Kittatinny Camp [West]
I spent a terrific day Sunday with my ol’ Kittatinny Camp mate, Chuck Rait!!
I got to meet his lovely wife, Suzanne, and two of his children, Ben and Liz.
Bob Ramsey’s tattoos, “The Dell,” Joel Mulyava Day… and scores of campers, waiters, CITs, busboys, councellors, and camp administrators were discussed.
Here are some pics. Many more, from back in “the day,” to follow.
Back row , L to R is Tillia Segal, Bruce Neustadt, Gary Kauffman, Irv Klein, (?). Middle row L to R : (?) Dick Berk, Stave cabot, Bob Berk. Front row Craig Pearson and Herbie Wollowick. Most of these are from Bunk 36 in 1957
‘Tis The Season… here’s The Reason
This was forwarded to me by the good Dr. Richard Berk, of Kittatinny Camp fame :-). It so captures it all!!
Enjoy.
If anyone asks you what the difference is between Christmas and Chanukah, you will know what and how to answer!
1. Christmas is one day, same day every year, December 25. Jews also love December 25th . It’s another paid day off work. We go to movies and go out for Chinese food and Israeli dancing. Chanukah is 8 days. It starts the evening of the 24th of Kislev, whenever that falls. No one is ever sure. Jews never know until a non-Jewish friend asks when Chanukah starts, forcing us to consult a calendar so we don’t look like idiots. We all have the same calendar, provided free with a donation from the World Jewish Congress , the kosher butcher, or the local Sinai Memorial Chapel (especially in Florida) or other Jewish funeral home.
2. Christmas is a major holiday. Chanukah is a minor holiday with the same theme as most Jewish holidays. They tried to kill us, we survived, let’s eat.
3. Christians get wonderful presents such as jewelry, perfume, stereos….Jews get practical presents such as underwear, socks, or the collected works of the Rambam.
4. There is only one way to spell Christmas. No one can decide how to spell Chanukah , Chanukkah, Chanukka, Channukah, Hanukah , Hannukah, etc.
5. Christmas is a time of great pressure for husbands and boyfriends. Their partners expect special gifts. Jewish men are relieved of that burden. No one expects a diamond ring on Chanukah.
6. Christmas brings enormous electric bills.Wax candles are used for Chanukah. Not only are we spared enormous electric bills, but we get to feel good about not contributing to the energy crisis.
7. Christmas carols are beautiful…Silent Night, Come All Ye Faithful….Chanukah songs are about dreidels made from clay or having a party and dancing the hora. Of course, we are secretly pleased that many of the beautiful carols were composed and written by our tribal brethren. And don’t Barbara Streisand and Neil Diamond sing them beautifully?
8. A home preparing for Christmas smells wonderful. The sweet smell of cookies and cakes baking. Happy people are gathered around in festive moods. A home preparing for Chanukah smells of oil, potatoes, and onions. The home, as always, is full of loud people all talking at once.
9. Parents deliver gifts to their children during Christmas mornings. Jewish parents have no qualms about withholding a gift on any of the eight nights.
10. The players in the Christmas story have easy to pronounce names such as Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. The players in the Chanukah story are Antiochus , Judah Maccabee, and Matta whatever. No one can spell it or pronounce it. On the plus side, we can tell our friends anything and they believe we are wonderfully versed in our history.
11. Many Christians believe in the virgin birth. Jews think, “Joseph, you shmuck, snap out of it. Your woman is pregnant, you didn’t sleep with her, and now you want to blame God. Here’s the number of my shrink.”
12. In recent years, Christmas has become more and more commercialized. The same holds true for Chanukah , even though it is a minor holiday. It makes sense. How could we market a major holiday such as Yom Kippur? Forget about celebrating. Think observing. Come to synagogue, starve yourself for 27 hours, become one with your dehydrated soul, beat your chest, confess your sins, a guaranteed good time for you and your family. Tickets a mere $200 per person.
Happy Chanukah!
Kittatinny’s Helen Schwartz…
… sent these terrific pictures… and Klarions from those wonderful days, replete with Color Contest [not war] Fight Songs and Parodies. Here’s one:
Bob Smith [to the tune of “Splish Splash”]
Splash, splash Bob is down at the lake, megaphone, whistle and all.
Standing mighty and poised on the deck…
Just like a statue, straight and tall.
{Whiffenpoof Song]
Oh from the bunks upon the hillside
To the Rec Hall down bellow
To the archery Range that we all love so well
You can hear the gentle echoes
Of his voice so sweet and dear
It’s our Uncle Bob resounding load and clear
BE CAREFUL! THOSE SURF BOARDS COST $98.50
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These pictures really bring back memories:
Lee Herman was one of my favorite people. He died, tragically, much too early.
