Newspaper Page Text
The Southern Israelite
A Weekly Newspaper for Southern Jewry — Established 1925
XXXIV
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 1959
NO. 23
Southern Reform Jewry Acquiring Camp Site
Jewry's Camp
to the camp for a program of
varied religious and camping
projects.
Cost of the smaller cabins, he
said, will be approximately $3,
000, which a small congregation
could undertake on a three-year
fund-raising basis.
Specifically, the site of the
camp in in the romantic old
gold-mining area ,of Georgia qn
property located in historic
White Country. It is near Dal-
lonega, 78 miles from Atlanta,
west of Cleveland, off Highway
129.
Mr. Turner and the committee
have located a log cabin close to
the 200 acres under option and
the members hope this> seven-
acre plot can be purchased as
well, so the cabin can be pre
served in its antiquity for use
and interest of the campers.
But this, he said, is for the dist
ant future . . .
“We’re developing this camp
for the future too, he indicated,
and are going into it without a
feeling of rush and urgency for
we want it to serve well the
long-range program we have in
mind.
“We have hunted hard and
long—and for many years for an
ideal spot—and at last we feel
we have one. There were other
areas available, of course. But in
making a decision, we had to
take many things into considera
tion, not the least of which was
the availability of transportation.
“This north Georgia site seems
the answer. Convenient to At
lanta, close to Tennessee, Ala
bama and the South Carolina
and quite accessible from Flori
da. All of the committee mem
bers are very happy to announce
selection of this site. This is a
proud moment for the South
east Council UAHC camping
committee.”
Mr. Turner himself was one
of the founders of the South
east Council, serving as its first
president.
On the camp committee, be
sides the names Already men
tioned, are Henry Wolf, Miami;
Louis Wellhouse Jr., Tampa;
Phillip N. Coleman, Jacksonville;
William Schwartz Jr. and Wil
liam Breman and Joe Abraham
of Atlanta; Melvin T. Goldberg-
er, Knoxville; Isidore Denmark,
Sumter, S. C.; Bernard Feld,
Birmingham; N Glickstein, Jack
sonville; Leon J. Ell, Miami
Beach; M Olen, New York,
formerly of Mobile, and Harry
Kahn, now of Pennsylvania, and
others.
Will Develop 200 Acres in
Picturesque North Georgia
Blue Ridge Mountain Area
By ADOLPH
Reform congregations of the
Southeastern states have taken
initial steps towards establish
ment of a permanent camp for
the use of their children and
adults.
Climaxing several years’ plan
ning, the Southeast Council of
the Union of American Hebrew
Congregations has acquired an
option on a 200-acre camp site
in northern Georgia, C. Davis
Turner, Marianna, Fla., chairman
of the group’s camping commit
tee has announced.
“It is a terrific location,” Mr.
Turner declared after returning
from an inspection trip to the
scene with a number of other
regional leaders in the movement
to begin the creation of a camp
the Council has been planning
for years.
The site, he exclaimed, has
crystal blue springs as sources
of drinking water and two
streams of sufficient size to be
dammed up and create a won
derful swimming lake.
In the background are the foot
hills of the majestic Blue Ridge
Mountain Range,” which he said
will add picturesque interest for
hiking and exploration but which
primarily will insure the camp
of a wholesome, healthy and in
vigorating atmosphere.
"We hesitated a long time be
fore deciding on purchase of an
undeveloped site,’ 5 he explained.
"We could have purchased a
camp already in existence and
perhaps by rushing, actually
gotten it into operation this sea
son. But there are numerous dis
advantages to such a plan, not
ably the cost and the fact that
the camp, wherever it might be,
would likely have been con
structed many years ago and
•just added onto’ through the
years without the kind of plan
we want to make it the most
modern and most desirable camp
available.”
ROSENBERG
Southeast Council executive
board.
