Reform camp opens near Seattle
By Toshio Suzuki
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This summer, Camp Kalsman opens in Arlington, Wash., representing the 13th North American residence camp operated by the Union of Reform Judaism and a brand new overnight option for Pacific Northwest campers.
"This is a huge opportunity for our families to have a camp so close," said Temple Beth Israel Education Director Ben Sandler, "and it connects with everything they do, including Israel trips, religious school, worship settings and even the songs that they sing."
Having raised $15.6 million of an estimated goal of $20.8 million, the 300-acre camp just north of Seattle is several years in the making and the byproduct of much deliberate thought, said Camp Director David Berkman.
"To build a camp from the ground-up does not happen often," said Berkman, adding that the URJ hasn't done it since 1975. To Berkman, Kalsman represents a "significant financial investment" that is necessary when location and quality of construction are necessities.
"Some of the great parts about the Pacific Northwest is (that) there's all this space," said the camp director who was one of only three Jews in his Central Texas high school. By filling the URJ's void in the Northwest, Berkman said the Reform movement can serve the fast-growing Jewish communities in urban areas north of California as well as children from more remote states like Alaska, Idaho and Montana who don't necessarily get any sense of Jewish belonging from their surroundings.
Custom-made Kalsman features six camper cabins that sleep 15 each, a retreat center that accommodates 20 and a man-made lake equipped with its own island. The dining hall, basketball court, swimming pool, kayaks and alpine climbing course are new too.
"No Jewish camping experience is going to be a bad one," said Jemi Mansfield, education and life cycle administrator for Beth Israel. When picking a summer camp option, Mansfield said most parents consider location and affiliation discount as factors. Camp Kalsman offers camps for grades 2-12, with costs ranging from $600-2,670. Discounts for URJ members range from $50-150 depending on the camp.
For its first summer, running from the end of June to the end of August, Berkman said Kalsman will house 90 kids for each camp, with options made available in the initial planning for future growth.
"I've probably seen a couple 100 camp sites over the years, and this is the most beautiful," said Berkman who was formerly the associate director of the URJ camping system and will be at Beth Israel Feb. 24 for two Camp Kalsman presentations.
Sandler, who recently returned from his 1983 URJ camp reunion in Indiana, said the Jewish camping experience is really the number one piece that keeps people active and connected in their communities, especially providing continuity for children throughout the entire year.
"When you have a Reform camp so close, all of a sudden you get kids who want to pick up a guitar and help lead student services and participate in our religious school and youth group," Sandler said.
"It'll (Kalsman) start to speak for itself when kids start coming back after one or two years, you'll really see—I guarantee there'll be waiting lists."
For more information, call 206-624-6500 or visit www.kalsman@urjcamps.org.