Voices in Jewish Education

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Lighting The Fire

Jewish camps ignite a love of Judaism
that can last a lifetime.

LESLIE ZACK
Editorial Intern

experience is a powerful force for
building Jewish community involve-
ment.

B

onfires generate only some
• Experience in a Jewish camp as a
of the sparks at Tamarack
child is often associated with many
Camps in Ortonville. Matt
measures of Jewish identity and com-
and Sarah Roth began a
mitment as an adult.
relationship at the camp in 1994 that
• Camping may represent an under-
culminated in their marriage this past
utilized asset in building Jewish com-
July. When they walked down the
munity, both in terms of positive
aisle to their favorite Shabbat song at
feelings about being Jewish and more
camp, "Lechi Lach," they were cele-
active participation.
brating not only their commitment
Rabbi Ramie Arian, executive
to each other but to Judaism — both
director of the Foundation for Jewish
commitments fostered at camp.
Camping in New York, who assisted
When he was a teen-ager, Eric
Dr. Tobin in gathering information
Roberts, 21, of Grand Blanc said he
for this survey, published this year,
"wanted a summer camp experience
agrees with its important points.
with an infusion of Judaism." He
"Camp is a powerful means to build-
found it at Tamarack, where he was a
ing a Jewish commitment," he said.
camper for two years and then a
counselor/song leader for five more.
One of only five Jews in his high
Content Matters
school graduating class, Roberts'
Rabbi Sheldon Dorph, national
camp experience has been his only
director of Camp Ramah, a
Jewish life experience — and it's left
Conservative movement-sponsored
him wanting more.
camp, puts some parameters on the
It's not surprising that these young
findings. He believes the quality and
people came away from camp with a
content of the Jewish camp deter-
sense of Jewishness they want to
mine if campers will continue living
incorporate into their lives. That's the
Jewishly later.
conclusion reached in Dr. Gary
For example, he said,
Tobin's new study on
"Ramah alumni definitely
Jewish camps for the
have a lower intermarriage
Top:
Institute for Jewish and
rate than the Jewish popula-
Jonathan Wo ocher
Community Research
tion in general."
ofJESN A.
in San Francisco. The
The number of leaders in
study indicates that
the Jewish community with
Bottom:
going to a Jewish camp
Ramah backgrounds is very
Eric Roberts,
definitely contributes to
high, too, he explained,
a Tamarack Camps
Jewish continuity.
adding that this is true for
alumnus.
Tobin and assistant
other good Jewish camps as
Meryle Weinstein
well. Hadassah, the Zionist
polled those who had
organization for women that runs
attended Jewish overnight camps in
Young Judaea camps across the coun-
several heavily Jewish U.S. locations
try, also makes these claims, backed
(Detroit is not among them).
up by results from a 1998 study.
Though results varied somewhat
Rabbi Dorph stressed the impor-
from place to place, several key
tance of having committed Jewish
points emerged:
role models and Jewish content at
camp.
• A quality Jewish overnight camping

9/15
2000

46

AT THE CORE:

Studies, firsthand

experience prove

Jewish camp

experiences make a

,

difference in later

Jewish commitment.

"Camp is a kid's choice to own
and love Jewishness; that's what
camp's real power is. The kids own
their Jewishness, they grow with it as
they get older and that is really pow-
erfill," he said.
Josh Edelglass, a 22-year-old camp
Ramah counselor from Boston,
agreed. "Through my 14 years at
Ramah, I have gained a real apprecia-
tion for Judaism," he said. "It's a
huge part of my life and will influ-
ence all the years to come. I feel a
general sense of Jewish identity."
Jonathan Woocher, head of the
New York-based Jewish Education
Service of North America (JESNA),
raved about his wonderful experi-
ences at Camp Ramah. A testament
to its success, he is the product of a
Jewish overnight camp who has
become a high-profile Jewish leader
in his community and the nation.
Woocher said Ramah's greatest
impact on him was "learning how to
lead religious services, chant prayers
and read Torah." From camp,
Woocher brought back the desire to
really study Jewish text and Bible
with others who found this to be
intellectually challenging. "That was
important because it encouraged me
to study year-round," he said.
Harvey Finkelberg, executive direc-
tor of the Fresh Air Society/Tamarack
Camps, said it's important to try to
connect daily activities at camp with
Jewish content, along with emphasiz-
ing the importance of Shabbat and its
special programs. "We tie everything
into Judaism with [the use of] simple
terms, such as the degel [flag] or cheder
ochel [dining hall]." Using Hebrew
words, "we are helping them with
their Jewish identity," Finkelberg said.
He believes the three most influential
Jewish aspects in a child's life are
Israel, Jewish camp and day school.
It's important to make that Jewish
connection at camp because many
kids aren't getting it elsewhere, said

