A new Reform camp begins

PEARL SALKIN

On July 23, 2006, years of dreaming, discussing, proposing, planning and fund-raising took a major leap into reality when ceremonial shovels dug into the earth and scooped up soil at the groundbreaking for the Union for Reform Judaism's new camp – Camp Kalsman in Arlington, Wash.

The new facility, about an hour north of Seattle and at the base of the Cascade foothills, is being built on 300 acres of land that is perfect for a variety of outdoor activities. Camp Kalsman will be the 13th camp run by the URJ, formerly known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, which opened its first camps in 1951 in California and Wisconsin. Kalsman will be the URJ's first camp in the American Pacific Northwest.

Why did it take so long to start a Reform camp that will be relatively easy to access by the Jewish families of British Columbia, Washington and Idaho?

"This camp has been in planning for at least five years," said David Berkman, the recently appointed first director of Camp Kalsman, from his new Seattle winter office. "The Jewish communities in this part of North America are dispersed. Places are far apart. Unlike metro New York, southern Florida and similar areas, there isn't much Jewish population density here.''

Berkman, who is thrilled to be heading up this venture, has been a huge URJ camp fan since he was a kid in Texas and attended Greene Family Camp, located between Austin and Dallas. While in college, he was a counsellor, then an instructor and, later, assistant director at Greene Family Camp. After graduate school in Colorado, Berkman became the associate director of camping at URJ camping headquarters in New York City.

It's been a long time since the URJ built a camp, and the world – Jewish and secular – has changed. Kids still love to sing those perennially favorite Hebrew camp songs and participate in those special camp Shabbat services, but, while informal Jewish education at summer camp is still of paramount importance – nearly 80 per cent of Reform rabbis and cantors are products of the URJ camps – equipment and programming must keep up with the times. And our sensitivity to maintaining the land and protecting all of its creatures has become a higher priority than in previous generations. Before you start constructing something, you must find out what the environmental consequences of those projects could be.

"The whole construction project had to be studied thoroughly and plans had to be drawn and approved by engineers," said Berkman. "The property contains many different [ecological] areas and we had to be concerned about wetland mitigation. Since a stream runs through a good portion of the campgrounds, fish ladders had to be built for the salmon and bull trout, which is a threatened species [protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act]."

Rochelle Garfinkel, administrator of Temple Sholom Synagogue in Vancouver, expressed her thoughts about Jewish camping and the new facility this way: "We encourage our families to attend Jewish summer camps. The camp will be offering a lot of programming for the senior high school-aged kids - the 10-day adventure camp, as well as sessions for kids entering grades nine to 12."

Although a definite date has not been set, Berkman is planning a visit to Vancouver this winter to spread the good word about Camp Kalsman.

"I spoke to David Berkman and it sounds like Camp Kalsman will be a great summer camp option," said Garfinkel. "He said that the camp is located on an outstanding alpine site and the programs will include mountain biking and alpine climbing. He also explained that the camp is part of a very established Jewish camping program, the programming will be comprehensive and the staff will have the benefit of a longstanding program for training and orientation."

Besides the tried-and-true method of in-person presentations at synagogues and at congregants' homes, in smaller communities, recruiting new campers and even staff has gone high-tech for camps. Berkman said that he has already received a number of Canadian inquiries.

"Having a camp website is a wonderful tool," he enthused. "We still have to enhance ours – add some streaming video, some flash and bang. There is a lot of competition and we must use a combination of methods to get our information out."

Despite recent inclement weather and power outages, Berkman was pleased to report that construction is on schedule. Since completing the structures is not a big concern at this point, he can concentrate on programming. As at all URJ camps, specialists will be employed and there will be a good balance of educational and recreational activities. Although he can draw from many successful examples, Berkman is evaluating every possibility and fashioning a unique program for his campers – and he is dedicated to establishing a warm and inviting kehillah (community).

For the latest information on Camp Kalsman, visit urj.org/pnwc/kalsman.

Pearl Salkin is a freelance based in Florida.

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