A Remnant of Personal History
2018 Update: When I posted these photographs in 2016 I had no idea what would happen. These photographs have inspired former campers at Cejwin to share their experiences in the comments. This post has gone from being about photography to being a community. If you are here to see my work, also read the comments so you can see how that these simple dilapidated buildings profoundly impacted the lives of the people who came to this camp. There are experiences shared below from the 1940’s through the 90’s when the camp closed its doors.
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We recently visited what is left of Cejwin Camps in Port Jervis, New York. The camp was founded in 1918 to provide a summer in nature and fresh air for New York City’s Jewish children. The camp, like all summer camps, provided an opportunity for kids to bond, have fun, and maybe learn something they could take into adulthood that would be useful. Its location in rural New York, just 90 minutes from Manhattan, allowed Cejwin to thrive and open seven camps to serve around 1000 kids.
Until recent generations, parents thought it was important for their kids to spend time outdoors in the natural world. That has changed along with what people choose to do with their summers. Cejwin fell victim to those changes and closed its doors in the 1990’s. After Cejwin, a Christian group took over and established a camp there for a few years. Now most of the camp property is being developed into housing. When we were there, only one of the boys camps, Aviv, was accessible.
This photo shoot was very personal. My wife spent 10 years at Cejwin Camps as a kid and has many happy memories. I’ve seen old black and white photos of her as a goofy, giggly teenager fooling around with her bunk mates. These somewhat out of focus antics of a bunch of 14 year-olds document experiences that helped shape the mature and intelligent person my wife is today. This place is so much a part of her past that being at Cejwin and photographing what remains of it was quite a powerful experience for both of us.
The Cabins
These simple structures were full of children being children. My wife has many fond memories of what camp professionals would call “Cabin Life.” She remembers activities at camp, but really remembers what happened in these little buildings where, as she has said, she could just be herself.

Cabin By The Lake by Richard Lewis 2016

Remains of Cejwin Camp by Richard Lewis 2016

Collapsed Cabin by Richard Lewis 2016

Cabin Interior by Richard Lewis 2016

Staff Cabin At Cejwin Camp by Richard Lewis 2016
Camp Activities
The goal of Cejwin Camps was to expose Jewish children to nature, healthy activities and each other. What remains at the Aviv sub-camp are the wood shop, the basketball courts and the waterfront which was a haven on hot days. The camp offered a lot of other activities too, but none of that is evident anymore.

Wood Shop Interior by Richard Lewis 2016

Cejwin Waterfront by Richard Lewis 2016

Basketball Courts at Cejwin Camps by Richard Lewis 2016
What Happened After Cejwin Camps
After Cejwin Camps closed in the 1990’s a Christian organization took over and ran a camp there for a few years. Some of the religious decorations remain on the buildings although most of the camp is run down and full of debris where buildings have been torn down. There is another section where the cabins were fairly well maintained that was fenced off, so we did not photograph there.

Christian Camp by Richard Lewis 2016

Cejwin Camps Panorama by Richard Lewis 2016

Aviv-Aviva-Chavurah Wood Shop at Cejwin Camps by Richard Lewis 2016

Collapsed Cabin Interior by Richard Lewis 2016
Remnants of Cejwin
Not much is left that distinguishes Cejwin Camps’ Jewish identity. Hebrew letters on the side of a building that may have been a canteen, some pre-1990 graffiti inside some of the buildings, and a worktable marked Aviv Shop.

