"Half the year you look forward to it-the other half you look back on it." Such is the effect "Mosh" has on its campers. And it is no wonder that we all love it, for not only do we spend some of the happiest weeks of the year there, but the setting is so perfect and the scenery so beautiful that we never want to forget it.
In 1935 Mr. Sigfrid Sonniborn of Baltimore gave 162 acres of land near Annapolis to two Zionist groups to be used for a camp site. The two groups were the Hashomer Hatzair and the Gordonia organization of Baltimore. The first month of the summer season, July, Hashomer would use the camp, while Gordonia would have the camp in August.
And so Moshava began its flrst season!
Needless to say, many changes have occurred since that memorable year, 1935. Mosh has changed from a small camp sponsored by Gordonia-whose tents were pitched on the bare ground, whose dining rom had a canvas top, where there was no electricity whatsoever, and whose campers came from Baltimore only-to a large camp sponsored by Habonim following the amalgamation of Habonim with Gordonia. The capacity is now seventy-five to eighty campers from all over the Atlantic seaboard, with seven tents pitched on platforms, four large airy cabins, an outdoor stage, a well-filled library, a modern hospital with up-to-date equipment, a piano, a large roomy kitchen, a newly reinforced dining room, volleyball and basketball courts, and electrical connections.
The picture Moshava presents is truly a beautiful one. Only from the water tower, however, can one see it completely, spreading below. From there, one sees the side road leading from the water tower to the hospital opposite. These two cabins begin the camp proper, for flanking them, the tents and stage are arranged in an almost perfect circle. The center of this circle is the center field, wide and level, where baseball, horseshoe, basketball, and track events take place during sports periods.
But this is not all. Following a shady quiet path that starts in back of the kitchen one comes to the crossroads where many a heated discussion can be heard. Following the path further, one arrives at last at the old cliff that overlooks the Sevem River, a popular place for rehearsals or for a nocturnal group wishing to read Edgar Allen Poe in just the proper atmosphere.
Scrambling down the side of the cliff, one finds oneself on the bench near the river. In all directions there is green foliage that beckons to you with its coolness in the heat of the day, and far on the distant side of the river, this scene is dimly repeated. One can relax in the mildly cool river water, get an invigorating swim in the deeper cold water further from shore, or go to sleep on the sandy beach while taking a sun bath.
Past interesting coves and the beach, we come to the long uneven trail that leads back to the central field. This trail is the most popular of all. It is lined with clinging vines draped around the trees, and here and there, tantalizing monkey vines swing just above your reach. Here on this trail is the well-known "Tree" on whose roots many a couple sit wrapped in the velvety darkness of night, gazing at the stars, and listening to the waves lap on the beach. It is also on this trail that we find the path leading to the new cliff. The central field is not far ahead and soon one can be in the midst of activity again.
"Mosh" Diary, 1939