Campers in 1977 Image by Courtesy of Kutz Camp

(JTA) — Whether it’s first love or night swimming, many American Jews have nostalgic memories from Jewish summer camp. For the first class of campers to attend the Union for Reform Judaism’s flagship camp in Warwick, New York, those memories just turned 50 years old.

The URJ’s Kutz Camp, known for being the birthplace of modern spiritual Jewish folk music, celebrated its 50th anniversary this Fourth of July weekend. Hundreds of Kutz alumni joined Union for Reform Judaism leaders — including its president, Rabbi Rick Jacobs — at the camp on Friday night and all of Saturday to mark the occasion. While night swimming wasn’t on the agenda, outdoor activities, workshops and other adult summer camp activities were planned.

In 1965, Kutz Camp became the summer headquarters for NFTY, the North American Federation of Temple Youth, the youth arm of the Union for Reform Judaism.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

In 1969, a singer named Debbie Friedman became the camp’s song leader. Friedman’s songs – some of which she wrote at Kutz Camp in the early ’70s – would go on to revolutionize Jewish music and prayer. Many of her melodies, like “L’chi Lach” and “Mi Shebeirach,” are still sung in congregations across the country.

Friedman, who died from pneumonia in 2011 at the age of 59, and her music no doubt were remembered at the Kutz Camp anniversary.

With the upcoming release of a television series based on the film “Wet Hot American Summer,” Jewish summer camp is getting another moment in the spotlight. But as Kutz Camp reminds us, Jewish camp has been a fixture of American Jewish culture for a long time.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’re near the end of our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we have a very ambitious goal of $127,000 by April 21.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a Passover gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Make a Passover Gift Today!

$90 $180

$360

Other amount