Cover Story

HELLO from page 11

Weberman said. "The nature program is called teva
)3
and instead of free time, the kids (shmooze.'
Because songs are part of Tamarack tradition,
Rockowitz says music can be a fun way for Hebrew
words to seep into campers' vocabulary.
"The kids who attended the concert given by
Rick Recht [a Jewish rock singer] went there to
have fun, but also had the opportunity to be
exposed to some new Hebrew music," Weberman
said.
Other Jewish activities are more thought provok-
Coming To America
ing,
such as a discussion involving contemporary
One Friday afternoon in mid-July, campers
Jewish
values. Campers pondered such questions as
showed up at_Shabbat services to see a staff mem-
"What
would you do if you found out a designer
ber in the middle of the lake, covered in a green
you
love
or a politician whose policies you like,
sheet, with his arm up high, holding a torch.
made
an
anti-Semitic comment?"
He represented the Statue of Liberty, greeting
Arts
and
crafts, too, can have a Jewish bent.
campers who were about to spend an entire
Some
visitors
to camp this year, including outgoing
Shabbat participating in the celebration of the first
Fresh Air Society board members, were given
350 years of the North American Jewish commu-
mezuzot decorated by campers.
nities.
While Rockowitz described some of the Judaic-
Campers were given a "visa" with their name on
based
programs of the past as "fragmented," newly
it that included a history of where they might
instituted
initiatives now make them staples.
have come from if they had just arrived in
"Each
village
now conducts age-appropriate
America. To get their visas stamped, campers com-
tzedakah
outreach
programs," he said. "Some go to
pleted missions related to becoming new
old
age
homes
or
homes
for people with mental
Americans.
challenges to visit, to perform, to sing."
As they snacked on red, white and blue cup-
This year, the Fresh Air Society established the
cakes, each camper was given a family tree to
Jewish
Life Committee, which is chaired by Dr.
begin at camp and finish at home with the help of
Jeffrey
Devries of West Bloomfield. "It was set up
parents and grandparents.
to
insure
we were finding ways to incorporate ele-
Each camper also received a handful of unique,
ments
of
Jewish
life, Jewish identity and Jewish
superhero trading cards, including notables from
programming
into
various aspects of camp," Sollish
biblical times through modern Jewish history.
said.
The deck included 18 Jewish Detroiters rang-
All food served at camp and on trips outside
ing from U.S. Sen. Carl Levin to the late U.S.
Adam Zuppke, 12, of West Bloomfield tries out an Israeli drum.
camp
is kosher and under the supervision of the
Ambassador to Norway David Hermelin to the
Council
of Orthodox Rabbis of Greater Detroit in
famous Detroit Tiger Hank Greenberg and
Southfield.
Also the level of Jewish observance
Chapman Abraham, the first Detroit Jew.
Kepes, 1,600 trees were planted at Camp Maas this
maintained
at
camp
is continued on trips.
After a campwide card-trading session, those who
summer.
"Not
only
doesn't
it diminish a camping trip to light
were able to collect — and review — all 40 cards were
"We asked families to support this project in much
candles
on
a
beach
over
Lake Superior, it enriches the
entered in a quiz bowl.
the same way they would do it in Israel," Sollish said.
experience,"
Sollish
said.
"They were asked historical questions about things
"The kids'kn.ow their roots are here and also in Israel."
including the Holocaust and the Soviet Jewry move-
The planting was done during the last two days of
ment," Rockowitz said.
camp. "We did this purposely as closure for the com-
Outside Connection
"The older kids also discussed issues like what makes
munity the kids established during the session," Geller
Some
campers this year became part of a new traveling
a person a hero," said Posen, an incoming master's
said. "The timing is similar to what people in Israel do
band
led
by new staff member Bishara Naddaff, a
degree candidate and rabbinical student at the
on their departure day as a way to leave roots in Israel." Christian Israeli-Arab drum instructor from Detroit's
University of Judaism's Ziegler School of Rabbinic
After the planting, each village held an intimate cir-
Partnership 2000 region in the Central Galilee of
Studies in Los Angeles.
cle ceremony to share those they had in mind when
Israel. That partnership promotes economic, cultural,
"They talked specifically about the leadership quali-
they planted the tree.
educational and social ties.
ties of those on the Detroit hero cards."
"I planted one in honor of my family," said Nikki
The band played during Friday night services at
Braverman, 14, of West Bloomfield. "Other kids plant- Congregation Shir Tikvah and at a Shalom Street
ed in memory of a relative or of victims of terror in
archeological dig at the Jewish Community Center in
Planting Roots
Israel."
West
Bloomfield.
While campers aren't typically squeaky clean by the
Speciality
Village campers performed an'advance
end of any summer's day, this year they were actually
preview
of
their
annual play at Fleischman Residence
encouraged to get down on the ground and dig in the
Living Jewishly
in
West
Bloomfield.
mud.
In addition to newfound knowledge about keeping
"Some of our kids made Shabbat candlesticks and
"Every kid was given the opportunity to plant a
kosher and the enjoyment of Shabbat, Jarrett Gorman
Kiddush
cups and have given them to new Jewish
tree," said Lori Weberman, a longtime Fresh Air
learned some Hebrew words during his first Tamarack
immigrants,"
Rockowitz said.
Society board member, who met her husband, Daniel,
experience.
In
addition
to campers going out on trips, some
at a Tamarack reunion. "They were involved in tikkun
"We eat in the cheder ocheh which is the dining hall," non-campers came in. All of the rabbis from the multi-
olam [repair of the world] as a way to be able to give
he said of one of the phrases kids come to use auto-
stream Michigan Board of Rabbis were invited to come
something back to camp by planting for future genera-
', latically, without realizing they've learned to speak
up to camp to visit kids from their congregations.
tions."
Hebrew.
Adat Shalom Synagogue Rabbi Daniel Nevins even
Funded, in part, through a donation campaign
"Instead of a color war, we have Maccabiah,"
participated
in a Friday afternoon Shabbat concert,
spearheaded by Fresh Air's First Vice President Brian

Next comes the food. "When the puzzle is com-
plete, we bring in a sheet cake and the kids deco-
rate it to look like Israel," Posen said.
They make the sand of the desert with graham
cracker crumbs, use blue sugar for the ocean and
upside-down ice cream cones for mountains.
"The kids have a great time," Posen said. 'And
then they get to eat what they've learned."

8/13
2004

12