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| Camp Avoda | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Middleboro, Massachusetts |
| Coordinates | 41°51′59″N70°51′48″W / 41.866362°N 70.863209°W /41.866362; -70.863209 |
| Type | Jewish boys' overnightcamp |
| Season | June to August |
| Established | 1927; 98 years ago (1927) |
| Website | campavoda |
Camp Avoda[a] is aJewish boys' overnightcamp located onTispaquin Pond inMiddleboro, Massachusetts. It has been in continuous operation since the summer of 1927,[1] making it the oldest Jewish boys' camp inNew England.[2][3]
Camp Avoda was established in early 1927 by the Young Men's Hebrew Association[4] to serve the needs of underprivileged Jewish boys. Originally, the bunks were essentially "huts" and had no screening or walls. Today, campers sleep in basic cabins which were built at various times between the late 1950s and early 1980s. Many bunks were expanded after a rise in attendance in the mid-1990s.
The camp is a non-profit entity operated by a Board of Directors and duly incorporated as Camp Avoda, Inc. It serves the needs of 125-150 campers per session.
Camp Avoda is located on a 60-acre (240,000 m2) tract of land onTispaquin Pond inMiddleborough, Massachusetts. More than half of that land is wooded area, which is used for hiking, camping, mountain-biking, and a high-elements ropes course which was constructed in 1999.
The camp's buildings, including eight cabins, the recreation hall, the C.I.T. "bungalow", the shower houses, two administrator cabins, and the "OD shack", surround the large ball field, where all field sports are played.
Ken Shifman is currently the executive director of the camp. Shifman began as director in 2008 and became executive director in 2015 after Paul G. Davis retired. Davis had been employed since 1966, making him one of the longest-serving camp directors in the United States.[citation needed]
Camp Avoda currently has a7+1⁄2-week season, which includes a 4-week-long first session and a3+1⁄2-week second session. Each summer there are 32–40 junior and senior counselors ranging between ages 17–24. Almost all counselors were once campers at Camp Avoda, and most are typically college students.
Most campers reside in New England, with the vast majority concentrated in the Greater Boston area. However, some campers travel from Florida, the Washington, D.C. area, New Jersey, California, and Israel, to spend their summers at Camp Avoda.
In 2002, Camp Avoda celebrated its 75th anniversary, with over 1,000 Avodians attending festivities.
Nearly all counselors were once Avoda campers and successful graduates of the AvodaCounselor-in-Training (C.I.T.) program.[5]
July 4 is the first pinnacle event of the summer. The camp hosts its own carnival during the day, where each bunk creates its own booth in addition to those rented by the camp. At night is the annual Bonfire and Chip Ceremony. The bonfire is built entirely by Bunk 14, who name the bonfire and place a sign at the top with the name. The bonfire can be as tall as 16 feet (4.9 m). Once the fire has started to die down, a member from each bunk stands in front of the fire and makes a speech about their camp experience. After they make their speech, they take a wood chip, and throw it into the fire. Bunk 14 is the last bunk to speak, and has three speakers. After the campers finish, staff members and administrators, and finally the director, make speeches.
Trips occur every Thursday, except during Color War. Destinations have included Six Flags New England, Red Sox games, and Water Country. In addition, there are choice trips, in which campers are given between 3 and 4 options of destination. Trips designated for specific groups of campers include the annual fishing trip (Freshman, Sophomore, and Juniors), the Bunk 14 overnight, and the Senior Canoe Trip.
Avoda competes in tournaments with rival camps such as Camp Bauercrest, Bournedale,Young Judaea, Tel Noar, and Tevya. Avoda also attends the Bauercrest and YJ tournaments, and hosts its own annual tournament including soccer, softball and basketball.
Bunk 14, also known as "The Betty Grable Commandos" is the bunk of the oldest campers at Avoda. Typically it houses 15-year-olds entering the 10th grade, however following the cancellation of the 2020 summer due to the Covid-19 pandemic, 16 year-olds entering the 11th grade are currently Bunk 14ers. With Bunk 14 comes special privileges and automatic "alumni" status. Many alumni are often identified and identify themselves by their Bunk 14 Year.
Color War occurs during the last week of the summer. The camp is split up into two teams, "White" and "Blue", with each team including eight staff members. Each camper is placed in a division with other campers of their own age and one year above or below them. The four divisions are Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior. In each division, the two teams face each other in sports, side events, tug of wars, and other events. The point values for each event are hidden from the campers, but increase in value from the Freshman to Senior Division.
One of the traditions of Color War is the silent meals. If campers are caught talking during any of the 18 meals (6 days, 3 meals a day), points are deducted from their team.
