Camp Kinderland
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Camp Kinderland is a summer camp located in Tolland, MA for boys and girls aged nine through sixteen. The camp's motto is summer camp with a conscience since 1923. The main topics of the curriculum are: equality, peace, community, social justice, activism, civil rights, Yiddishkeit, and friendship. Campers may stay for four weeks in July, three weeks in August, or all seven of the offerred weeks.
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[edit] Founding and History
The camp was founded by members of The Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring, a leftist Jewish fraternal organization, in 1923 in Hopewell, NY. Camp Kinderland, along with the rest of the left wing of the Workmen's Circle, split off in 1930 and created the International Workers Order. Camp Kinderland became the official summer camp of the Jewish section of the IWO. In 1954 the IWO was shut down and its assets liquidated by the government, which had determined that it was a Communist organization. At that time Camp Kinderland became an independent corporation.
While there is no discrimination in the registration process (campers do not have to be Jewish), a large majority are. Most campers are from the New York area, especially Brooklyn, where there is a shule (school of the dozen Workmen's Circle Shuln) associated with the camp.
[edit] Social Values
Camp Kinderland promotes progressive social values through its cultural program. It is anti-death penalty, pro-labor union, and generally socialist. Every year it holds the Peace Olympics, where camp is evenly divided into four teams, each representing a movement or nation that camp's directors feel is helping the progressive cause.
[edit] Politics
The camp's left-wing politics led it to be the place many red diaper babies were sent growing up, which caused it to be investigated during the McCarthy era. Many alumni of the camp remain committed to various socialist and anti-war causes, sometimes under the Kinderland banner.[citation needed]
[edit] See also
Itche Goldberg (Contains a brief mention of shules.)
[edit] External links
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