Cejwin Camps Remnant by Richard Lewis 2016

Aviv Shop Table by Richard Lewis 2016
These may very well be the last photographs made of Cejwin before it is totally gone. The rustic cabins and buildings are far from architectural gems and are probably not worth preserving. But it’s not the buildings that are important, it is what happened inside of them that matters. These photographs hopefully will help preserve experiences that are cherished by many of the campers who spent time here.
I know this post is being shared among Cejwin Camps’ alumni group. If you attended this camp, please leave a comment below with thoughts and memories of your time at camp. Help us show what these dilapidated buildings meant when they were structurally sound and full of children.
See more photographs of Cejwin Camps on my website.
Enjoy
I spent three years at Cejwin in the early 70s, as a waiter. If you worked in the kitchen most people will think ok of Mr. Gluck who was the tyrant of All who worked in the kitchen. Some of the best years of my life. Such a shame to see it like this. I went back to my bungalow colony and it was just like your photos. They were building private houses on what I considered sacred land. Time doesn’t stand still, but both of our girls spent their summers at Camp Harlem in the Poconos. They are now both nearly 30 and yet they still see and love the friends they made.
Thanks for your comment Rich. I think it is important to remember that the staff, as well as the campers, had great experiences at Cejwin. Thanks again for sharing that.
I attended Camp Cejwin from 1942, and the next 20 years. After a summer in Yonim, I spent summers in Hadar, Carmel, etc Please help me locate any reunion structure that still might be existence. Thanking you in advance——Alan Berkowsky
Dear Alan,
I note that you and I may have both been at Cejwin Camps during the summer of 1946. Do you recall Tish’ah B’Av services being led by Rabbi Archie Klein? I’ve never forgotten the way he led us in the 3rd chapter of Megillat Eikhah.
wow!! Cejwin!!!Truly the best five summers of my life. I sometimes joke that it was a ZIONIST Training Center. It was there that Zionism at its purist form was sparked for me and it has resulted in a lifelong love for Israel and and Judaism. My three children attended a different kind of camp – but they too love their camp. I can still taste the Challah Rolls with the lox cream cheese and yes Pizza Bagels! But remembering the Days of Color War, sleep outs at Lemrac, and all the Israeli Dancing are moments of my youth that I hope never to forget. I will say that to this day my Best CAMP Friend is still my BEST life friend and the values I learned at Cejwin lasted a lifetime.
Thanks for sharing these memories of your time at Cejwin Renee. This was obviously 5 summers that strongly helped shape your life. Sometime I’m going to have to try a pizza bagel. You are not the only one who has mentioned those here.
Ah, Cejwin! From the the time I was 13 until I was 23 I spent summers there first as a camper in Carmel and Aviv, and then as a CIT in Hadar (the youngest camp) and as the Arts and Crafts counselor in Carmel. My brother went, as well as all my cousins. We kids could do all the family things together without parents! I have pictures and vivid memories of so much of what has made me me today. Joyous memories, and so sad to see it this way.
Thanks for sharing your memories here, David. You touched on one of the strongest aspects of the camp experience, which is kids spending time away from their parents and learning and thriving. You had the added experience of being able to do that with other family members.
Awesome photos ! The cejwin phenomenon was an essential and critical stage of development for many of us. A universe unto itself. Any one if those pics can serve the definition of the word nostalgia for me.
Thanks for your comment, and compliment. I’m happy that these photographs stirred some nostalgia for you.
I loved my time at Cejwin (1989-1992). This is the magical place where we were allowed to just “be”. I made wonderful friends at Cejwin who helped mold me through adolescence. I lived in Miami and couldn’t wait to spend my summers in the mountains in NY.
My memories include Shabbat dancing, maccabiah, nsshball, night bunk raids, waterfront docks, wood shop, crisp air during morning tefilah at flagpole, and Spod cups.
Thank you so much for sharing your memories of Cejwin Monica. I love that you remember the crisp air in the morning. I’ve never heard of Spod cups. I’ll have to ask my wife about those.
Great four years of my life and some of the best summers ever. Cejwinites are like family. You can stay out of touch and reunite as if you’ve never been apart, with memories of camp always the forefront of conversation.
It’s very sad to see the facilities like this but through social media such as our FB group, we can keep our memories of those fond times alive.
Those who have never had the Cejwin experience just don’t understand. I’m so greatful for my parents being able to send me there. I fondly remember all the pre camp preparations and the excitement that ensued. In honor of cejwin I think we all need to eat tuna on rye with potato chips and frozen strawberries for Shabbat lunch tomorrow. Don’t forget to wash it down with bug juice. L”chaim!
By the way, I posted a photo of Vivian not long ago. We were bunk mates .
Thanks for your comment Miriam. I never went to Cejwin but being married to a Cejwin camper for 40+ years, hopefully earns me a role as an honorary Cegwinite. I did see your photo and some others of Vivian on the Facebook group. It’s amazing to think that we were all that young once.
