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January 23, 2004
Camps inspire creative careers
A mosaic, a tallit and a frog-and-grasshopper afikoman case are
samples of the artwork of former campers.
PEARL SALKIN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
With the school year past its midpoint, parents and students are
starting to think seriously about summer camp.
What are parents looking for? A wholesome environment is the top
priority. A fairly priced program packed with entertaining activities
and enlightening experiences sums up the other requirements. What
are kids looking for? For the most part, fun. Sports, games, arts
and crafts, competitions, campfires – just hanging out with
summer buddies can build lifelong friendships and priceless memories.
And for some kids, camp can be the place where artistic careers
are conceived.
A magnificent mosaic at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in
Rockville, Md., a luminous tallit on display at the Israel Museum
of Jerusalem, a whimsical frog-and-grasshopper afikoman case –
this is just a small sample of the wonderful work that is currently
being produced by some of today's most talented Jewish artists.
And what sparked their careers in art? A special summer at a Jewish
camp.
"Attending Jewish summer camp was major for me," said
Nancy Katz, a graphic and textile artist in Berkley, Calif. "I
went to Camp Young Judea in Amherst, N.H., as a young teen and was
highly impacted by Carl Ziedel, who served as the camp's art director
for many years. He was a wonderful man who ran a great art room!
I loved being in that space and in his presence."
Today, Katz, whose colorful Torah covers and ark curtains adorn
the bimah of sanctuaries across the North America, and whose silk
tallitot, chuppot and wall-hangings grace museums, galleries and
private collections on many continents, shares her expertise and
joy of creating Judaica with campers at Union of American Hebrew
Congregations' Camp Swig in Northern California. And though completing
commissioned projects in her studio takes up a lot of time, she
loves leading workshops for scout troops, congregational groups
and others interested in expressing their Judaism artistically,
and schedules sessions throughout the year.
Jeanette Kuvin Oren, the modern master who made the previously mentioned
mosaic, is a multimedia whiz. Kuvin Oren, a Connecticut resident,
works with an assortment of fabrics, papers, paints, dyes and other
materials. Her papercut and painted-silk originals, limited edition
lithographs and one-of-a-kind creations have been highly praised
by critics and treasured by collectors of Jewish art. And where
do you think this all began? Back in summer camp – in Israel.
"I grew up in Palm Beach, Fla., where we were one of only a
handful of Jewish families at the time," said Kuvin Oren, a
graduate of Princeton University who decided to leave her doctoral
studies at Yale, pick up a paintbrush and follow her artistic passion.
"In order to expose us to Israel and to Judaism, my parents
bought an apartment in Jerusalem, where we spent every summer,"
she explained. "When I was 14, I attended a 'sleep-away camp
for teenagers interested in art.' We painted on hilltops overlooking
Jerusalem and learned art in Hebrew, of course. It was the one and
only formal time I've ever studied art, and it was wonderful."
Elizabeth Tarnove of San Diego, Calif., is a Jewish stitch wizard.
She can do the Algerian eyelet, satin stitch, coil filling stitch,
long-armed cross stitch, stitch in time – I threw in that last
one just to see if you're paying attention. But, seriously, give
her a needle and thread, and she can turn the plainest piece of
cloth into a fabulous family heirloom.
"I attended Camp Ramah in Ojai, Calif., as a teenager and I
think it made me a more committed Jew than I might have been otherwise,"
said Tarnove. "USY [United Synagogue Youth] also had a positive
influence. I learned how to make crocheted kippot and made lots
of them. At that time, girls didn't wear kippot, but I had loads
of fun figuring out which boys to give them to (the boys who I thought
were cute)."
Tarnove is the Web master for www.pomegranateguild.org,
online home of the Pomegranate Guild of Judaic Needlework, a professional
organization of Jewish needlework artists. Undoubtedly, many guild
members got hooked on quilting, crocheting and embroidering when
they were kids at a Jewish camp. Besides making soft sculptures,
samplers and such, Tarnove is now designing and marketing stitch-it-yourself
kits. She takes pleasure in creating Judaica that is colorful, kid-friendly
and can be enjoyed at holidays and throughout the year. And she
hopes to introduce the next generation to these fun and fulfilling
art forms.
Why does a Jewish camping experience leave such a lasting impression
on budding artists? Maybe it's the rich religious or cultural environment.
Or, possibly it's the no-grades, no-parents-on-the-premises, no-pressure
atmosphere, a place where kids feel free to experiment with paint,
pipe cleaners and pottery, that opens up the artistic mind, allowing
the Jewish spirit to soar. So send your kids to Jewish camp. They'll
love you for it. And if you're afraid that your daughter, the doctor-to-be,
or your son, Supreme Court Justice-in-waiting, will give up your
dreams – I mean their dreams – and become a starving artist,
don't be. Doctors and lawyers who are destined to pursue careers
in medicine and law will not stray from their chosen course, and
might actually pick up a gratifying pastime. But the kid who has
that extra kick of creativity just might find out that he wants
to be a Shabbat candlestick-maker.
If your children show some talent and get great satisfaction out
of expressing their love of Judaism through art, encourage them
to continue along that glorious path. But if they come home from
camp with a cockeyed, clay kiddush cup or a macaroni monstrosity
that in no way resembles its title – Moses on Mt. Sinai –
just smile, tell them you love it, and hope they find their true
calling in another field.
Pearl Salkin is a writer who lives in Florida.
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