Photoessay #2825 - Intersection/Camp Swig

In the book "American Judaism", Jonathan Sarna brings up many many facets of the Jewish Community in America from the beginning to 2004 ( the book's publication date).  Many I had missed.  But quite a few I've experienced in my inconsistent informal connections with the Jewish community

I've intersected here and there.

Camp Swig, for example.  In 1968, when I was 16, I won a campership (a partial scholarship?) to a two week session at Camp Swig, a camp in the Santa Cruz mountains.  Have I mentioned how much I loved the Santa Cruz mountains?  I had a complete blast there, I walked into the cabin, with all of my social anxiety and the girls there decided that *I* was just the person to be part of their group.  They'd been there many times, they knew everybody.  All of the sudden I was on the inside track.  Whooppee!  I think it was a special music and dance theme.  I loved to do the Israeli dancing.  I learned so many dances there that I danced for many years.  I was particularly proud of one very intricate one; now I can't remember it.  Bet I do remember it in the course of writing this.  Right now, it's a blank.

The political climate was quite progressive; to the left of anything that I had experienced in my cossetted life in the central valley.  We sang and laughed and cried and I had a boyfriend.  I loved the whole darn thing.  Most all of the kids were members of youth groups of Bay Area Reform temples.  I knew them all.  I loved them!

Shlomo Carlebach was there, doing his Song of Shabbos.  I'll write more about him later.

They taught a very loosely bound Judaism.  I'm reading some very limited accounts of the 1960s where the songs and activities focused on the freedom riders and social issues but then migrated to Hebrew songs and Israeli emphasis.  I must have been there in the middle of that process because I remember both.  We swayed and sang and each day was better than the last.

Afterwards, the NFTY youth groups had activities mostly in the Bay Area; maybe I went a few times really enjoying the kids I had met.  But mostly, I couldn't.  My parents wouldn't let me go.  They wouldn't go along with me going back the next year.  I think they didn't like it.  I could blame it all on them; which is likely not fair.  But I lost track and never recaptured that wonderful summer.  I remember, we would all be CITs the next year.  I really really wanted to do it.  I don't remember if I couldn't go or maybe I wasn't accepted?  After that time, if I appeared in any family teachers, I'm scowling, ugly.

I'm just wondering now that my parents are gone and I'm of a certain age.  Was some of that resentment and angst focused on the frustration of not being able to participate in that community?  Maybe.

My mother earlier so so wanted me to love Girl Scout Camp like she did.  Two of my daughters loved Girl Scout Camp, worked there.  I couldn't stand it; would have anything to do with it as soon as I was able.  Maybe my mother thought that I shouldn't be at camp if I wouldn't do Girl Scout camp?

I don't have a thing left from that time.  No pictures.  Or programs.  Maybe in a box somewhere?  I dunno.  I searched on the web and could hardly find anything.  The camp closed in 2008, apparently there's a new camp in the Santa Rosa area?

Early on, you had to wear white shirts, maybe on shabbat?  I found this picture from 1968, from a Hagigah or arts session?  Was I there?  Am I in this picture?  I don't think it was called that.  How would I know?  I thought my session was music and dancing.  These people look so old-fashioned!  Wouldn't it be crazy if *I* was in this picture?