Camps

Camp Kinderland was the main Yiddish speaking children’s camp and had an associated adult camp, Lakeland. The slogan was from shule to camp, from camp to shule, since each reinforced the other. Camp Wo-Chi-Ca (Workers Children Camp) had children of all backgrounds and was known for its arts programs including performances by IWO member Paul Robeson. At both camps, recreation was mixed with educational, political and arts programming that emphasized camp salutes, singing and dance. Other IWO sections also ran adult and children’s camps.

List of Camp Kinderland Campers

List of interracial [integrated] camps in the New York City area. Offers information about location, number of boys and girls, rates, age range, and director. Includes IWO Camp Wo-Chi-Cha, "Workers Children Camp", the I.W.O.'s racially integrated children's camp in Schooley's Mountain, NJ.

Interracial Camps

Inter Office Correspondance for Camp Kinderland, Camp Lakeland, and Camp Unity regarding insurance companies and camp fire coverage as well as the inspection of account books. William Karlin is the Examiner from the New York State Insurance Department office installed at I.W.O. headquarters to control managing its assets and activities. Inter office (rather than letter) is used by William Karlin since New York State's Insurance Department is in litigation with the IWO including on the transactions of the Camp Department and its increasing administrative and financial separation from the I.W.O. and JPFO.

William Karlin to I.W.O Camp Committee Regarding Camp Kinderland, Camp Lakeland, and Camp Unity, May 1953 (correspondence)

"Published on the fourth Nayland Yontif", which to say, four years since the first Nayland summer camp. By this time, the camp was run by and for the members of the Arbeter Ring splinter group who ran the "Umpartayishe" Shuln. Even before the formal schism and the founding of the I.W.O., the 'right' (that is the non-I.W.O. aligned) faction of the Arbeter Ring purchased land and started their own camp. Contents: "Let it be Built" by Yakov Levin. The Nayland Constitution. Greetings from the directorate, from the teachers, the adult committee, the schools, from Yosef (Joseph) Opatoshu. Articles, poems, and reminiscences about the camp. Photos of handwork, the lake, the kindergarden group perched on a hayrick, the baseball field, the new theater building, several pictures of dancers and dancing. Children's compositions. Camp Songs. Parodies and chants. Bits and pieces (humor). Greetings and advertisements including from the Jewish bakery and other local Poughkeepsie businesses that supply the camp. Graphic (page 3) shows a decorated hammer and sickle appearing in a lyre. Last page contains a list of addresses of all branches. Cover illustration by M. Barkin. Camp address on back cover. There is also a different Camp Nayland that ran in Gilette, NJ from 1928-1930 that was associated with the Workmen's Circle and Mendel Elkin.

Nayland: Magazine of the "Kinderland" Summer Camp

On the fifth anniversary of the founding of the Workmen's Circle Kinderring (Sylvan Lake) camp. Translated Summary: Appears to be a book for adults, perhaps for a fundraising banquet. Tells the history of the camp takeover and the I.W.O. split more generally from the Arbeter Ring (Workmen's Circle) point of view. Interesting reflection of the state of bilingualism in the Jewish left outside the Ordn. The book reads right to left in Yiddish, left to right in English. The Yiddish 'half' is slightly longer as not every article is translated. The camp committee is pictured on pages 74-75, in the Yiddish section of the book, but with committee members' names in English. The list of advertisers on (unnumbered) page 87 is in English as are the advertisements. The Yiddish cover has a typo with the German spelling, "Arbeiter" instead of "Arbeter".

Workmen's Circle Camp

Children's magazine Kinderland published by the Arbeter Ring. Now with a color cover, and the three editors listed on the masthead. Contents this issue: The Ringing of Bells by M. Corman. Sender the Fool by M. Muzman. War by Y. Krepliak. On a Spring Day, poem by L. Magister. Sun in the Sky, poem by Y. Katsenelson. The Slaves and the Cat, by Kahlil Gibran, translated by Nafthali Gross. The Wolf Goes to School. Humor by Y. Katsenelson. The Quack (fraud), by Y. Haykin. May and Rebirth, by I. B. Bailin, Rain poems by Naftali Gross. H. Sperber. The Peasant Gives the German Pure Tea, by A. Vilner. Diary of a Schoolboy by D'Amitches. Features: Interesting to Know. News. Games. Children's Writing. p. 22 A note on orthography from the editors. Puzzles, riddles, jokes, and a cartoon.

Kinderland, Volume 1, Number 5, May 1921

Children's magazine "Kinderland" then published by the Arbeter Ring [Workmen's Circle] Translated Summary: The 1923 issue is Passover themed and its contents include: Sheet music for the song Spring Calls, by T. Rivesman. The Beginning of Spring, A poem by Nachum Y. The Puppy with Black Spots..., by Chaver Paver. Grandmother Tsirl, a translation and adaptation of Old Mother Hubbard by M. Z., Poem. An Angel for a Guest by Yosl Cutler (Yosel Kotler). The Book of Knowledge, by Henry Faber. The Little Bird. Poem by A. N. Pliyestshef. At the Passover Seder, by Y. Opatoshu. Matzo for Passover, by Y. Adler. Ow, My Teeth! by Ben-Zion Gold. Passover, by Y. L. Kalushiner. The Dog. by M. Strogatsh. Where to Get Salt From, by Ben-Shmuel. News, riddles. Children's writings. Questions and answers. Advertisements.

Kinderland, Volume 3, Number 3

Please note that the magazines labeled "Kinderland" (Children's Land) were not associated with the Camp Kinderland run by the Jewish People's Fraternal Order (JPFO). The International Workers Order (IWO) Records held by the Kheel Center includes materials that were owned by IWO and its Jewish Section, the JPFO, who had collected these earlier Yiddish children's magazines.

Sylvia Schneiderman to Itche Goldberg about her Daughter, July 1950 (correspondence)

Article in the Daily Worker regarding state legislative committee investigation of Communist affiliated summer hotels, camps, and resorts. Actor Howard daSilva and Rubin Saltzman both take the Fifth when asked to testify.

Camp Witchhunt Tries Intimidating Guests

About 10,000 pages of documents from the Kheel Center’s collection of International Workers’ Order records have been digitized. You can find more of these documents here along with the full version of documents provided here.

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Fellow Travelers From Popular Front to Cold War

Camps

Nayland: Magazine of the "Kinderland" Summer Camp

Workmen's Circle Camp

Kinderland, Volume 1, Number 5, May 1921

Kinderland, Volume 3, Number 3