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image - A graphic novel co-created by artist Miriam Libicki and Holocaust survivor David Schaffer for the Narrative Art & Visual Storytelling in Holocaust & Human Rights Education project

A graphic novel co-created by artist Miriam Libicki and Holocaust survivor David Schaffer for the Narrative Art & Visual Storytelling in Holocaust & Human Rights Education project. Made possible by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

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Tag: Camp Solomon Schechter

Anger over flag-raising

Anger over flag-raising

Kids4Peace at Camp Solomon Schechter. (photo from k4p.org)

Camp Solomon Schechter (CSS), located outside of Olympia, Wash., was mired in controversy earlier this summer, after it temporarily flew a small Palestinian flag alongside the large American, Canadian and Israeli flags that usually wave above the camp. The flag was hoisted to welcome a delegation from Kids4Peace, which included Palestinian Muslim and Christian children. The children had come to the Jewish summer camp to foster friendship and understanding.

According to a source at the camp, the decision to raise the Palestinian flag was not a political one, but was intended as an expression of the mitzvah of welcoming guests (hachnassat orchim).

The 13 children from Kids4Peace, whose visit inspired the incident, spent five days at the camp, where they attended Jewish prayers every day and learned about Zionism and Israel. Founded in Jerusalem in 2002, Kids4Peace is “a global movement of youth and families dedicated to ending conflict and inspiring hope in divided societies around the world,” according to its website. The organization works with more than 500 Palestinian, Israeli and North American youth.

“It provided an opportunity for many American Jewish campers to meet a Palestinian for the first time, and to recognize that there are Palestinian partners who want to work – together – for peace,” Kids4Peace Northwest regional director Jordan Goldwarg wrote on the Kids4Peace blog about the camp visit. “It provided an opportunity for Palestinian Kids4Peace participants to experience American Jewish life and to gain a deeper understanding of why a strong, stable Israel is so important for Jews the world over.”

The flag incident was first publicized on the Mike Report, an amateur news blog hosted out of Seattle by right-wing, pro-Israel activist Mike Behar, who was highly critical of the actions of CSS. The news of the raising of a Palestinian flag sparked intense criticism online and among some parents and alumni, including many British Columbians connected to the camp. The apology subsequently issued on the CSS Facebook page was met with so many hostile comments that the page itself was taken offline for a time.

The incident attracted attention in American Jewish papers, as well. Tablet’s Leil Leibowitz, who acknowledged that, on one level, the flag raising was a “sweet gesture,” nevertheless wrote a fiery op-ed accusing CSS of addressing “the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a mindless, morally preening way, treating it not as something concrete but as a collection of grand symbolic gestures,” and suggesting that training children on such empty theatrics would set them up to join “fringe anti-Israel groups” as adults.

In a letter sent to parents and supporters following the visit, the camp wrote: “For the sake of a teachable moment, we did raise the Palestinian flag as a sign of friendship and acceptance. It was met with uncertainty by some campers and staff, especially the Israeli’s [sic], but all understood that the message of hope for peace by flying the Israeli flag alongside helped develop empathy. Still we plan to take down all the flags for Shabbat since there is no peace and also to relieve the sadness and anger that some feel by the site [sic] of the flag.”

The letter also said the camp remains “unabashedly pro-Israel and we are celebrating Israel alongside our new friends.”

“Camp Solomon Schechter is a proud Zionist and pro-Israel camp,” a subsequent statement said. “We honour the Israeli army and Israeli people on a daily basis at CSS. Our goal was to create a safe space for all, and begin dialogue among the next generation.”

The camp’s executive director, Sam Perlin, and co-board president, Andy Kaplowitz, also issued a statement responding to the depth of the negative responses from some members of the community: “Camp Solomon Schechter regrets raising the Palestinian flag alongside U.S., Canadian and Israeli flags … we neglected to foresee in such actions the serious political implications and, for that lapse in judgment, we are deeply sorry.”