I went to Cejwin throughout the 70s and have lots of great memories. Swamping canoes, pizza bagels, camping, sports, learning to play the rabbis electric guitar, midnight raids to the girls campus, services and more services, Johnny’s, Northerns… It was a great experience and means more to me now as an adult than it did at the time.
Thanks for sharing all those memories, Eric. Pizza bagels must have been good.
Thanks so much for the photos and the post. Among other things, Cejwin was the place where in the course of the summer you could get so close 2 people that it could literally take Years to do the same back at home. Really a beautiful thing.
Also, I wouldn’t consider myself a very good Jew. But as someone who felt imprisoned at Hebrew school, Cejwin absolutely helped establish the foundation for me and what I know of and relate to in Judaism.
I’d go back in a minute!
A quick question on the blog. When you say the Aviv shop, do you mean the only wood shop?
I was there from 1979 to 90 and most of that time the campus where the shop was was Chavurah. I know that that was a change, but there was only one shop, right?
Hi Scott. Thanks for your comment and for sharing your thoughts about Cejwin. To answer your question when we were there we found a table that was labeled Aviv Shop. It is shown in the last photograph on this post. I recently found out that what we thought was the social hall was actually the wood shop. It was called the Aviv-Aviva-Chavurah Shop. The two photographs are now correctly labeled on the post.
My brother was a waiter. I was a camper in 76 or 77. My brother beat hell out of a couple of antisemitic “townies” one night and was sent home for his own safety. Does anyone remember this?
Thanks for your comment Eric. I did a quick search online to see if there was any information about that incident with your brother but could not find anything.
Hi everyone.
I just found these posts about Cejwin. I was there the night that Mike Lamonsoff beat up the two anti semites. He came to my defense after those two idiots assaulted me with no provocation.
He did the right thing.
Thanks again Mike
As a “townie” I never experienced nor heated of such a thing. I lived only a few miles north of Cejwin from the time I was 3 until the late 1970’s when I moved out of state to finish my professional education and start a family. I only have fond memories of the campers and staff that were either a part of my life or made acquaintance with in the normal course of life in Huguenot. We locals knew to stay off site during camp season. With permission we enjoyed hiking, fishing there in the off season. We’d occasionally fish on the swampy side in the summer, an area none of the campers seemed to ever utilize. The only 2 potential issues my group of friends and I had was when we’d ride our bicycles from Peenpack Trail/Martins road all the way into Port. It was an old unkept road considered a much safer route than biking down 209 into Port. More importantly it went from a friend’s front porch right into Port without being seen by nor having to “ask permission “ from my parents. I’m thinking it took us through the girls camp? I was 11-13 at the time so not about the kinder gender. It was about adventure and sneaking into Port. The second issue was an occasional incursion on our part to fish off a length of dock we found in the swamp. It had apparently broken away during high water time and never reclaimed. We’d manage 4 guys on it before it would sink. Perfect for poking along with poles and spending some offshore fishing time. Occasionally some of the male campers in canoes would see us and attempt to slay the invaders. A lot of yelling, splashing, etc but no real fights. Mostly very shallow waters where the canoes would get hung up. A few times it resulted in just floating around together talking about where the campers were from, country life and invitations to visit again. I actually worked with one of those boys 20+ years later in an up state hospital. One ED shift He mentioned being a camper at a camp just outside NYC. The conversation went on from there with him remembering the invaders on the broken dock raft. Imagine that. As I grew into my teens activities moved away from daylong hikes and fishing to other activities and eventually summer jobs in the region. Recreational activities grew into guy/girl dating leaving no time for the simple pleasures of floating along on a decrepit raft. The most vivid memory of the camp during my older teens was the sheer number of campers. Seemed like thousands on the athletic fields and walking Rt 209 to Port Jervis. I remember when campers were injured and one died from car/pedestrian accidents. Also a drowning one summer. So sad. I have always made it a priority to look over the camp, mainly from the side of Rt 209, when I visit the area. Saddened when it was in decline then overjoyed when it seemed to make a comeback. One of my high school classmates purchased a large portion of the camp. He built a home on the backside and helped establish a Christian ministry on the site. Regardless of ownership it served as a wonderful facility for the development of kids and adults alike. I too am sad to see it fade into housing development. My memories of Cejwin are a welcome pleasure.
Jim Gardner
Best summers of my life (1975-1979)! It was my refuge from neighborhood bullying. I loved Israel dancing including the dance festival. Plays in the Syn/Aud and Zimriah. Most of all I loved the sense of community. It was a combination summer camp and bungalow colony. A truly uniquely Jewish place.
Thanks Sharon for taking the time to comment here. I’m glad you had Cejwin as a refuge for 5 years. It seems you have some really beautiful memories of the camp.
I was at camp in the mid 70s as a counselor. I was known for my Shabbat stories about The Wise Men of Chelm. What a great experience due in large part to a wonderful staff and great kids. Dane Perelstein