The winner is usually announced through a fixed race or game of some sort, in which the counselors representing the winning team win. The winning team then jumps in the lake.
| Year | Winning team | Losing team |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | White Patriots General Carl Rottersman | Blue Braves General Steven Woolf |
| 1973 | White Cougars General Bobby Gilberg | Blue Brigade General Danny Bauman |
| 1974 | Blue Israelites General Robbie Coppel | White Cobras General Brad Barry |
| 1975 | White Wizards General Robbie Coppel | Blue Tide General Mike Katz |
| 1976 | Blue Rockets General George Brockman | White Eagles General Robbie Coppel |
| 1977 | Blue Destroyers General Stuart Bram | White Kings General David Goodman |
| 1978 | White Cosmos General Eric Yaffe | Blue Diamonds General Phil Lukoff |
| 1979 | White Warriors General David Bamel | Blue Cyclones General Mitch Rubin |
| 1980 | White Avodians General Paul Kleinmann | Blue Aztecs General Robert Satloff |
| 1981 | White Sabres General Steve Aronson | Blue Galaxy General Steve Camiel |
| 1982 | Blue Sting General Mike Roth | White Warlords General Steve Aronson |
| 1983 | White Falcons General David Snider | Blue Dragons General Mike Rutstein |
| 1984 | Blue Express General Evan Yampolsky | White Magic General Andy Stone |
| 1985 | Blue Demons General Paul Simon | White Spray General Mark Solomon |
| 1986 | White Spartans General Peter Spider Lebowitz | Blue Crusade General David Wertheim |
| 1987 | White Cougars General Davida Bones | Blue Pythons General Gary Solomon |
| 1988 | Blue Shadow General Jay Yampolsky | White Lightning General Russell Katz |
| 1989 | Blue Storm General Mark Glovin | White Raiders General Ken Shifman |
| 1990 | White Panthers General Ken Shifman | Blue Stampede General Russell Katz |
| 1991 | Blue Scorpions General Jeff Blocker | White Knights General Andy Spear |
| 1992 | White Empire General Stu Glass | Blue Assault General David Wilcov |
| 1993 | Blue Sharks General Jeremy Agulnek | White Heat General Ricky Hyman |
| 1994 | Blue Predators General Jeremy Agulnek | White Seminoles General Ricky Hyman |
| 1995 | Blue Devils General Jeff Vetstein | White Wolves General Bobby Zuker |
| 1996 | Blue Grizzlies General Jeremy Agulnek | White Wildcats General Mark Sokoloff |
| 1997 | Blue Justice General Jeff Vetstein | White Bulldogs General Ken Freeman |
| 1998 | White Vipers General Spencer Kimball | Blue Rebels General Aaron Agulnek |
| 1999 | White Force General Eric Levy | Blue Tide General EJ Kimball |
| 2000 | Blue Dynasty General Spencer Kimball | White Warriors General Dave Brown |
| 2001 | White Lions General Barry Morgan | Blue Terror General Adam Miller |
| 2002 | Blue Gladiators General EJ Kimball | White Patriots General Josh Schneider |
| 2003 | Blue Giants General Adam Miller | White Titans General Greg Lazaroff |
| 2004 | Blue Buccaneers General Adam Miller | White Outlaws General Evan Traiger |
| 2005 | Blue Mafia General Todd Miller | White Tigers General Mike Pemstein |
| 2006 | Blue Venom General Sawyer Emmer | White Dragons General Mike Pemstein |
| 2007 | Blue Animals General Dan Gollinger | White Spartans General Erik Silevitch |
| 2008 | White Phantoms General Matt Norcross | Blue Army General David Fine |
| 2009 | Blue Monsters General Adam Rubin | White Mustangs General Jonny Singer |
| 2010 | White Assassins General Cory Finkelman | Blue Heroes General Ethan Gurwitz |
| 2011 | Blue Barbarians General Richard Katz | White Legends General Josh Coran |
| 2012 | White Mercenaries General Ben Rubin | Blue Gators General Eddie Bernson |
| 2013 | Blue Goblins General Jason Hefter | White Prophets General Jacob Dennis |
| 2014 | Blue Vikings General Joey Sherman | White Chiefs General Jacob Dennis |
| 2015 | White Olympians General Sam Watman | Blue Apes General Louis Douglas |
| 2016 | White Villains General Jared Fixler | Blue Bears General Louis Douglas |
| 2017 | Blue Wizards General Joshua Cohen | White Royals General Drew Lukoff |
| 2018 | Navy Seals General Abe Watman | White Avengers General Wes Fixler |
| 2019 | Blue Anarchy General Shay Wenglin | White Jaguars General Ty Goldstein |
| 2021 | White Avalanche General Jay Blumenfeld | Blue Conquerors General Max Waltzman |
| 2022 | Blue Demons General Nate Goldberg | White Armada General Ethan Shifman |
| 2023 | White Huskies General Owen Sherman | Blue Bandits General Max Kleinmann |
| 2024 | Blue Revolution General Charlie Zuker | White Flames General Alex Shifman |
Since 1987, the Camp Avoda Alumni Association has hosted a full weekend dedicated to Alumni events, which typically takes place the weekend before the campers arrive at camp.[6] t is common for Alumni members to stop by throughout the summer to interact with the current staff and campers.
In addition to the Alumni Weekend, the Avoda Alumni Association hosts events throughout the off-season at various Massachusetts locations, including: Billiard Nights, Family Day atGillette Stadium, and the annual Thanksgiving Football Game. The Alumni Association also hosts fundraising and charitable endeavors aimed at providing scholarships to campers for the summers.