Family camps are fun for all

PEARL SALKIN

Quality time. How often do we hear that? How often do we use that expression ourselves when we are trying to assuage our guilty conscience for not spending enough time with the family?

Although our busy schedule, kvetching clients or demanding boss might preclude us from being present at some of those little lifecycle events like our child's first performance in a kindergarten play, we'll make up for that in quality time. Sure. No matter what health professionals preach about maintaining a good balance between work and play, business and family, some of us are just not able, willing or secure enough to cut back on work time. The combination of computerization, robotization, mechanization, offshoring and outsourcing makes many of us feel like we're living on a career chopping block.

So, what's the solution? Family camp! It's a place where you can introduce your children to the great outdoors. It's a place where you can relive your youth. It's a place where tweeting mockingbirds are the amusing alarm clocks; chirping crickets are the lullaby of choice. It's a place where real quality time can be found.

Some people find that attending a family camp is a great way to familiarize fearful young campers-to-be with a resident camp environment. Many see the experience as a try-out, a test to determine if a particular camp is the right fit for their child the following summer. Others just want a safe place to enjoy doing things with family members – or not, if they so desire – and just get away from the traffic, noise, cooking, cleaning and other annoyances that sap their strength during the rest of the year. For those who go to a Jewish family camp, it can be any or all of the above, plus the wonderful feeling you get when two or more generations celebrate Jewish life together through arts, crafts, song, dance and discussion groups.

Family camps can be categorized in many ways – location, religious affiliation, facilities, activities, cost and cushiness. Since it would be impossible to showcase every worthwhile program on the continent, I will apologize now if your favorite has been overlooked.

The first three camps are secular. While attending one of their sessions might awaken your spiritual self, no religious services are scheduled and no references are made in support of any denomination.

Camp Nominingue has had a family session in late August at its rustic retreat in Quebec since 1984. But couch potatoes, beware. While the scenery is spectacular and the variety of activities would please any fit family, this camp is definitely not cushy. Accommodations are bare bones – you sleep in a tent on a platform. It has no electricity. Of course, nobody will force you to participate in the camp's sailing race or canoe trip, and you are welcome to spend your two to nine days in the shade, reading under a beautiful birch tree or floating on the crystal-clear lake. But if your family wants to explore this part of the country, a few days at the camp just might provide that quality experience you crave. A virtual visit to www.nominingue.com will provide you with all the details.

Cheley Camps is in Estes Park, Colo., about 75 miles northwest of Denver. The Rocky Mountains provide the perfect summer setting for cool, cowboy-inspired, fun and exciting experiences at this ranch-style facility. Families bunk together in covered wagon cabins and enjoy cookouts, campfires and an assortment of indoor and outdoor activities. If you think your family might like to saddle up and ride the range next August, kick off your boots and visit www.cheley.com or call 800-226-7386.

Medomak Camp is in Washington, Me. Families stay in bathroom-equipped cabins, described as simple, New England style. There is electricity! Along with archery, arts and crafts, nightly campfires, kayaking and the usual activities for campers of all ages, this place offers some special activities for adults. Yoga, a trip to taste local beer and cheese, a gallery visit and an onsite massage therapist prove that camp is not just for kids. The seven-day sessions run from late June through August. For more information, call the camp's winter office toll-free at 1-866-MEDOMAK (633-6625) or visit www.medomakcamp. com.

We are lucky to have a wide variety of Jewish family camps on this continent. At least one should fit your family. Camp Kesher has an annual, multigenerational Labor Day weekend gathering on Vashon Island near Seattle that is sponsored by the Reform congregations of western Washington. Activities range from softball to sing-alongs, physically challenging adventures to spiritually uplifting workshops led by a scholar-in-residence. Make a virtual visit to www.campkesher.com or call 206-783-4109, ext. 217, for more details.

In addition to camps in Alberta and Oregon, B'nai Brith has hundreds of acres of land on Town Island on Lake of the Woods in Kenora, Ont., about 200 kilometres east of Winnipeg, and a fabulous family weekend planned for June 16-18. While celebrating their Jewish heritage, families can relax and enjoy the serene setting as they participate in nature crafts, kosher cookouts, kayaking and a variety of creative activities. Details about this and other programs can be found at www.bbcamp.ca or by calling 204-477-7512.

Camp Massad is located just north of Winnipeg. Its Family and Friends weekend is scheduled for June 23-25. Hebrew can be heard throughout the camp property and campers of all ages enjoy the taste of Israel that flavors all events. More information about this unique Israel-in-North-America experience can be found at www.campmassad.ca or by calling 204-477-7487.

Camp Tawonga in Groveland, Calif., is near Yosemite National Park, about a three-hour drive from San Francisco. This mountain retreat offers three- and four-day general, family camp weekends and specialized sessions, too. With a rich program of Jewish interest and lots of activities, Tawonga is a popular place. For more information about Tawonga's spring or summer family sessions, call 415-543-2267 or visit www.tawonga.org.

Capital Camps and Retreat Centre in Waynesboro, Pa., introduced a family camp session in 2004. Sixteen families gave it a try that year and the reviews were as sparkling as the water in the new aquatic centre. With this camp boasting brand new buildings, cabins, climbing walls, tasty kosher cuisine and an array of state-of-the-art camp apparatus, many of those families – some with bubbes, babies and zaydes – have come back for more. This past summer, the camp attracted Jewish families from near and far who were searching for fun, quality Jewish programming and comfortable accommodations. For more information, call the camp's winter office at 301-468-2267 or stop by www.capitalcamps.org.

New Jersey Y Camps in Milford, Pa., has been hosting families for more than 40 years, with more than 100 families attending each recent summer. They offer weekend sessions to various groups, including Generations, for grandparents and their grandchildren, family weekends and single-parent weekends. Of course, this camp has facilities for all kinds of sports and traditional activities. As for what Jewish "extras" to expect at this family camp, there is Shabbat dinner with challah, chicken and chicken soup (among many other things) and the prayers for bread, wine and candles are led by the children. Following the meal, families are invited to Shabbat services, which are done in a "camp" style, with lots of audience participation and a guitar. There are discussion groups that often relate to Jewish ethics concerning family issues and there have been speakers about Holocaust topics. Many arts and crafts are focused on Jewish symbols such as making candlestick holders or kiddish cups, metal mezuzot and challah covers. You can contact the camp by calling 973-575-3333, ext. 127, or visiting www.njycamps.org/families.

Blue Star Camps is in Hendersonville, N.C., near Asheville, in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The 58-year-old camp, the oldest Jewish camp in the southern United States, welcomed family groups for the first time last August: 85 people attended, including one family with four generations. For details about the program, which includes Israeli folk dancing, sports, creative arts, a tantalizing menu prepared in a modern kosher kitchen and lots of room for families to eat and play together, check out www.bluestarcamps.com or call the Miami (winter) office at 954-963-4494.

There's nothing wrong with spending some of your valuable vacation time at a crowded theme park. After all, my own daughter works at Disney World and we can't afford to have her lose her job and move back home. But consider allotting additional time to less commercial and more meaningful family activities at a family camp. Hopefully, someday soon, my daughter's Jewish prince will come along. Grandparenthood would be my next coveted milestone. Then I can start planning a multigenerational get-together at a Jewish family camp. I can't wait!

Pearl Salkin is a freelance writer based in Florida.

^TOP