Pripstein's Camp Mishmar
| Pripstein's Camp Mishmar מחנה משמר | |
|---|---|
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| Location | |
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| Coordinates | 45°58′59″N 74°21′26″W / 45.98310°N 74.35732°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private summer camp |
| Established | 1941 |
| Closed | 2014 |
| Age range | 7–16 |
| Language | English |
| Communities served | Jewish and anglophone communities |
| Affiliation | Ontario Camping Association |
| Website | mishmar |
Pripstein's Camp Mishmar (Template:Lang-he-n) was a private coeducational summer camp in St. Adolphe d'Howard, Quebec, which operated from 1914 to 2014. Though not strictly a Jewish summer camp, Mishmar predominately catered to a Jewish clientele. In its seventy year history, the camp hosted a number of prominent future writers, businesspeople, and politicians.
History
Camp Mishmar was founded by Chaim Pripstein, a Hebrew teacher at United Talmud Torahs who had fled Poland to Canada before World War II.[1] A Hebrew teacher at United Talmud Torahs, Pripstein became a pedlar in the Laurentians to supplement his income, acquiring land from a local farmer near St. Jerome in 1941. Pripstein decided to rent it out to local Jewish families during the summer, and soon left his job as a school teacher to run, with his wife Pearl, a modest Jewish country hotel on the land.[2] The hotel became known for its literary gatherings, hosting such writers as Isaac Bashevis Singer.[3]
As their business grew, the Pripsteins set up a residential camp for about ten children, which quickly grew into a proper summer camp complete with a playing field and tennis court.[4] The camp emphasized Jewish culture and physical fitness.[5] The camp relocated to the shore of Lac des Trois Frères in St. Adolphe d'Howard in 1954, after local authorities deemed the river running through the original site polluted.[5]
At its peak in the 1960s, the camp had an average of 240 campers each summer.[1] The camp was closed in 2014 because of declining enrolment and financial difficulties.[6]
Notable alumni
- Dov Charney, founder of American Apparel[2]
- Leonard Cohen, poet and singer-songwriter[3]
- Sarah Mlynowski, writer[7]
- Cory Pecker, professional ice hockey player[1]
- Heather Reisman, founder of Indigo Books and Music[1]
- Hugh Segal, former senator[2]
- Robert Silverman, actor[3]
- Lionel Tiger, anthropologist[3]
- Ruth Wisse, scholar of Yiddish literature[8]
References
- ^ a b c d Arnold, Janice (31 December 2014). "End of an era as Pripstein's camp closes in Quebec". The Canadian Jewish News. Montreal.
- ^ a b c Magder, Jason (5 January 2015). "Pripstein's Camp to close after nearly 75 years". Montreal Gazette. Montreal.
- ^ a b c d Nadel, Ira B. (2011). Various Positions: A Life of Leonard Cohen. London: Plexus. OCLC 751520830.
- ^ Graham, Joseph (4 June 2011). "Pripstein's camp was a symbol of simpler era". Montreal Gazette.
- ^ a b Levy, Carmi (26 January 1989). "Many camping choices in Montreal". The Canadian Jewish News. Montreal. p. 45.
- ^ Cohen, Mike (9 December 2014). "Camp Pripstein's is shutting its doors". The Suburban.
- ^ Mlynowski, Sarah (2007). Spells & Sleeping Bags. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN 978-0-385-73387-8.
- ^ Wisse, Ruth R. (2 August 2018). "Responsibility; or, My Brother and I (and Leonard Cohen) Go to Summer Camp". Mosaic. Retrieved 21 November 2018.