In 1974, on the beautiful grounds of Herman Rubenstein’s Buffalo Gap Camp in Capon Bridge, West Virginia, Adas Israel Congregation launched a summer camp for Jewish children of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Whether you were a camper or a counselor (or even a parent), you probably realized – either at the time or a few years later – that something special was occurring at Camp Tel Shalom in the mid-1970s.
Over the next several summers, Camp Tel Shalom became a close-knit community that many returned to year after year. For some it was also a launching pad, a proving ground or coming-of-age incubator that spurred their growth to new places and phases. For others it was simply a fun place that bolstered their confidence, offering a chance to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond.
We’ve started this website to re-connect with old friends and share some memories… Remember the way 100-plus voices rocked the chader ochel with rousing renditions of Im Tirtzu or Bashanah Haba'ah? Whatever happened to the girl sitting next to you who always softly sang harmony to Dodi Li? Was Camp Tel Shalom the site of your first romantic kiss or your first real girlfriend/boyfriend? Do you remember learning to swim or navigate a kayak in the slimy-bottomed lake? Maybe you recall a particularly well-executed midnight raid on the girls' cabin or vice versa? Were you amazed when, after only a week, you chanted the birkat hamazon after meals as well as the kids from Jewish Day School? Do you remember your favorite counselors and friends? Did you cry on the last day as everyone boarded the buses for the trip home?
Over the next several summers, Camp Tel Shalom became a close-knit community that many returned to year after year. For some it was also a launching pad, a proving ground or coming-of-age incubator that spurred their growth to new places and phases. For others it was simply a fun place that bolstered their confidence, offering a chance to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond.
We’ve started this website to re-connect with old friends and share some memories… Remember the way 100-plus voices rocked the chader ochel with rousing renditions of Im Tirtzu or Bashanah Haba'ah? Whatever happened to the girl sitting next to you who always softly sang harmony to Dodi Li? Was Camp Tel Shalom the site of your first romantic kiss or your first real girlfriend/boyfriend? Do you remember learning to swim or navigate a kayak in the slimy-bottomed lake? Maybe you recall a particularly well-executed midnight raid on the girls' cabin or vice versa? Were you amazed when, after only a week, you chanted the birkat hamazon after meals as well as the kids from Jewish Day School? Do you remember your favorite counselors and friends? Did you cry on the last day as everyone boarded the buses for the trip home?
B'shalom and welcome back,
Allen Goldberg '74, '75, '76
Barry Eisenberg '74, '75, '76 ‘77
Do you want to have a reunion?
We Need Everyone"s Contact Info!
Please click here to leave us your email address and the contact info for any fellow campers or their parents.
Attach any digitized photos, letters home and other Camp Tel Shalom-related memorabilia to populate this site.
If you do not have access to a scanner, mail them to
Camp Tel Shalom
3839 Calvert Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
and we will handle your memories with care and return them to you safely. We also hope you will share with us contact information for others who attended (or will at least forward a note to camp friends you are still in touch with). In the end, we will even see if there is enthusiasm for a reunion.
Attach any digitized photos, letters home and other Camp Tel Shalom-related memorabilia to populate this site.
If you do not have access to a scanner, mail them to
Camp Tel Shalom
3839 Calvert Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
and we will handle your memories with care and return them to you safely. We also hope you will share with us contact information for others who attended (or will at least forward a note to camp friends you are still in touch with). In the end, we will even see if there is enthusiasm for a reunion.
1 comment:
I just watched these 350(400?) photos again after not doing so for 4 months. Taken together -- they really are fantastic. A beautiful place, people and time. We need to plan a day-trip to the campgrounds before it is gone forever.
Barry
Post a Comment