Pripstein's Camp Mishmar
Pripstein's Camp Mishmar (Hebrew: מַחֲנֶה מִשְׁמָר) was a private co-educational summer camp in St. Adolphe d'Howard, Quebec, which operated from 1941 to 2014. Though not strictly a Jewish summer camp, Mishmar predominantly catered to a middle- and upper-class Jewish clientele. In its seventy year history, the camp hosted a number of prominent future writers, businesspeople, and politicians.
| Pripstein's Camp Mishmar מחנה משמר | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 45.98310°N 74.35732°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private summer camp |
| Established | 1941 |
| Closed | 2014 |
| Age range | 7–16 |
| Language | English |
| Tuition | $1000–$2000/wk[1] |
| Communities served | Jewish and anglophone communities |
| Affiliation | Ontario Camping Association |
| Website | mishmar |
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.[2] A Hebrew teacher at United Talmud Torahs, Pripstein became a peddler 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 a modest Jewish country hotel on the land with his wife Pearl.[3] The hotel became known for its literary gatherings, hosting such writers as Isaac Bashevis Singer.[4]
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.[5] The camp emphasized Jewish culture and physical fitness.[6] 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.[6]
At its peak in the 1960s, the camp had an average of 240 campers each summer.[2] The camp was closed in 2014 because of declining enrolment and financial difficulties.[7]
Facilities
Camp Mishmar boasted top-quality sports facilities, including a covered pool, a covered basketball court, a 1,765-square-metre (19,000 sq ft) sports complex with an indoor roller rink, skate park and rock climbing centre, and an indoor ice rink.[3] Food at Camp Mishmar was 'kosher style', though the camp only served kosher meat in its early years. Jewish rituals such as lighting Shabbat candles were nonetheless maintained.[2]
Literary references
Leonard Cohen fictionalized Pripstein's Camp Mishmar in The Favourite Game (1963), which was based upon a journal he kept while working at the camp as a counsellor.[8] Sarah Mlynowski used her ten years at Pripstein's as inspiration for her novel Spells and Sleeping Bags (2007).[9]
Notable alumni
- Dov Charney, founder of American Apparel[3]
- Leonard Cohen, poet and singer-songwriter[4]
- Sarah Mlynowski, writer[10]
- Cory Pecker, professional ice hockey player[2]
- Heather Reisman, founder of Indigo Books and Music[2]
- Hugh Segal, former senator[3]
- Robert Silverman, actor[4]
- Lionel Tiger, anthropologist[4]
- Ruth Wisse, scholar of Yiddish literature[11]
References
- "Pripstein's Camp Mishmar". SummerCamp.com. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
- Arnold, Janice (31 December 2014). "End of an era as Pripstein's camp closes in Quebec". The Canadian Jewish News. Montreal.
- Magder, Jason (5 January 2015). "Pripstein's Camp to close after nearly 75 years". Montreal Gazette. Montreal.
- Nadel, Ira B. (2011). Various Positions: A Life of Leonard Cohen. London: Plexus. ISBN 9780307367020. OCLC 751520830.
- Graham, Joseph (4 June 2011). "Pripstein's camp was a symbol of simpler era". Montreal Gazette.
- 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.
- Dueck, Nathan (August 2004). "When the World Is Made Flesh": Leonard Cohen Live in/and Performance (PDF) (Thesis). University of Manitoba. p. 40.
- Howarth, Ian (6 March 2010). "The lasting impact of summer camp". Montreal Gazette.
- Mlynowski, Sarah (2007). Spells and 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.