Not your grandkids’ Jewish camp

Campers at Camp Isabella Freedman participate in arts and crafts, swimming, hiking, campfires and more. The difference is that these campers are in their 70s and 80s.

The Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, Located in Falls Village – the northwest corner of Connecticut--has been offering camp experiences for seniors since 1956. The camp rests on 400 acres in the foothills of the southern Berkshires, has miles of forest trails and two lakes.

For two weeks each July, active seniors take over the campgrounds. In addition to traditional camp activities such as nature walks, crafts and swimming, participants can take part in yoga, water aerobics, cheese-making workshops, folk dancing, discussion groups, games and local field trips. To reinforce Jewish ideals, campers can enjoy delicious homemade kosher meals and attend Shabbat services in a glass-walled synagogue with breathtaking lake and mountain views.

“Can you imagine, the oldies coming to camp?” said Olga Leisman, age 86 during an interview with Gianna Palmer of the Jewish Daily Forward. “I demanded a care package from my grandkids.”

The American Camp Association noted that in 2012 one million adults went off to camp, and it is estimated that for the past decade camps for adults have grown by 10% each year.

More often than not, adults are looking for specialty camps. Many seniors see the experience as an opportunity to travel and discover a latent hobby. After all, if they have the money, time and health, why not?

In a 2013 Wall Street Journal interview, Nancy Diamond, a marketing consultant to camps said, “It appeals to the inner child in all of us….These programs remind us of summer camp. We participate in activities, develop new skills, and cultivate new friendships.”

Camp Isabella Freedman participant Ida Lewis may have said it best, “I love the friendships I made, the information I learned, the beauty, and the peace and quiet.”