The Jewish Federation of Detroit, Camp Tamarack…two legendary organizations in the Detroit Jewish community, but which came first? Test your knowledge with these three clues and find out if you’re the ultimate Jewish Detroit history buff or if you really need to schedule a visit to the archives!
- Forget what we call these organizations today. Back then, it was the United Jewish Charities and the Fresh Air Society.
- Both organizations were born from needs that arose during the influx of Eastern European Jews, in a period known as the Great Migration.
- Blanche Hart holds two important roles in this story: Executive Director of the United Jewish Charities and Co-Founder of the Fresh Air Society (but when?)!
And the answer is…
The Jewish Federation of Detroit! Founded in 1899 as the United Jewish Charities, Federation consolidated various aid groups into a joint association through which all charitable work would be done. Just three years later, Blanche Hart and Ida Kopple began taking immigrant children to Belle Isle for a day of “fresh air,” and thus began what today we call Camp Tamarack. In 1903, Hart was hired as the director of the United Jewish Charities, a position she held until 1923. She also remained a dedicated supporter of the Fresh Air Society.
Discover more about the history of both the Jewish Federation of Detroit and Camp Tamarack by exploring our digital database.
