Traveling around the camps of our movement is an~ experience akin to that of visiting our settlements in Eretz Yisrael. One expects them all to be alike-for are they not organized and managed the same way, the same by-laws, the same institutions, the same program and activities-yet each Kvutza represents a unique world of its own. Just as all settlements in Eretz Yisrael differ, one from the other, because the people who live there are different-coming from various countries, homes, schools, civilizations-so do the varying backgrounds of our haverim place an individual stamp upon each Camp Kvutza.
My first stop this year was at Kendall, New York, the Kvutza which serves our upstate New York movements. Situated on a plain on the shore of Lake Ontario-no mountains or bills-a few trees mark the spot. Farm land stretches out on all sides. Most of the farmers are Norwegians and the relations between the camp and the farmers are excellent. Five wigwam tents in a straight line and a large and spacious two-story barn, the bottom floor used as a dining room and kitchen, the top floor used as a handicrafts and cultural room -that is the entire camp. Swimming is naturally one of the main activities as Lake Ontario with its clear blue waters is only flfty yards away. The haverim there built a long wooden jetty of water which gradually gets deeper and deeper as you go on. Only this year, millions of little fish had been dumped into the lake from the Canadia side, and they had floated over to the American shores. Thus, during the first weeks in camp, their bodies littered the beach, kept you company while you swam, and frequently went into your mouth if you were not careful.
From Rochester, I climbed up and up to the Laurentian Mountains in Prefontaine, Quebec, where our Montreal camp is situated. Physically, the camp there is a very poor one, an old building with various compartments used as cabins, dining room and kitchen, an office, and two tents. In general, our haverim from Montreal come from very poor districtsmost of them forced to begin working in factories at the ageg of fourteen to fifteen. From many points of view, Montreal is like an East European city with the Jews living almost in a ghetto and the population, mostly French Catholics, very anti-Semitic. Most of our haverim there speak Yiddish very well as they attend Yiddish parochial schools.
Singing and dramatics is the specialty of Montreal. Every year they give a concert attended by 1200 people which is a highlight of the Jewish artistic season there. No monotones in Montreal-almost all have choir voices and most of the songs are sung in three voices. Two dramatic' presentations were carried through successfully the week I was there-one describing the life of Bialik; the other portraying the history of the Jewish Hagana in Eretz Yisrael, from the founding of the Hashomer until the occupation of Hanita.
From there, southward to Camp Galil. The singing there; the manner in which J.N.F. projects were carried out; the exciting baseball games between the Varsity and the Scrubs; the ingenious costumes invented for the masquerade; the adventures of Ferdinand, the truck; the hike in the park near the spot where Washington crossed the Deleware; the spirit of the oldest bonot-the famous LeHagshama group of Philadelphia-who though they found in camp only boys under thirteen and over twenty, expended their energy in leading groups and building up a healthy camp spirit-these are all unforgettable parts of Galil.
Ben Zion Ilan, 1938