Camp Akiba, (the best camp in the world) located in Reeders Pennsylvania, closed in 1997. The grounds are still maintained and as beautiful as ever, and it is now home to the Pocono Picnic Company. But for those of us who were campers at Camp Akiba, we miss it dearly. Fortunately there is a Facebook Group that helps connect many of us who were campers and staff at Camp Akiba.
Those of us who were campers in the 1970′ & 80’s and have children of our own are now faced with a question…
Where do we send our kids to overnight camp now that Akiba is closed?!!
Last summer I had the opportunity to visit and work with many summer camps on a tour with my Path To Rhythm Group Drumming Program. I learned many things, and the most apparent thing that I saw was camp spirit. The campers at all of these camps feel the same way about their camp; that it’s the best camp in the world.
In addition to getting to drum with over 3,500 campers at 12 different camps, I had the chance to meet some unexpected special people. These were the children of my friends from Camp Akiba. Imagine that…the children of Akibaites!
Below is a list and some photos of the next generation of campers that I met in the summer of 2011.
At Pine Forest Camp :
I drummed with:
- Jared Diamond, son of Rick Diamond.
- Jordan Sheppard, daughter of Jennifer (Meyers) Sheppard
- Daniel Weiss, son of my former counselor, Hank Weiss
- Jordan and Justin Shapiro, the sons of Alison Brodnick Shapiro
And I met:
- Chelsea Gordon, the daughter of Howard and the grand daughter of Uncle Lenny & Aunt Harriet
- Rachel & Carly Garazi, daughters of Carrie (Meyers) Garazi
- Hannah & Jordyn Kieserman, daughters of Amy (Dratch) Kieserman
with Jordan Sheppard, daughter of Jennifer (Meyers) Sheppard
with Jordan Shapiro and Daniel Wiess
with Chelsea Gordon, daughter of Howard Gordon
At Camp Kweebec:
- I drummed with Zack and Alex Jacobs, the sons Cory Jacobs
- I drummed with Ethan Berg, the son of Cami (Fruchter) Berg
At Camp Canadensis:
- I drummed with Carly Sukonik, the daughter of Neil Sukonik
At Diamond Ridge Camp:
- I drummed with Nicky Kelly, son of Sam & Mary Ann Kelly
- I met Brooke Oxenhandler, daughter of Brian Oxenhandler
At Sesame/ Rockwood Camp
- I met Avery & Jacob Ominsky, the children of Tara Dickerman Ominsky
and socially:
The summer began with a visit from Melissa (Storch) Epstein and her daughter Haley.
I also saw Erica (Skala) Napach and her three children, Charlie, Mason, and Lily.
I enjoy meeting the families of former Camp Akiba campers and staff, I consider them my extended family, we are part of the same Tribe.
The Camp Akiba Diaspora Project:
If you want to participate: add the following info to the comment section below…
- Your name
- The years you went to Akiba
- The names of your children
- Where they have attended camp, or where they will be attending camp
This information will be visible here on this page publicly as a way to document where the next generation of campers are attending camp.
See you in September 2012 at the official Camp Akiba Reunion!
I am proud that this past year I was able to purchase 30 new djembes for Path To Rhythm Group Drumming Programs. I had been doing research and talking to many different people about what kind of drums they use for their events. My good friend and drumming biz mentor, Jana Broder of Drum Magic, pointed me to Shorty Palmer at Djembe Drums & Skins. I had met Shorty and his lovely wife Sandy back in 2008 at the Drum Circle Facilitator’s Conference in Myrtle Beach, SC, and I was impressed with the passion that they have for the work that they do.
Shorty Palmer of Djembe Drums & Skins
I called Shorty and he picked up his phone after the second ring. “Hello, this is Shorty”.
“Hi Shorty, my name is Adam Issadore, I’m calling you from New York. Jana the Drum Lady said that you had some Ghana Djembes in stock and for sale.”
“Yes, I have a bunch of those just in. How many were you looking for?”, said Shorty.
The conversation continued, and Shorty was friendly and helpful. 10 minutes later I had 30 hand made Djembes from Ghana being shipped to me UPS via Shorty in Tennessee. I was also able to reserve a Dun Dun that he would be using as a demo model at a Djembe Drums & Skins booth at a festival for a few weeks. He assured me that the drum would be in good condition and he would sell it to me for a discount because it would be slightly worn from playing.
A few days later I drove to the UPS center to pick up my six boxes. I was so excited I could hardly wait. I was not disappointed! The drums are beautiful. Wood. Hand carved. Black twine and strong goat skin heads. They sounded excellent right out of the box. Another impressive feature was a handle is woven in to the twine, so the drum is easy to pick up. This way I am able to hold three drums in each hand.
A few weeks later I was able to purchase the Dun Dun and another djembe that Shorty refers to as an Ivory Coast drum. I wanted a djembe for myself, something that I could wear with a strap when I teach and lead groups. I explained to Shorty what my needs were for a drum, and he guided me to this particular Djembe that he had in mind. He said that he had just re-skinned the drum, and it sounded amazing.
This time the drums were delivered straight to my house. When I opened the boxes, I could not believe how beautiful the drums were! And as Shorty said, the djembe did sound amazing! It added a whole new element to my playing. I love playing this drum. It cranks. The highs are killer, and the bass tone is impressive. The dun dun sounds great too. It is road worthy and it was played by my assistant at over 70 different sessions, and it rocked. This drum is loud and powerful, yet has a deep, resonant, and earthy tone.
I whole heartily recommend buying drums from Shorty and Djembe Drums & Skins. I judge that Shorty loves what he does, and he is a master at his craft. Thank you Shorty for being you, and for making it possible for me and others to play these wonderful drums from Africa.
Contact Info for Shorty and Djembe Drums & Skins:
Website: www.goatskins.com Facebook Page: Djembe Drums & Skins
