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THE CENTER'S
News from the Atlanta Jewish Community Center, Inc.
From
Mike Lainoff
Assistant Executive Director,
Whatever Happened to Yo-Yos
What ever happened to yo-yos and sno-cones scraped
from ice blocks by street vendors, and bottle cap stick
ball, and tin can stilts, and rollerskate scooters? Of
course, today’s world of computers and space walks are
an indication that the world has changed. But, has it
really changed that much?
Our children today are better informed, more mobile
and enjoy more benefits of advanced technology than
their parents ever dreamed of. However, even though the
world around them has changed, children are still
children with the same needs, desires and motivations
shared by children everywhere unchanged by time. A
child’s world is filled with fun, exploration, imagination,
learning and accomplishment. At Camp Barney
Medintz, children are given the opportunity to realize all
of these goals. (1 have yet to see anything to match the
pure joy on the face of a child who has finally learned to
waterski.)
Camp Barney Medintz provides campers with the
opportunity to be “away.” It is away from the home, from
parents, from regular routines and year ’round
environment. It is designed to “wean” campers
emotionally, socially and intellectually; it is designed to
help campers find strength and security within
themselves; it is designed to help campers develop an
independence and the ability to face life in the world on
their own.
At Camp Barney Medintz, a child encounters a total
living experience in which every camper has the right to
determine for him or herself what will be happening and
what activities they will do. Campers, with the help of
caring and nurturing staff, are helped to exercise
democratic principles in the selection and carrying out of
activities which are of interest to the campers. Because of
this highly democratic structure of Camp Barney,
learning takes place; not just learning those skills which
are tangible, such as learning to catch a fish, learning to
swim, learning to waterski or learning to create a
beautiful ceramic vase. The camper also learns to respect
the rights of and feelings of “the other guy;” the camper
also learns that at times, it is best not to give in to the
insistence of the group, but to stand pat for what one
believes; learning includes a recognition that there are
times when individuals must abide by majority decisions;
and, perhaps most important, Camp Barney Medintz
teaches a child to become independent, to take that first
step toward adulthood.
Camp Barney Medintz allows campers to laugh, to cry,
to put one’s arm around one’s friend, to joke, to run, to
yell, to scream, to play, to have quiet times, to be together
and to be alone. Last summer, over 700 youngsters
enjoyed living at Camp Barney Medintz. The following
vignettes are reflective of the 1985 camping season:
“A second-grader came into meet with Larry Melnick,
Camp Barney director, and he was told about panning
for gold at camp. In relating this story to the camp
director, the camper’s mother said that her son told her
and his father not to worry about paying for camp, that
he would pan for gold.”
“A set of twins, when asked by their rabbi to choose a
topic to speak on at their b’nai mitzvot, the twins
individually told the rabbi that they wanted to talk about
Shabbat at Camp Barney Medintz.”
“An 8-year-old camper, on the last day of camp related
to his counselor how much he loved camp and asked how
old he would have to be to work at Camp Barney
Medintz.”
“At the camp reunion, a parent relating to Linda
Lincoln, Camp Barney Medintz associate director, how
camp had changed their children so dramatically and had
helped their child in growing up.”
“Speaking as a parent, the first six months after camp,
my children talked about their past summer experience at
Camp Barney Medintz; the next five months they talked
about what will happen during the coming summer.”
The Camp Barney Medintz logo proudly proclaims,
“Camp Barney Medintz, Your Summer Place.” In a
world of high technology, a world not yet at peace, and a
world that seems to question lasting values, can there, for
a child, be a better place?
Kids Konnection for Kids After School
The AJCC will provide transportation from your
children’s school to the Zaban Building. Kids
Konnection serves children kindergarten through sixth
grade from 2:30-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and
until 5 p.m. on Friday. We are also open those days
DeKalb and the private schools are closed. For more
information, call Sara Duerr at 396-3250. Space is
limited!
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PAGE 15 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE February 28, 1986