Camp Modin

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Camp Modin is a co-ed summer camp located on an approximate 30 acre site in Belgrade, Maine. It is among the oldest private Jewish camps in the US, founded in 1922 by Alexander Dushkin. Many children go there from all over the world - Spain, Australia, Hungary, Israel, France etc. Camp runs for seven weeks beginning with the last few days of June and ending in the middle of August.

Campers participate in a variety of activities throughout the week. Bunk activities are run in the morning, including such activities as basketball, waterskiing, rock climbing, arts, and swimming, to name a few. Similar activities take place in the afternoon. However, afternoon activities, dubbed "free choice," are scheduled individually, based on requests. However, campers tend to not bother attending their assigned activities. Some prefer to remain in the bunk and sleep, or go to another activity. Evening activities are usually full-camp. Some evening activities are counselor hunt, movie night, mini golf at nearby Gifford's, and game show. The eldest bunk are the Apprentices, referred to as "Apes." The Apprentice summer is especially meaningful to those campers.

One main event of the summer is the three day color war, or "Mo & Din." This event includes many sporting activities, a rope burning competition, a treasure hunt, Creativity Night, and the War Canoe Race. Campers also attend intercamps with camps such as Matoaka, Walden, Vega, Laurel, and others. It is a great experience for campers to be able to compete in activities with other summer facilities. This is not included in color war.

Modin is a non-denominational, pluralistic Jewish camp. Religious services are held every Friday night and Saturday morning. Every meal is preceded by "HaMotzi," the Jewish blessing over bread, and proceeded with the "Birkat HaMazon," grace after meals. However, there is no accredited Jewish authority at the camp and at least 80% (and growing) of the staff is not Jewish. There is a full camp ceremony for Tisha B'Av, and fasting campers participate in meaningful activities throughout the day.

The current directors of Camp Modin are Howard Salzberg and Lisa Wulkan.

Director David Wain attended the camp in the 1980s, and Modin was the inspiration for his summer camp film, Wet Hot American Summer.^[1] Composer Craig Wedren, one of Wain's childhood friends, was another well-known summer resident at Modin. "We lived for going to Camp Modin," Wedren has stated in an interview, "our parents, aunts and uncles had all gone there, and we went there, too. I loved that place. We all did."^[2] Other famous alumni include director Shawn Levy and TV Funhouse creator Robert Smigel.

At the 75th Anniversity reunion, alumnus and businessman Aaron Feuerstein was the keynote speaker.

[edit] References

^ Mimi Udovitch, "The Way We Live Now: 8-5-01: Questions for David Wain and Michael Showalter- Camping It Up", The New York Times Magazine, August 5, 2001.
^ Joanna Connors, "Summer camp film of a different stripe screens at Sundance", The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH), January 26, 2001.
^ Mac Daniel, "A journey comes to a tragic end - New Zealander electrocuted hunting coins", The Boston Globe, August 28, 2004.
^ Lisa Fleisher, "Bus filled with campers rolls over", Boston Globe, July 4, 2005.
^ Associated Press, "Bus full of youngsters overturns on Maine highway", USA Today, July 3, 2005. Online version
^ Editorial, "More heroics from more camp counselors", Morning Sentinel (Waterville, ME), July 16, 2005.