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Camp Tawonga

March 17, 2024

Camp Tawonga is a 160-acre residential Jewish summer camp located on the middle fork of the Tuolumne River, a few miles west of Yosemite National Park, in the Stanislaus National Forest. The camp operates as a non-profit organization and is affiliated with the Jewish Community Center Association. The camp is located in Groveland, California, although the nearest town is actually a tiny area called Buck Meadows. Tawonga has its main office in San Francisco.[1] Many attendees come from the San Francisco Bay Area,[citation needed] but attendees from Israel, Los Angeles, and other states are often present as well.

History edit

Camp Tawonga was established by Louis and Emma Blumenthal in 1925[2] and was originally established in 1928 as separate camps known as Camp Kelowa for Boys, and Singing Trail for Girls at Huntington Lake just below the alpine level at 7,000 feet, located in the High Sierras, 65 miles Northeast of Fresno, and closed for several years during the Second World War. Camp Tawonga moved to its current site on the middle fork of the Tuolumne River in 1963. During 2003-2007, Camp Tawonga ran the Oseh Shalom-Sanea al Salam—the Palestinian-Jewish Family Peacemakers Camp—in cooperation with the Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogue.[3] On July 3, 2013, a tree fell at the camp, killing an Arts and Crafts specialist and injuring several others as campers were evacuated to the girls' side field.[4][5] In August 2013, the camp was in the path of the Rim Fire. After the camp was evacuated, a staff member returned to the camp to rescue a Torah scroll which had previously survived the Holocaust.[6] The camp lost three buildings to the fire; other damage was described as repairable and is now rebuilt.[7] On July 31, 2018, just two days into the last summer session of the year, all of Camp Tawonga evacuated due to dangerous air quality caused by the local Ferguson Fire and the firefighters' "back burning" techniques.[8] In the summer of 2019, Camp Tawonga became one of the first summer camps in the United States to offer all-gender cabins.[9] In 2020, the camp procured a replacement Torah scroll from the former B'Nai Israel synagogue in Olean, New York.[10] On July 11, 2021, a counselor named Eli Kane died from drowning off-site while working at the camp. https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/07/17/berkeley-high-grad-champion-soccer-player-dies-in-river-near-yosemite/

Facility edit

Camp Tawonga's facility supports roughly 500 attendees and staff, with about 2,000 attendees and staff participating each year. There are around 30 rustic-style cabins without electricity, running water, or heating, used for campers in the summer. There are around 20 heated or powered cabins that are used for other guests. There is a lodge-style dining hall equipped with a Kosher kitchen and back porch overlooking a lake. An Arts-and-Crafts shed, Olympic sized swimming pool, team building ropes course, and outdoor amphitheater are just some of Tawonga's many on-site buildings.

Among its programs are an LGBTQ family weekend (Camp Keshet),[11][12] the only such program in the country.

Cultural references edit

See also edit

A Visit to Camp Kelowa and Singing Trail - Original film was produced by Louis and Emma Blumenthal to provide a glimpse of life at both Camp Kelowa and Camp Singing Trail in 1936. fully difgitized and found at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/cbm_00002 https://archive.org/details/cbm_000010

References edit

  1. ^ "Counselor killed while staff ate breakfast outside - Quixnet". Archived from the original on 2013-07-04. Retrieved 2013-07-04.
  2. ^ "Tree kills staffer at camp near Yosemite". 3 July 2013.
  3. ^ [Terror in the Holy Land: Inside the Anguish of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Judith Kuriansky, editor. Connecticut: Praeger Publishers, 2006, p. 260]
  4. ^ "Death, Injuries After Tree Falls at Camp Tawonga Near Yosemite". KNTV. NBCUniversal. 3 July 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  5. ^ "UC Santa Cruz student killed by falling tree near Yosemite". Los Angeles Times. 4 July 2013.
  6. ^ "Camp counselor saves historic Holocaust-era Torah from California Rim Fire". New York Daily News.
  7. ^ "Rim Fire burns three buildings at Camp Tawonga". J Weekly. August 29, 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  8. ^ "Smoke-filled air forces Camp Tawonga to evacuate". J. 2018-07-31. Retrieved 2018-08-02.
  9. ^ Levin, Dan (2019-08-22). "In an All-Gender Cabin, Summer Campers 'Don't Have to Hide' (Published 2019)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  10. ^ "Sacred Torah passes from Olean to youth camp in Calif". Olean Times Herald. July 13, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
  11. ^ Camp Tawonga Keshet at the Keshet.org website Archived 2013-07-04 at archive.today
  12. ^ Keshet Family Camp at the Hebrew Union College website March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ Which Brings Me to You: A Novel Of Confessions, Steve Almond and Julianna Baggott. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2006, p. 131

