Camp Modin
Encyclopedia
Camp Modin is a co-ed summer camp
located on an approximate 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) 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
, and China
. 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, water-skiing, 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. Evening activities are usually full-camp. Some evening activities are counselor hunt, opening and closing campfires, movie night, mini golf at nearby Gifford's Ice Cream, 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.
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. 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.
Writer and director David Wain
attended the camp in the 1980s, and Modin was the inspiration for his summer camp film, Wet Hot American Summer
. 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." Other famous alumni include director Shawn Levy
and TV Funhouse creator Robert Smigel
. Mindy Schneider's 2007 memoir "Not a Happy Camper" is rumored to be based on the original Camp Modin. The author attended Modin as a child.
At the 75th Anniversity reunion, alumnus and businessman Aaron Feuerstein
was the keynote speaker.
Summer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
located on an approximate 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) site in Belgrade
Belgrade, Maine
Belgrade is a town in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,978 at the 2000 census. Belgrade's population, however, approximately doubles during the summer months as part-year residents return to seasonal camps located on the shores of Great Pond, Long Pond and Messalonskee...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. 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
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. 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, water-skiing, 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. Evening activities are usually full-camp. Some evening activities are counselor hunt, opening and closing campfires, movie night, mini golf at nearby Gifford's Ice Cream, 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.
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. 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.
Writer and director David Wain
David Wain
David Benjamin Wain is an American comedian, writer, actor and director. He is most widely known for the feature films Role Models and Wet Hot American Summer, the 1990s' sketch comedy series The State and for producing/directing/writing the Adult Swim series Childrens Hospital...
attended the camp in the 1980s, and Modin was the inspiration for his summer camp film, Wet Hot American Summer
Wet Hot American Summer
Wet Hot American Summer is a 2001 satirical comedy film written by David Wain and Michael Showalter, and directed by Wain. The film takes place during the last day at a fictional Jewish summer camp in 1981, before closing for the summer...
. Composer Craig Wedren
Craig Wedren
Craig Wedren is the former lead singer of Shudder to Think and now the lead for the newer pop-mash project, "BABY".Wedren has also contributed vocals to the musical act Tweaker with Chris Vrenna, formerly of Nine Inch Nails, The Verve Pipe's self-titled album, the musical act Cex, The Dead...
, 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." Other famous alumni include director Shawn Levy
Shawn Levy
Shawn Adam Levy is a Canadian-American actor, director and producer who directed the comedy films Big Fat Liar, Just Married, Cheaper by the Dozen, The Pink Panther, Night at the Museum, Date Night, and the sci-fi movie Real Steel...
and TV Funhouse creator Robert Smigel
Robert Smigel
Robert Smigel is an American actor, humorist, comedian and writer known for his Saturday Night Live "TV Funhouse" cartoon shorts and as the puppeteer and voice behind Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog.-Early life:...
. Mindy Schneider's 2007 memoir "Not a Happy Camper" is rumored to be based on the original Camp Modin. The author attended Modin as a child.
At the 75th Anniversity reunion, alumnus and businessman Aaron Feuerstein
Aaron Feuerstein
Aaron Feuerstein was the third-generation owner and CEO of Malden Mills in Lawrence, Massachusetts.When the Malden Mills factory burnt down on December 11, 1995, Feuerstein decided not only to use his insurance money to rebuild it, but to also pay the salaries of all the now-unemployed workers...
was the keynote speaker.