Kids4Peace released an official statement, saying that, “To some, the Palestinian flag evokes the failure of past negotiations, continued hostility toward Israel and a feeling that there is no partner for peace.

“At the same time, the Palestinian youth who came to camp are precisely those peace leaders who are reaching out to work with Israelis to counter incitement and build a new future on a foundation of mutual respect and understanding. These Muslim and Christian youth are also part of the Palestinian people, and they deserve only admiration and support.”

The statement also noted, “Unfortunately, most Americans and Israelis never encounter any pro-peace Palestinian voices. Instead, their perspectives are shaped by painful past experiences and media portrayals that reinforce negative views. But it is wrong to view all Palestinians as enemies of Israel or the Jewish people. That’s why Kids4Peace came to camp in the first place.”

Both the Israeli and American governments have flown Palestinian flags in gestures of welcome or goodwill. The White House flew the Palestinian flag when Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this year. Israel lifted its ban on flying the Palestinian flag in 1993 and there were Palestinian flags flown at the Knesset in 2013, when a Palestinian delegation visited. Likewise, at a ceremony thanking all those who helped douse the wildfires in Israel’s north in 2016, the Palestinian flag was flown at an Israeli air base, next to the flags of Turkey, Russia and Greece.

Matthew Gindin is a freelance journalist, writer and lecturer. He writes regularly for the Forward and All That Is Interesting, and has been published in Religion Dispatches, Situate Magazine, Tikkun and elsewhere. He can be found on Medium and Twitter. This article was originally published by CJN.

Format ImagePosted on August 18, 2017August 16, 2017Author Matthew GindinCategories LocalTags camp, Camp Solomon Schechter, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Kids4Peace, peace
Camp groundbreaking

Camp groundbreaking

From left to right: Andy Kaplowitz, Camp Solomon Schechter vice-president/president elect; Sam Perlin, camp executive director; Sarah Kahn Glass, camp president; Jerry Cohen of the Samis Foundation; and Jay Holzman, leadership donor. (photo from CSS)

On July 10, Camp Solomon Schechter hosted a formal groundbreaking ceremony to commemorate the start of major construction at their facility. From 60 to 120: The Campaign to Build Jewish Continuity is a $12 million multi-year project, beginning this fall, to refurbish the camp’s facilities over the coming years.

But this campaign is about so much more than buildings. “Camp is kids,” said CSS executive director Sam Perlin, but “Schechter is also about adults. That’s because it’s not just a summer experience or a school-years’ experience. As we have found, it’s a lifelong experience.”

The facilities currently host more than 500 campers and staff each summer and are used during the year by the Osprey Camp program, which primarily works with distressed school districts in southwest Washington to provide students with an application of science concepts as they live and learn in the outdoors. It also provides a rental venue for a range of organizations and individuals.

Speakers at the groundbreaking included Sarah Glass, CSS board president; Andy Kaplowitz, CSS board vice-president; representatives of major donors, including Jerry Cohen for the Samis Foundation and Jay Holzman for the Holzman family; Tumwater Mayor Pete Kmet; and two CSS campers. Several local officials were in attendance.

Format ImagePosted on July 22, 2016July 19, 2016Author Camp Solomon SchechterCategories LocalTags Camp Solomon Schechter, continuity, groundbreaking, summer camp
Outside of British Columbia

Outside of British Columbia

Jewish summer camp combines land and water activities with learning about Israel and Judaism. (photo from Camp BB Riback)

When summer comes to the Pacific Northwest, it’s the best time to head into the great outdoors and, of course, for kids, into the summer camp experience. For Jewish kids in British Columbia, there are not only great local camps – Camp Hatikvah and Camp Miriam – but a few out-of-province options worth considering.

When Camp Solomon Schechter (CSS) was established in 1954, on the shores of Whidbey Island, there was a vision born out of the camp’s now-common catch phrase, “Where Judaism and joy are one.” Sixty-one years later, now located on private, protected lakefront property on the outskirts of Olympia, Wash., the camp is looking to the future again, with the combination of Judaism and joy still central.

