Jewish summer camp can have an affect on children that lasts a lifetime.
Kids who attend Jewish summer camp are more likely to practice Jewish traditions when they return home. But as anyone who has gone to camp will tell you, it isn't just about passing on the faith. Campers develop bonds and build personal skills that help shape their identities for years to come.
A look at vintage photos from Jewish summer camps indicates it wasn't much different in decades past. The snapshots below come from the archives of the American Jewish Historical Society, one of the oldest cultural archives in the U.S., according to its website. May these adorable photos remind us all to cherish the long, sultry days of summer.
Courtesy of The American Jewish Historical Society
Children playing at Camp Wakitan, from the Records of the Hebrew Orphan Asylum of the City of New York.
Courtesy of The American Jewish Historical Society
Boys at a swimming lesson at a country camp, circa 1950, from the National Jewish Welfare Board Records.
Courtesy of The American Jewish Historical Society
Teenagers in a rowboat at summer camp, from the Records of the Hebrew Orphan Asylum of the City of New York.
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Courtesy of The American Jewish Historical Society
A young woman, Lois Greene, at Camp Watitoh, July 1951, from the Metz-Green-Stone Papers.
Courtesy of The American Jewish Historical Society
Boys at Hebrew Orphan Asylum Camp from the Records of the Hebrew Orphan Asylum of the City of New York.
Courtesy of The American Jewish Historical Society
Young woman reading to girls at country camp, circa 1950, from the National Jewish Welfare Board Records.
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Courtesy of The American Jewish Historical Society
Boys examining nature at a country camp, circa 1950.
Courtesy of The American Jewish Historical Society
Boys canoeing at Camp Wakitan, from the Records of the Hebrew Orphan Asylum of the City of New York.
Courtesy of The American Jewish Historical Society
Boys playing volleyball at Camp Wakitan, from the Records of the Hebrew Orphan Asylum of the City of New York.
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