Camp Tel Noar


Camp Tel Noar is a Jewish summer camp for children ages 7 through 16. It is located in Hampstead, New Hampshire, in the United States, which is about 1 hour north of Boston. The camp sits on Sunset Lake and has about 275 campers.

History

Camp Tel Noar was founded by Eli and Bessie Cohen in 1945 as a Zionist camp. For many years, the camp was operated as the Tel Noar Lodge, a Zionist camp for teens and young adults. Camp Tel Noar is currently a Jewish youth camp for children age 7 to 16. Tel Noar operates alongside its sister camps in the Cohen foundation, Tevya and Pembroke.

Age groups

Buildings

Buildings include the Dining Hall, Gymnasium, Recreation Hall, Health Center, Arts and Crafts building, Nature building, and Main Office.

1998 fire

During March 1998, a fire was caused by the roofing company working on the dining hall in the winter. The fire destroyed the dining hall and kitchen. For the summer of 1998, the camp rented trailers that could be used as a dining hall and kitchen.

Areas of camp

In October, 2010, work began on a state-of-the-art pool and bathhouse. The pool took the place of the Upper Courts, a multi-use basketball and street-hockey court. The Aquatics Center was finished in June 2011, and was ready for the 2011 Camp Season. The facility is dedicated in memory of George Marcus, longtime former director of Camp Tel Noar. The pool was officially dedicated on June 25, 2011, four days before the 2011 Camp Opening Day. For the 2013 Summer season, the final phase of the George Marcus Aquatics Center project was completed. The former volleyball court in the dell was razed and replaced by a modern, multi-use basketball and volleyball court.

Activities

Water sports: Swimming, boating and canoeing, windsurfing, sailing, waterskiing, wakeboarding, and kneeboarding.
Land activities: aerobics, basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, martial arts, fitness and conditioning, soccer, softball, street hockey, Newcomb, ultimate Frisbee, volleyball, tennis, archery, kickball, golf, and badminton.
Arts: arts and crafts, photography, videography, dance, drama, and music.
Nature: nature, camping, animal care, and outdoor cooking.

Schedule

Camp Tel Noar only operates in the summer months of June, July, and August. The campers arrive on the last Wednesday of June and leave seven weeks from there. Staff are required to arrive one week early for orientation. During the year, the facility is closed to the public, but the dining hall is used for the and local events.
Sunday through Friday, a six period schedule is run and on Saturday, a relaxed Shabbat schedule is run.