That summer, I was a still-wet-behind-the-ears tzofa, spending my first year in Camp Kvutza. The name of Yohanan Tartakower was completely unknown to me, but Mabaneh Tel Yohanan was a living thing, not a memorial. I'd say that many of us did not know at the time who Yohanan was, but we lived in such a way that he continued to exist in us.
That summer of 1951 in Tel Yohanan was a six-week honeymoon with the movement for all of us. When we returned to the city, the great tales of "adventure" found willing ears, and the registration of Tel Yohanan promised to expand enormously. In June, the shock of hearing that Tel Yohanan had been wrecked by vandals was numbing. Who wanted to go anywhere but to our own Tel Yohanan for the summer? Nonetheless, we went to Galil. Since the inajority of the New Yorkers were of bonim age, and the majority of the Galilniks were of solelim-tzofim age, the division between the two groups was extremely sharp. The fact that the Galil campers were living in the cabins and most of the New Yorkers in a separate tent-camp, did not help the situation at all.
During the summer of 1952, it often seemed as if we New Yorkers were marking time. Despite this attitude, the many friendships and traditions which developed during the course of eight short weeks were to have an important effect on the future of the New York movement.
New York was determined to build a Kvutza of its own once again. The Merkaz wore out tempers and tires in everlasting jaunts around New York State looking for a new camp site. Finally, in the early spring of 1953, the news was announced: New York Habonim had a new home-at the (then stupendous) cost of almost fifty thousand dollars.
The mahaneh in Red Hook, New York, faced its first meeting with Habonim during a spring session in 1953. The first reaction: We were appalled! It was all too civilized for our tastes. Gone were the days of cold water only, a separate showerhouse, outhouses, no electricity, and (we thought) no halutziut.
The first summer in Camp Habonim, Red Hook, served to dispel a few illusions. We had not only to adapt ourselves to a new concept of camping with its attendant responsibilities, but were also faced with a previously unknown problem of incorporating a large percentage of nonmembers. This perhaps was the more serious of the two. In accepting the "luxury" of our new home, we could not afford to let our ideals go by the board. At the same time, active Habonim within the camp did not exceed forty percent of the total population. In Tel Yohanan and again in Galil, the number of Habonim campers from the New York region was under fifty. The population at Red Hook climbed to more than double that number, while the Habonim population remained at roughly the same level.
1954 was the "honeymoon" season at Red Hook. Habonim had arrived at an understanding of the needs of this new type of camp and gathered a staff of the highest possible caliber from every part of the movement. The campers responded. It became as natural for some madrichim to converse in Hebrew as for the campers to try to emulate the actions of the staff. There was a Habonim atmosphere. It was felt in the unfolding of the daily program and in the Shabbat celebrations which were real "productions" complete with interpretive dance and special effects. It was felt, too, in the activities run by the campers themselves.
The next summer was somewhat less of a memorable experience-perhaps because the previous season had been so overwhelmingly successful. It will be remembered as the year of the Habonim Maccabia with the summer camp of Hanoar Hatzioni, Camp Hatzofeh. It was a wonderful experience for both camps. A comradely atmosphere from the outset even cheers were carefully censored to exclude any derogatory material about the opposing camp. The spirit of the entire competition may be imagined from the unanimous protest of the two camps directly before the close of the Maecabia-both wanted to "rip up the score sheets."
1955 saw a new venture in Habonim camping-that of a successful Leaders' Training program, with a large number of participants, at camp.
1956 saw the revival of the Habonim Inter-Kvutza Maccabia. Once again held at Galil, it was the high point of the season. Remember the afternoon spent in track events, with people from all three camps cheering the competitors impartially? Each camp had a theme-Yehuda for Red Hook, Galil for Galil, and Negev for Moshava-upon which the cheers, evening program presentation, and songs were based. In addition to the spirit of comradeship which grew up in the three days, a new dimension of education had been added to the Maccabia which made its meaning even fuller for the participants. As usual, the New Yorkers won, though not until a contest had been waged in which every point was in doubt.
What is to happen to New York camping in the future? That is in the hands of the haverim themselves. Each summer has seen the development of the concept of Habonim camping-from the tents- cold-water stage to the cabins-hotwater stage; from the concept of halutziut "in the raw" to a more mature understanding of our role in the community and of how we must fill it.
Ziffy Entin, 1957