External links edit

  • Camp Tawonga's official website

37°51′15″N 119°57′00″W / 37.8543°N 119.9500°W / 37.8543; -119.9500

March 17, 2024
camp, tawonga, acre, residential, jewish, summer, camp, located, middle, fork, tuolumne, river, miles, west, yosemite, national, park, stanislaus, national, forest, camp, operates, profit, organization, affiliated, with, jewish, community, center, association,. Camp Tawonga is a 160 acre residential Jewish summer camp located on the middle fork of the Tuolumne River a few miles west of Yosemite National Park in the Stanislaus National Forest The camp operates as a non profit organization and is affiliated with the Jewish Community Center Association The camp is located in Groveland California although the nearest town is actually a tiny area called Buck Meadows Tawonga has its main office in San Francisco 1 Many attendees come from the San Francisco Bay Area citation needed but attendees from Israel Los Angeles and other states are often present as well Contents 1 History 2 Facility 3 Cultural references 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksHistory editCamp Tawonga was established by Louis and Emma Blumenthal in 1925 2 and was originally established in 1928 as separate camps known as Camp Kelowa for Boys and Singing Trail for Girls at Huntington Lake just below the alpine level at 7 000 feet located in the High Sierras 65 miles Northeast of Fresno and closed for several years during the Second World War Camp Tawonga moved to its current site on the middle fork of the Tuolumne River in 1963 During 2003 2007 Camp Tawonga ran the Oseh Shalom Sanea al Salam the Palestinian Jewish Family Peacemakers Camp in cooperation with the Jewish Palestinian Living Room Dialogue 3 On July 3 2013 a tree fell at the camp killing an Arts and Crafts specialist and injuring several others as campers were evacuated to the girls side field 4 5 In August 2013 the camp was in the path of the Rim Fire After the camp was evacuated a staff member returned to the camp to rescue a Torah scroll which had previously survived the Holocaust 6 The camp lost three buildings to the fire other damage was described as repairable and is now rebuilt 7 On July 31 2018 just two days into the last summer session of the year all of Camp Tawonga evacuated due to dangerous air quality caused by the local Ferguson Fire and the firefighters back burning techniques 8 In the summer of 2019 Camp Tawonga became one of the first summer camps in the United States to offer all gender cabins 9 In 2020 the camp procured a replacement Torah scroll from the former B Nai Israel synagogue in Olean New York 10 On July 11 2021 a counselor named Eli Kane died from drowning off site while working at the camp https www mercurynews com 2021 07 17 berkeley high grad champion soccer player dies in river near yosemite Facility editCamp Tawonga s facility supports roughly 500 attendees and staff with about 2 000 attendees and staff participating each year There are around 30 rustic style cabins without electricity running water or heating used for campers in the summer There are around 20 heated or powered cabins that are used for other guests There is a lodge style dining hall equipped with a Kosher kitchen and back porch overlooking a lake An Arts and Crafts shed Olympic sized swimming pool team building ropes course and outdoor amphitheater are just some of Tawonga s many on site buildings Among its programs are an LGBTQ family weekend Camp Keshet 11 12 the only such program in the country Cultural references editSteve Almond has written about his experiences at the camp in his works including Not That You Asked Rants Exploits and Obsessions 13 See also editList of summer campsA Visit to Camp Kelowa and Singing Trail Original film was produced by Louis and Emma Blumenthal to provide a glimpse of life at both Camp Kelowa and Camp Singing Trail in 1936 fully difgitized and found at Internet Archive https archive org details cbm 00002 https archive org details cbm 000010References edit Counselor killed while staff ate breakfast outside Quixnet Archived from the original on 2013 07 04 Retrieved 2013 07 04 Tree kills staffer at camp near Yosemite 3 July 2013 Terror in the Holy Land Inside the Anguish of the Israeli Palestinian Conflict Judith Kuriansky editor Connecticut Praeger Publishers 2006 p 260 Death Injuries After Tree Falls at Camp Tawonga Near Yosemite KNTV NBCUniversal 3 July 2013 Retrieved 4 July 2013 UC Santa Cruz student killed by falling tree near Yosemite Los Angeles Times 4 July 2013 Camp counselor saves historic Holocaust era Torah from California Rim Fire New York Daily News Rim Fire burns three buildings at Camp Tawonga J Weekly August 29 2013 Retrieved 3 September 2013 Smoke filled air forces Camp Tawonga to evacuate J 2018 07 31 Retrieved 2018 08 02 Levin Dan 2019 08 22 In an All Gender Cabin Summer Campers Don t Have to Hide Published 2019 The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved 2021 01 05 Sacred Torah passes from Olean to youth camp in Calif Olean Times Herald July 13 2019 Retrieved July 13 2019 Camp Tawonga Keshet at the Keshet org website Archived 2013 07 04 at archive today Keshet Family Camp at the Hebrew Union College website Archived March 4 2016 at the Wayback Machine Which Brings Me to You A Novel Of Confessions Steve Almond and Julianna Baggott Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill 2006 p 131External links editCamp Tawonga s official website Campsite history video at camp website 37 51 15 N 119 57 00 W 37 8543 N 119 9500 W 37 8543 119 9500 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Camp Tawonga amp oldid 1199084341, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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