Jewish
community?
"Yes. We have one-third of our
kids on scholarship. Two-thirds of
our campers pay the full fee, but
their tuition covers only the cost of
their own stay at camp — about
$90 a day.
water trampoline), a log roll, scuba,
"Tuition does not subsidize
golf and more.
scholarships.
All scholarships come
"Today, there is not one specialty
from our endowment and private con-
area that we don't have. If you can
tributions to the camp. We have a $1
come up with one, there's probably a
million endowment and financial
good reason we don't have it. We also
assistance for scholarships."
buy the best equipment and constant-
JN: What will Camp look like in
ly upgrade.
the future?
"Third, we improved our facilities.
"There are five basic challenges we
Parents and kids today are no longer
will face: leveraging technology,
satisfied with a rustic experience. In
Clockwise from
opposite page:
said. "But overall, things haven't
changed. Urban people enjoy coming
to a rural area. Everyone is really
involved in camping outdoors and
educating the children. That aspect of
the camp — and the importance of
Jewish identity — has not changed.
We loved camp when we were
younger, and we love it now."
Berg was a camper as a child in the
1930s, as was husband Irv, 78, who
also works at camp.
Much of the credit for Tamarack's
solid position today goes to Fresh Air
Society Executive Director Harvey
Finkelberg. He lays out a vision for
Tamarack that takes it roaring into the
21st century. Finkelberg has a passion
for camping and kids, and said he's
committed to ensuring that kids get a
meaningful Jewish experience and
‘`memories that last a lifetime."
The Jewish News met up with
Finkelberg at his small office in
Ortonville. He lives at camp with his
family when camp is in session.
JN: Where is Tamarack at today?
"Let me start with some back-
ground. The '60s and '70s were the
`golden years' of camping. In the mid-
'70s and '80s, however, camps were
closing. Enrollment was down simply
because there were fewer kids.
"Enrollment at Tamarack, too, was
in decline for a decade. We had less
than 1,500 kids in all programs. Kids
weren't just coming to camp because
we said, 'Hi, we're Tamarack.' We had
to sell camp for the first time, and
only the camps who were able to mar-
ket themselves survived.
"As a result of our efforts, we were
able to grow enrollment to 1,900 in
the early '90s. Today, it is well over
2,000, with 1,600 kids at the
Ortonville site alone."
JN: What kind of tactics did you
use to attract kids and their parents?
We created a multi-faceted
approach. First, we began marketing.
We created videos and ran informa-
tional meetings at private homes.
"Second, we changed our format.
Camp used to be based on arts and
crafts, waterfront, sports and tripping.
The new format allowed a wide range
of fun and exciting and attractive new
activities — like water skiing, climb-
ing towers, the blob (a huge, air-filled
pillow for jumping) and the rave (a
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1999
Detroit Jewish News
93