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June 7, 2002/Sivan 27 5762, Vol. 54, No. 38
Camp Pearlstein cancels sessions
BETH OLSON
Staff Writer
Camp Charles Pearlstein in Prescott has canceled all camp sessions for this summer due to the closure of the Prescott National Forest.
Camp Pearlstein, the only Jewish residence camp in Arizona, is located on Prescott National Forest land. Forest officials instituted a complete closure of the forest on May 24, due to extreme fire danger, according to a Forest Service press release. Four other residence camps, Pine Summit Camp, Camp Anytown, Camp Wamatochick and Patterdell Pines, are all affected by the closure. Other residence camps in Prescott located on land not owned by the Forest Service are not required to close.
According to Jon Levin, director of Camp Pearlstein, there is no indication of when the forest will reopen, so the camp was forced to close for the entire summer. This is the camp's first closure in its 26-year history.
Families of the 400 registered campers were notified of the closure by mail, and will receive a full refund of fees paid.
Camp staff are assisting families in finding alternative Jewish residence camps,
and are recommending several camps with openings (see box). According to Levin, most families are choosing camps in California due
to its proximity to the Valley.
Levin said he is concerned about both the short- and long-term effects the closure will have on Camp Pearlstein, which is operated by Temple Beth Israel.
"We'll lose any income this summer (and) once kids start going to other camps, there's a potential that they won't come back," he said.
Contact the writer at beth_olson@jewishaz.com.
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