Lea Trager of

Waterford, who was a

camper in the 1950s,

shows Jonah Geller,

Tamarack Camps exec-

utive director, some of

her camp memorabilia.

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Alumni Family

Fun Day

Generations unite for a traditional
day at Camp Maas.

Keri Guten Cohen
Story Development Editor

Ortonville

Karen Begres and
her daughter, Talia,

21 months, of West
Bloomfield enjoy

the waterfront.

B20

June 26 • 2008

ea Trager, 61, of Waterford barely stepped foot onto Camp Maas property before she
encountered Jonah Geller, Tamarack Camps executive director.
She caught his attention by pulling camp memorabilia from a big bag. Out came
a series of formal black-and-white camper group photos, yellowed song sheets and dog-
eared camp calendars dating back to the 1950s, when Trager was a camper. She later was a
counselor and village supervisor, ending her camp career in 1980.
Boy, was she glad to be at camp again. The joy was evident in her face as she glanced
around at the tall pine trees and well-worn paths around her. She was attending Tamarack
Camps' first Alumni Family Fun Day on June 22, along with 1,200 others who took advan-
tage of the perfect summer day to enjoy traditional camp fun — swimming, kayaking,
water skiing, horseback riding, arts and crafts and catching up with old friends.
Tamarack Camps, under the umbrella of the Fresh Air Society, began its camping pro-
gram in 1902, tying it as the oldest Jewish camp in the country, along with Surprise Lake
Camp in New York.
"This day is the culmination of decades and decades of campers and staff enjoying what
we hold dear to our camp tradition' Geller said.
Alumni Family Fun Day is the giant step in serious outreach to alumni, says Susie Zaks,
director of special programs. "The goal is to keep people connected, and there had been no