EXPERIENCE MATTERS
FOR
OAKLAND COUNTY
CIRCUIT COURT
Source Of Hope
At Camp Simcha,
children with cancer gain
new enthusiasm for life.
Paul J. Fischer
• 17 year Member of the Michigan State Bar
'A- 7 years as an Oakland County Assistant Prosecutor
A Staff Attorney, Judicial Tenure Commission
'A 8 years with Hyman & Lippitt practicing complex
commercial litigation, appellate law, and family law
-A Attorney Discipline Board Hearing Panelist
SUSAN TAWIL
Special to the Jewish News
,
T
he campers were waiting to
leave on their field trip, when
one of the counselors got
into an argument with the
camp director about the transportation.
"Whaddaya want? Limos?" the direc-
tor asked scornfully.
"Yeah!" said the counselor defiantly.
"NX7e want limos! We want limos!"
The kids rallied and took up the
chant. The director was beside himself.
As the argument escalated and the
chanting grew in volume, suddenly —
from over the hill — 10 stretch limos
pulled into the camp lot, greeted by
amazed cheers and whoops of joy.
The staged argument and exciting
conclusion reflects some of what Camp
Simcha is about — pure, indulgent
summer fun. Situated on 125 pristine
lakefront acres near the New
York/Pennsylvania Catskill Mountains,
the children's camp offers woodworking,
pottery, swimming, boating, arts and
crafts, music, photography and a host of
field trips and special activities — all
completely free to the campers' families.
But Camp Simcha is something
more: it's a camp for Jewish kids with
cancer. The camp, nondenominational
but kosher, began 12 years ago with
eight campers. It now services about 100
youngsters, aged 4- 1/2 to 20, in each of
two, three-week sessions. They come
from across the country and also Israel,
Europe and the former Soviet Union,
with transportation paid by the camp.
This summer, seven of the campers will
be Detroiters.
Besides canoes, carnival games and
nature trails, Camp Simcha also has an
on-site clinic, ambulance and Medivac
helicopter pad. A staff of oncologists,
pediatric nurses and social workers pro-
vide full medical support for campers;
the camper-counselor ratio is 1:1.
Camp Simcha is a project of Chai
Lifeline, a charitable organization that
For information or to donate to
Chai Lifeline/Camp Simcha,
contact Rabbi Goldberg at (248)
358-0154 or (248) 355-9551.
Dr. Jason and Pearlena Bodzin
helps cancer-stricken Jewish children.
With the motto, "Fighting Illness with
Love," Chai Lifeline also offers the chil-
dren trips to Disney World, family
retreats and support groups; home and
hospital-bound tutorial programs and
teleconferencing; toy drives; and blood
and bone marrow drives.
According to volunteer coordinator
Jeffrey Bell of Oak Park, when the chil-
dren arrive for camp, they are "emotion-
ally devastated."
"Coming to Camp Simcha complete-
ly reverses their attitude," he says. "It
gives them a renewed sense of hope and
enables them to fight for their lives."
Camp Director Rabbi Elimelech
Goldberg of Young Israel of Southfield is
in his ninth year at the camp. Rabbi
Goldberg, a black belt in karate, started a
program called "Kids Kicking Cancer."
Using karate, Tai Chi, visualization and
meditation, Rabbi Goldberg helps the
children cope with pain, nausea and fear.
"It gets them beyond their pain. It has a
profound influence on them," he says.
"The camp program is tailor-made
for each child," he continues. "It gives
them enthusiasm and the will to live.
My job is to make sure the kids have a
good time."
On June 19, a parlor meeting to sup-
port Camp Simcha was held in the
Franklin home of Herb and Babs
Kaufman. Dr. Jason and Pearlena
Bodzin of Southfield were honored with
the Circle of Love Award. "At Camp
Simcha, -there is love and attention
everywhere," says Dr. Bodzin.
David Techner, funeral director at Ira
Kaufman Chapel in Southfield and the
hosts' son-in-law, received the Circle of
Love Award last year. As a specialist in
bereavement counseling for children, he
enthusiastically supports the camp.
"If you ever feel down, get on a plane
and go see the attitude of the kids
there," he says. "Kids are having fun
that, till they got there, they thought
they never would have again." ❑
RATED OUTSTANDING
THE OAKLAND COUNTY
BAR ASSOCIATION L/0
SUPPORTED BY:
•
•
•
•
Hon. Martin M. Doctoroff
Hon. Russell F. Etheridge
Hon. Donald F. Fracassi
Hon. Benjamin Friedman
• Hon. Hilda R. Gage
• Hon. Harold Hood
• Hon. Kimberly Small
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Poid for by the Committee to Elect Paul J. Fischer
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2000
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