Camp Kadimah just reopened for its 79th year. Meet the family who’s been there for 77 of them

Reuben Konter is a fourth-generation Jewish camper.
Reuben Conter, 6, (second from right) will be the fourth generation in his family to attend Camp Kadimah. From the drop off Sunday July 3, 2020 are, from left: Dr. Howard Conter, holding granddaughter Dalia, Isaac Conter, Ariela Conter and Adam Conter and Reuben, with Karen Conter (extreme right). (Supplied photo)

Camp Kadimah was founded in the 1940s to give Jewish kids from small, disparate Maritime communities the chance to meet each other. Its creation resulted in many lifelong friendships and even a few marriages—including the Conters, who have just sent a fourth-generation family member to the camp.

On July 3, Karen Conter saw off her six-year-old grandson for his first summer at the historic Jewish summer camp. Conter attended in 1970s, even meeting her husband there; her mother and children attended as well. She believes they might be the only family in Kadimah’s history to reach that milestone.

This summer’s camp season is historic for another reason, too: it’s the first time since 2019 that the camp opened, due to the pandemic. And even still, campers will show up to find numerous anomalies: no visiting day, for example, due to COVID, and more health and safety protocols around the dining room.

Members from all four generations of the Conter-Abramsky family join to talk about what the camp means to them, recall their favourite memories and explain how they feel sending Reuben off with the pandemic not quite behind us.

What we talked about:

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