Mr. Turner anticipated that
by the time the camp opens in
1961, the facilities will repre
sent an investment of approxi
mately $150,000, with the costs
reaching some $250,000 after de
velopment plans are completed.
Before the specific details of
the camp are made, the area will
be surveyed by an expert archi
tect from the American Camp
ing Association who will eye the
site for the best location of ac
tivity grounds, living quarters,
sanitary facilities, swimming area
and the like.
Working closely with the gen
eral Council camping committee
is Harry Popkin, who has had
considerable experience in camp
development in the South. He is
one of the founders of Blue Star
Camps, which began at Sautee,
Ga., and which is now at Hend
ersonville, N C.
Other directors of Jewish camps
in the area will be called upon
Blue Ridge
Mt. Site for Reform
ham and Miami, Melvin T. Gold-
Berger of Knoxville and Mrs.
Gerald Ghertner of Atlanta, the
other members of the perma
nent Southeast Council camping
committee, a c c o m p a nied Mr.
Turner on the trip to inspect the
campsite.
Also making the trip were Mr.
Popkin, Danny Ehrlich and
Jerome Zimmerman, represent
ing the Atlanta Temple camping
committee. Mr. Zimmerman has
been designated as chairman of
the development and building
committee for the Council, Mr.
Popkin as chairman of a new
advisory committee.
Mrs. Ghertner is currently
serving as dean of women for
the week-long summer camp the
Southeast Council operates at
Camp Ocala, near Unatilla, Fla.
Mr. Turner envisions that the
camp, will operate on a ten-
month program, bringing adults
as well as youngsters and youths
So, Mr. Turned continued, “we
considered what would be in
volved in acquiring a new site
and developing it to our own
special needs.”
Tentative plans call for cabins
and the main camp buildings to
be constructed as the special
projects of individual congrega
tions in the Southeast states. '
It was-understood that because
of the interest of many Atlan
tans already expressed that the
Temple had “unofficially” agreed
to participate through sponsor
ing construction of a cabin. But,
M|\ Turner said, “this of course
is not definite in the sense of
a commitment. But you can al
ways depend on the Temple
group to come through for
worthwhile projects — and this
certainly is one that promises
much for the Reform movement.
When the time comes, we know
we will have Atlanta’s support.”
Several other of the large and
small congregations in the South
east Council area have also in
dicated they would cooperate
when the time comes.
Besides the usual complement
of cabins, dinirjg facilities and
library, it is anticipated that the
camp will include an outdoor
chapel.
“We already know who’s going
to put up the funds for the
chapel, but we don’t want to an
nounce the name as yet,” Mr.
Turner added
He said the funds for the ac
tual purchase of the campsite
are already on hand Formal ac-
rton may await approval by the
Harry Popkin points out some
of the features of the site to
other Atlantans who came to
examine the possibilities for
ramping—Mrs. Gerald Ghertner,
Dan Ehrlich and Jerome Zim
merman. At right, Jan rests af
ter an inspection of the property
while C. Davis Turner, Marianna,
Fla.; Meyer Kronenberg, Miami;
Jerome Zimmerman, Atlanta,
and Melvin T. Goldberger,
Knoxville, examine a scale map
of the area.
for advice and suggestions, Mr.
Turner indicated The Southern
group will also draw upon the
experience of the UAHC, which
operates camps in Illinois and
California.
Since the emphasis at this camp
will be on religion, Mr. Turner
declared, naturally the facilities
will feature a well-equipped li
brary. It has been suggested
that the library be provided
through contributions from men
and women born and reared in
the Southeastern states who have
gone elsewhere to live.
When open, he said, the camp
in North Georgia will have a
full-time director and will op
erate under the standards and
program of the Union of Ameri
can Hebrew Congregations. The
actual governing body however
will be appointed by the presi
dent of the Southeast Council,
who currently is Marvin Engle
of Birmingham.
Henry Wise of Birmingham,
Meyer Kronenberg of Birming
