In recent years, Jakir Manela says he has noticed an interesting trend while overseeing the Pearlstone Center’s annual Family Farm Camp program.
Whilelots of parents join their offspring for the five-day camp that celebratesspending quality time in nature, a growing number of grandparents also have participatedin the activities, says Manela, chief executive officer of the retreat andoutdoor education campus in Reisterstown.
“It’s been an amazing multi-generational event, and really one of the best events we do all year long,” he says. “One of the more beautiful things we have seen in relation to the camp has been seeing more grandparents coming out sometimes with the parents and children.”
Asa result, the center is now expanding the Family Farm Camp program — whichincludes harvesting fresh produce, swimming, arts and crafts, and music — tolaunch its inaugural Grandparent Farm Camp, or Gramp Camp, on Aug. 13-14.
Theovernight program is designed specifically for grandparents and grandchildren(up to 12 years of age) and leads directly into the traditional Family FarmCamp.
“It’sreally beautiful to see multiple generations — parents, children andgrandparents, or just grandparents and grandchildren — come together,” Manelasays. “We believe that this camp opportunity for grandparents will provide justthat.”
GrampCamp was made possible, in part, due to funds from the Jewish GrandparentsNetwork, a nonprofit that supports grandparents as essential family members whomake unique contributions to their families and to the future of the Jewish community.
Accordingto a U.S. Census Bureau report published last year, the number of grandparentsin the United States is growing. The population of grandparents reached 69.5million in 2014, up from 65.1 million five years earlier.
Jewishcommunal studies strongly emphasize that grandparents wield a strong influenceon their grandchildren’s Jewish identities.
“Forall childhood experiences, Jewish grandparents should be viewed as a criticalresource, and programs should be designed to leverage their influence,” statesa 2015 study titled “Millennial Children of Intermarriage” published by theCohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University.
Organizersbelieve that Gramp Camp will allow participants to explore Jewish traditionsand spirituality through the touchstones of food, farming and foresting.Activities will include nature walks, group games, gleaning fruits andvegetables, cooking and telling stories under the stars.
Forthe more adventurous of spirit and agile campers, there also will be activitiessuch as a high ropes adventure course, zip lines, a rock wall and a waterslide.
“Thereused to be this picture of grandparents as elderly and not very active,” Manelasays. “That’s really not the case today. Today’s grandparents are largely babyboomers who are excited about being active with their grandchildren. Thatdoesn’t mean doing extreme sports, but it does mean spending quality timeoutdoors with their grandchildren. We’re excited about the opportunities thatcould present themselves with this Gramp Camp.”
LocalJewish activist, author and philanthropist Lee M. Hendler is a co-founder andpresident of the Jewish Grandparents Network. She says she is thrilled with theGramp Camp concept and views it as another way for today’s more activegrandparents to become involved in their grandchildren’s lives and development.
“TheGramp Camp is a great way for families to explore the grandparent/grandchildrelationship,” says Hendler, who will attend the inaugural camp with two of herown six grandchildren. “This is an extension of what Pearlstone already doeswith families, but allows for grandparents to have some individual time withtheir grandchildren.
“Thebaby boomer generation has taken on a much more active role in theirgrandchildren’s lives,” she says. “We assist with caretaking, carpooling andother activities. A camp like this is an amazing way for those relationships togrow outside of the day-to-day activities.
“Ihope this will continue to grow in the future, especially as grandparents areexpected to live longer and longer lives.”
For information about the inaugural Gramp Camp, visit pearlstonecenter.org.
RonSnyder is a Baltimore-based freelance writer.
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