Alan Sacks, Art Baskin, and Craig Pearson were three of my heroes. I can’t tell you how much I miss those days.
Helen, pictured bellow, reminds me of Gidget. :-)
Kittatinny Camp 1962
Helen sent this text with some great pictures that I’m trying to format:
From Helen (Schwartz) Pearson Freedman
Kittatinny 1956 – 1964
I always tell people that in my youth I spent 10 months of the year awaiting the 2 months at Kittatinny. My sisters, Susan and Ruth, along with the Bradermans, Joan, Bob, and Betsy were the Wilmington, Delaware contingency in 1956. I don’t know when Danny Kristol started, but I should.
Of all my incredible memories from 1956 – 1964, to this day, I hear Aunt Jenny Blatt, my CIT counselor, telling me in my review that I talk too much and need to shut up once in a while. Most honest and best advice I ever got …but I’ve since learned it’s a genetic trait as my lovely daughter has the same problem. :-)
I also will never forget Marge Trout calling me into her tiny back office in 1959 to tell me to break off with Craig Pearson [“because he was a bad influence on me”] or I wouldn’t get camp camper. Marilyn Blum rightfully won that award that year, and Craig and I married in 1965!
Craig and I moved to the Phoenix, AZ area in 1970 in the Air Force and stayed permanently with his beginning his medical practice here. We have two kids, Scott Michael, 41, and Stefanie Lauren, 37. We divorced in 1984.
Craig has not been well for many years and now is in a nursing facility in New Jersey. He’d love to hear from his former KLC buddies. Ralph or I can send you his address. My email is HPFreedman@aol.com.
I worked in Craig’s office for many years and then to support myself and the kids went in to the hospitality industry in sales and marketing. I’ve been with Hyatt, Pointe (Hilton) Resorts, Phx Convention Bureau, and for the last many years with a trade show company. I still live in the The Lakes community in Tempe, AZ. Anyone ever visit here?… it’s an unbeatable destination.
Ann Karr, who was our Carol Lynley (beautiful actress back then), beat me by sending in our bunk pictures… applause Ann!
So sorry to hear about your brother, whom we all adored.
Can’t believe you remembered Ellen and Joan, but not me. After all in 1957, you wrote on the back of our bunk photo that you’d never forget me! Joan Braderman and I have always been in touch.
I’ve attached some fun photos with most people identified and sent Ralph some KLC Klarions to peruse. My favorite is from 1969 of Art Baskin, Craig, and Al Sachs sitting at my favorite spot : under the Apple Tree. What memories there! I identified most of the people in Ann’s photos but can’t find my comment… so probably didn’t send it correctly. KLC forever!
Hugs,
Helen
Shelley Rapkin Singer, Judy Race Fruchter, Nancy Golden, Michele Berdy, Janet Kodos, and Betsy Braderman are amongst those that appear in this 1962 picture:
Kittatinny Camp Picture Request
Packed away in my boxes of memorabilia,paperwork and other “stuff” are more pictures taken at the greatest summer camp in the history of camps, Kittatinny. I’ll dig them out soon. Please, those of you who haven’t, send me yours, and I’ll post them on this blog.
rtyko@pc4dc.org
Here’s a picture of Phil Niss, my beloved grandfather, on a visiting day in 1956. [Pre-addressed postcards to Mr. and Mrs P. Niss would always get laughs in the bunk.]
Kittatinny’s Barbara Burton Stewart Is A New Granny
Barbara and her son:
Here is a picture of the proud papa and Victoria Ann Stewart.
Gary K Pictures From KLC
Top Row: Uncle Morris K, ?,?, Camp Mother, Bob Smith, ?, ?, ?, Dave Weinstein
Bottom Row Camp Doctor, Stan and Billie Schiffers [who recruited me to KLC], ?, ?, Nathan K [Gary’s dad], Uncle A [Arnold Fink], ?, Chuck and Bev Smerin, Aunt Tillie
Kittatinny Camp Mystery Bunk 1955
If you attended KLC n 1955 and you were 12 at the time, you may have been in this bunk. I found this picture on the internet. I suspect one of the campers was Richard Braunstein.
Kittatinny Camp Quiz
Did any of your children or grandchildren ever get into camping? My son Phillip, who recently turned 18, would have “none of it” when the opportunity was presented.
Any stories to tell?
Zig in The Zone with Ralph Zig Tyko 