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Busting Stereotypes

Cross-cultural camping experience links Jews and Latinos.

Robin Schwartz
Special to the Jewish News

T

ossing a ball back and forth,
running, jumping and playing
outdoors are just as much fun
no matter what your ethnic background.
That's one of the important lessons a
group of Jewish and Latino children
learned at Camp Tamarack in Ortonville
during a new cultural exchange program
called "Friendship Across Communities"
sponsored jointly by the Jewish
Community Relations Council (JCRC) and
the group Communities In Schools, which
helps young people stay in school and pre-
pare for life.
Seven Jewish families from the suburbs
and seven Latino families from southwest
Detroit took part in the camping weekend
May 12-14 at the Butzel Conference Center
and quickly found out they have more in

common than they may have realized.
"We've grown up with stereotypes
about each other;' said Gail Katz of West
Bloomfield, a JCRC vice president. "It's
about breaking down some of those myths
and stereotypes and reaching out to find
out we're human."
While the children enjoyed boat rides,
played sports and took part in team-build-
ing exercises, parents shared their back-
grounds and ideas. The families ate meals
together and talked about their ancestors,
holiday celebrations and traditions.
"The Latino parents I'm with really
know nothing about the Jewish culture
said Christina Guzman of Detroit, one of
the participants. "It's nice to see the fami-
lies bond; it's good to see the people share
customs."
A second program, involving 80 chil-
dren and parents from Harms Elementary
School in southwest Detroit, took place

at Tamarack the same
weekend. It was the ninth
year the school has par-
ticipated in the camping
experience, which also
included programs on
parenting and Michigan's
economy.
"The children are our
future Katz said. "If we
can get them now when
they're young to under-
stand other communities,
we're hoping it will make
a difference:' !

Parents engage
engage in discussions that show many more
commonalities than differences.

The camping programs were funded by the Skillman Foundation, Myron P.
Leven Foundation, Ben N. Teitel Trust and the Kaufman Family Foundation.
Funding is needed for future programs. To make a contribution or for more
information, contact the Jewish Community Relations Council at (248) 642-
5393.

Friendship Across Communities

One family's experience leaves lasting life lessons.

Patricia Stamler
Special to the Jewish News

E

artier this month, our family
attended Friendship Across
Communities, a Latino-Jewish
weekend family camp at the Butzel
Conference Center, sponsored by the
Jewish Community Relations Council.
This was our first family camp expe-
rience at Butzel. Our expectations
were greatly surpassed. The experi-
ence was enlightening in many ways.
This unique weekend challenged
everyone to see the world through
each other's eyes. Removed from
our busy schedules, parents and
children alike were able to relax and
get to know one another in an idyllic
venue. The JCRC planned the program
with great detail, ensuring that every
participant was included, respected
and honored. In addition to serving a
Shabbat dinner of chicken and knishes,
Camp Tamarack served up Spanish

18

May 24 • 2007

rice, guacamole, pico de gallo and
churros. Dining with each other was
a great way to break the ice. The pro-
gram provided wonderful interpreters
to aid in our discussions.
Typically, family camps revolve
around a particular synagogue; but,
at this exchange, the Jewish fami-
lies were affiliated in different ways,
from Adat Shalom Synagogue to
Birmingham Temple. So not only
did our family meet families from
Southwest Detroit, but we met Jewish
families that we had not known previ-
ously.
The families from Southwest Detroit
were selected to attend family camp
based on their involvement at the
Harms Elementary school located
in Southwest Detroit. Many of these
families did not all know one another
prior to the weekend. The commonality
among all participants was that each
family had a fourth- or fifth-grader,
and that they were open to being

involved in a new
cultural experi-
ence. By the end
of the first eve-
ning, it would have
been impossible to
guess which kids
came from Harms
and which kids
were family camp
old-timers.
After the chil-
dren were tucked
away into bed, the
adults gathered
for a facilitated
Rachel Stamler-Jonas, 10, of Royal Oak, right, with her
discussion. Kevin
new friends from Harms Elementary School in southwest
Casillas of Latino
Detroit.
Family Services
shared many of the same concerns
ably led a discussion about parent-
and dreams for our children. The
ing, poverty and peer pressure. Our
focus centered on looking beneath
discussion led to us to many important
the surface differences and delv-
insights and left us understanding
ing into the common human factors
that despite our varying socio-eco-
nomic and cultural backgrounds, we
Friendship on page 20