How a Camp Created a Community

As with many beginnings, it all started over a cup of coffee. Well, two cups of coffee to be exact. Fifty-five years ago, in 1969, three Northern Virginia suburban moms got together one morning for coffee. But the one who served as host of the event then walked out of the room.

Judy Frank had invited Adele Greenspon and Shirley Waxman over to meet. They barely knew each other. When they arrived, they found the table set only with two coffee cups. Upon seeing their puzzled looks, Judy explained the premise of the meeting: “I am so sick of listening to the two of you complain because there is no Jewish day camp in Northern Virginia for your kids. If anyone can create a camp, it’s the two of you. Adele, you handle the business end; Shirley you do the programming! Make a camp for your kids and mine too. I’m leaving.” And so she did!

At that time, there were four synagogues in Northern Virginia but not a cohesive community center. How to begin to create something from nothing? Fortunately, Judy had chosen the right two people to ignite this idea. Adele was a whiz at organizing and had a real head for business management. Shirley had an extensive background in youth movement and camping. She had grown up attending the JCC camp in Hamilton, Ontario. She had worked there as a counselor and also had been totally immersed in Hashomer Hatzair, the vibrant Zionist youth movement. Her summers at their Camp Shomria in the Canadian wilderness were steeped in Israeli folk dance, culture and leadership training.

Without hesitation, Adele and Shirley decided to accept Judy’s challenge and they immediately got to work.

The first necessary piece of this new endeavor was a location. Agudas Achim Congregation in Alexandria gave them the use of their building and there were 70 excited campers that first summer. Over time, the camp moved to Beth El Congregation also in Alexandria, Temple Rodeph Shalom in Falls Church and finally Congregation Olam Tikvah in Fairfax, before finding their “forever home” at what would later become the Pozez JCC.

They next turned their attention to personnel matters. They persuaded Shirley Grossman, an accomplished composer and creator of musicals, to join them. They knew art was a must and they hired a very talented artist, Alice Neukirk, who created the camp logo.

Next they needed a name. Shirley turned to her youth group friend and Hebrew University professor for inspiration. Dr. Ted Friedgut told her: “You are creating a community of friendship and brotherhood. Call it Camp Achva.” And so it became.

Their founding philosophy was to instill a love of Jewish culture in each child. Everything revolved around that. Each place, object, program or activity would have a Hebrew name and signs were posted everywhere. Shirley drew strongly upon her camping days to create a Jewish environment in the Northern Virginia suburbs.

They created a central meeting site where each morning, the campers raised the flag and sang Hatikvah, and ended each day with Taps sung in Hebrew. There was a campsite for each group with a Hebrew name. The campers decorated it to make it their own and illustrate that name. Sports were certainly not overlooked. Gaga, the Israeli game of Dodge Ball, was played everywhere. There was to be total immersion in Hebrew and Judaism. 

 Friday, of course, was the most special day of the week. The day would begin with a flurry of cleaning, decorating and rehearsing. Then, everyone changed into their Shabbat white clothes and the magic began. Adele and Shirley would begin the procession to each camp site collecting the kids and singing Shabbat songs along the way. It was such a thrill to watch and be a part of this. Everyone would gather in a circle on the social hall floor, light Shabbat candles and welcome Shabbat with song and much joy.

Each week had a theme and each group prepared a skit or some sort of presentation to be presented for the Shabbat program. Following the skits, Shirley would lead the entire camp in Israeli folk dance. There was total participation with never a bystander.

About the third summer, Adele and Shirley, the camp directors, hired the Tsofim Friendship Caravan, a group of Israeli musicians to perform at camp.  That was when they met Amnon Shiloh, a veritable Israeli pied piper, and a very special person who sang and played the accordion. Everyone was mesmerized by him and he was promptly hired for every summer after that.  He taught Hebrew songs and instilled the joy and spirit of Israel in everyone.

Everyday each group would have a session with Shirley Grossman, learning their part for the original musical that would be the end of year program, and meet with Shirley Waxman to learn Israeli folk dance. And there was always a special session with Amnon.

All the parents were invited to the final program of the camp season. It featured the campers in the big musical performance, an art show, along with much song and dance. It was the highlight of the summer. And of course, there were tears – tears of joy and sadness – upon leaving this special “Brigadoon-like” Jewish community.

Looking back with much nostalgia, the founders set out to create a camp and ended up laying the foundation for a strong and vibrant Jewish community. Camp Achva paved the way for what later became the Pozez JCC. And in so doing, created a new generation of young people steeped in Jewish song, dance and Jewish values. It is a testament to that founding vision that these values continue at Camp Achva to this very day.

Shirley Waxman, July 2024