A Conservative movement-based summer camp, CSS launched a capital campaign in 2014 called From 60 to 120, with a focus on supporting the next 60 years of growth. In an informational social gathering hosted in Vancouver by the camp on Jan. 10, director Sam Perlin shared plans for the campaign and the new facilities that would be born from it.

photo - Jewish summer camp combines land and water activities with learning about Israel and Judaism
(photo from Camp Solomon Schechter)

Already halfway to reaching their $12 million goal, Perlin said that if they reach $8 million on time, construction would begin as soon as the summer. New dining and covered sports facilities with programming space are in the works, along with health and welcome centres, all built while preserving and enhancing the camp’s unique wetlands.

The new developments will be a welcome addition to the approximately 120 Canadian campers CSS gets in any given summer, a number Perlin says he hopes will continue to grow. “We have full Canadian buses coming from Canada,” he explained. “We even moved Aleph (First) session to accommodate the Canadian school schedule.”

With several matching grants approved, Perlin noted that Canadians can participate in the matching program to maximize their contributions. He also pointed out that a Canadian donation will be matched with the same number in U.S. dollars, regardless of the exchange rate.

For more information on CSS programming or the campaign, visit campschechter.org or from60to120.org.

* * *

Across the Rockies and into Alberta, Camp BB Riback (a B’nai B’rith camp) is celebrating its 60th anniversary on Pine Lake.

Camp director Jerrod Henoch said they’ve been building up their waterfront program to include learn-to-ski and wakeboard sessions. “Our professional-level ski boat and boom, combined with the expert attention of our waterfront staff, sees even many of our youngest campers get up on water skis for their first time at camp,” he explained.

Of course, with the Alberta-based location, Camp BB also features a horseback riding instruction program.

Camp BB will also be building new camper cabins this spring as part one of their facility enhancement plans.

Although the majority of Camp BB’s participants are from Edmonton, Calgary and Saskatoon, Henoch said they do get several B.C. families every summer as well.

“Camp BB is famous for its inclusive and open camp community and we are especially good at helping new campers from out of province or across the world feel included,” he said. “With one of the largest arrays of activity areas in Western Canada, we have something that every camper will excel at and something that will challenge each camper.”

Henoch said there are several staff and even senior management studying or living in British Columbia with whom a consultation for any interested local families could be set up.

More information on the camp can be found at campbb.com.

* * *

One of the newer Jewish camps in the region is Camp Kalsman. Affiliated with the Reform movement, the facilities are located off the Interstate 5, between Mt. Vernon and Everett in Washington.

photo - learning Torah at Camp Kalsman
(photo from Camp Kalsman)

Entering their 10th summer, director David Berkman said this summer will be one big birthday celebration, highlighted by a community-wide party on July 31.

In its first decade, Berkman said the camp’s sense of community has stood out more than anything else.

“The two things that most distinguish Kalsman from other Jewish summer camps are our staff and the community we form with all our participants,” he said. “The Kalsman staff are extraordinary and their dedication to the campers and the camp is amazing. We all work hard to create a sense of family and home away from home. More often than not, campers refer to camp as their home.”

In addition to a heated pool, Camp Kalsman also features a 50-foot tower, a giant swing, a speaking garden and even a petting zoo. With sessions ranging in length from three days to three weeks, the camp serves participants from Grade 2 all the way through high school.

Berkman said Camp Kalsman usually sees three to four dozen campers from north of the border, but he is looking forward to seeing that number grow.

For more information on Camp Kalsman, visit campkalsman.org.

Kyle Berger is Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver sports coordinator, and a freelance writer living in Richmond.

 

Format ImagePosted on January 22, 2016January 21, 2016Author Kyle BergerCategories WorldTags Camp BB Riback, Camp Kalsman, Camp Solomon Schechter, Conservative movement, CSS, David Berkman, Jerrod Henoch, Pine Lake, Reform movement, Sam Perlin, Whidbey Island
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