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Surprise Lake Camp is a non-profit sleepaway camp and is located on over 400 acres in Cold Spring, New York (approximately 60 miles north of New York City). The mission of Surprise Lake Camp is to "provide a high quality Jewish camping experience where children and young adults will be safe, have fun, and grow as they engage in programs and activities that enable them to learn values and skills that will help them lead fulfilling lives and be assets to their communities."

[edit] History

Surprise Lake Camp was founded in 1902 by the Educational Alliance to provide a summer vacation for Jewish boys from the tenements of Manhattan's Lower East Side. In its first season, it had six tents for 25 campers and five counselors. In 2006, Surprise Lake Camp had over 500 campers (boys and girls) and over 200 staff members.

Surprise Lake Camp maintains a large outdoor performance complex named after the entertainer, Eddie Cantor. It is capable of seating the camp's entire summer population and is used mostly for performances, Shabbat and other annual ceremonies.

From youngest to oldest, the units are named, Mountainview Boys ages 7-10, Mountainview Girls ages 7-10, Idyllwood Boys Age 11, Journey's Way Girls Age 11, Frontier Boys age 12, Highlands girls age 12, Sherwood Boys age 13, Merrylane Girls age 13, Timberline Boys age 14-15, Boulder Hill/Lakeview Girls age 14-15 and Work Program Boys and Girls age 15

[edit] Former Campers

Among SLC's first campers was Eddie Cantor, who, upon achieving success as an entertainer, became one of the camp's most ardent supporters. For over 100 years, Surprise Lake camp has continued to serve thousands upon thousands of young people, many of whom have achieved prominence, among them:

• Eddie Cantor
• Neil Diamond
• Joseph Heller
• Larry King
• Walter Matthau
• Jerry Stiller
• Neil Simon
• Gene Simmons (of KISS)
• former New York Knicks trainer Mike Saunders
• former New York Attorney General Robert Abrams
• supermodel Haylynn Cohen
• stand-up comedian and keynote speaker Joey Novick
• Michael Gutenplan, magician and Broadway entertainer

[edit] External Links

• Surprise Lake Camp website
• Surprise Lake Camp is also the parent organization of the Teva Learning Center: The Teva Learning Center
• SLC is also part of the: American Camp Association
• Hudson River Sloop Clearwater

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v • d • e Summer Camps in the state of New York Current camps Adirondack Camp (Lake George) | Camp Chipinaw (Swan Lake) | Camp Diana-Dalmaqua (Glen Spey) | Camp Dudley, YMCA (Westport) | Camp Eagle Island (Upper Saranac Lake) | Camp Kewanee (Parksville) | Camp Kinder Ring (Hopewell Junction) | Camp Olympus (Parksville) | Camp Read (Brant Lake) | Camp Rising Sun (Red Hook/Clinton) | Camp Tel Yehudah (Barryville) | Double "H" Ranch (Lake Luzerne) | Surprise Lake Camp (Cold Spring) | The Ranch Camp (Lake Placid) | Willow Hill Farm Camp (Keeseville) | YMCA Camp Cory (Milo) | YMCA Frost Valley (Claryville) Defunct camps Camp Ma-Ho-Ge (Bethel) | Camp TA-RI-GO (Fleischmanns) | Camp Ranger (Bethel) | Kutsher's Camp Anawana (Monticello)