Surprise Lake Camp

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Coordinates: 41°27′39″N 73°57′0″W / 41.46083°N 73.95000°W / 41.46083; -73.95000
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Surprise Lake Camp
Co-educational
AffiliationACA
Websitesurpriselake.org

Surprise Lake Camp is a

non-profit sleepaway camp located on over 400 acres (1.6 km2) in North Highlands, New York (approximately 60 miles (97 km) north of New York City). It is the oldest Jewish summer camp in the United States.[1]

History

Founded in 1901 by the

Federation of Jewish Philanthropies. The camp continues to operate as a summer camp for children from the New York metropolitan area.[2][3][4][5] In 2005, the camp sold 200 acres and granted a conservation easement over an additional 465 acres of camp property to the Open Space Institute, thus ensuring the preservation of these undeveloped lands adjacent to Hudson Highlands State Park.[6] The camp was the setting of a popular 2013 viral video on the topic of feminine hygiene entitled Camp Gyno.[7][8]

In its early years of operation, the camp was subjected to

the Jews of New York City.[10]

Former campers and staff

Among Surprise Lake's first campers was

biopic The Eddie Cantor Story[11]) with giving him the encouragement to pursue show business. Upon achieving success as an entertainer, he became one of the camp's most ardent supporters. He was a member of the Surprise Lake Camp Board of Directors, and a theater at the camp was named for him.[12][13]

Other notable Surprise Lake campers have included Neil Diamond (who has identified Pete Seeger's visits to the camp as his earliest exposure to a musical role model),[14][15] Jax,[16] Joseph Heller,[17] Jerry Stiller,[18] Gene Simmons,[19] Larry King, Neil Simon, Cody Brotter, and Walter Matthau.[10]

Notes

  1. ISBN 978-1584653479, p. 24. Excerpts available at Google Books
    .
  2. ISBN 978-0817352936, pp. 12ff. Excerpts available at Google Books
    .
  3. ^ "Our History" Archived 2014-05-07 at the Wayback Machine, Educational Alliance (accessed 2014-05-06).
  4. Encyclopedia Judaica
    (2nd ed., 2007).
  5. ^ Matthew Purdy, "Our Towns; The Coolest Kid in the Camp Has Loved 50 Fun-Filled Summers", The New York Times, August 11, 2002.
  6. ^ Barbara Livingston Nackman, "Land deal welcome for Surprise Lake Camp", The Journal News, January 16, 2005.
  7. ^ "Camp Gyno’ creator on preparing girls for puberty", Jewish Telegraphic Agency, October 27, 2013.
  8. ^ "Cold Spring Video Goes Viral", Hudson Valley Reporter, August 5, 2013.
  9. ^
    ISBN 978-0814767504, pp. 127, 186ff., & passim. Excerpts available at Google Books
    .
  10. ^ a b Nina Bernstein, " A Bid to Save and Share Pieces of Jewish Heritage", The New York Times, November 7, 2006.
  11. ISBN 978-0520209640, p. 307. Excerpts available at Google Books
    .
  12. ^ Eddie Cantor, "Show Business", The Palm Beach Post, January 16, 1955.
  13. ^ Marek Fuchs, "Religion Journal; Back to Nature, and Back to the No-Frills Bar Mitzvah", The New York Times, August 28, 2004.
  14. ^ Stephen Holden, "Coming Home to Perform, Neil Diamond Takes Stock of Life at the Top", The New York Times, July 20, 1986.
  15. ^ "Pete Seeger, Neil Diamond and me", The Washington Post, January 28, 2014.
  16. ^ "American Idol Finalist Jax Shares How Camp Shaped Her". UJA Federation of New York. 13 July 2015.
  17. ISBN 978-1429987844, p. 38. Excerpts available at Google Books
    .
  18. ISBN 978-0743211468, p. 45. Excerpts available at Google Books
    .
  19. ISBN 978-0609810026, p. 48. Excerpts available at Google Books
    .

External links
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