History
- After several years in formation, Habonim was founded in North America in 1935, as an autonomous Labor Zionist youth movement. In the 1980s Habonim merged with sister movement Dror to form Habonim Dror North America. The movement is headquartered in New York and coordinates Israel programs. Habonim Dror is active today in 20 countries worldwide.
- The first North American Habonim camp was established, however, in 1933, Camp Kvutza in Accord, NY.
- The first Midwest Habonim camp was opened in 1936, Camp Tel Chai, by Chicago Habonim members in New Buffalo, MI. Tel Chai was destroyed by fire in 1944 and from 1945 – 1947 Habonim camp was conducted on a rented site in Savannah, IL. From 1948 – 1954 camp was held at Yad Ari near Waupaca, WI.
- In 1939, Detroit Habonim chevre established Camp Kinneret near Chelsea, MI. It closed after the 1955 summer. Kinneret and especially Yad Ari were fairly primitive campsites.
- In 1947, Cincinnati and St. Louis Habonim combined to create camp Tel Natan in Missouri. It closed after 1948.
- Nationally, a peak year was 1946. There were 2000 campers in 11 North American Habonim camps. The numbers of Habonim camps and campers varied over the years. In 2007 there were about 1,500 campers enrolled in seven Habonim Dror camps in North America.
- In 1956, after the closing of the Midwest Habonim camps Yad Ari and Kinneret, Tavor was purchased for $62,000. It was formerly a Jewish summer resort known as Cooper’s Retreat. It is a 68 acre plot of land on Kaiser Lake near Three Rivers, MI, and was intended as a permanent site for Habonim camping for the Midwest. Two cabins were built immediately which gave it capacity for 75 children. It opened under the name Midwest Camp Habonim and only assumed the name Tavor in 1964.
- Tavor was created to serve as the Habonim camp for the Midwest, originally drawing from Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Madison, Minneapolis and Winnipeg. In 2007, it drew equally from Michigan and Illinois; primarily drawing from Ann Arbor, the Detroit area, Kalamazoo, Oak Park (IL), the Chicago area; Madison and Milwaukee; as well as a number of transient campers from outside the Midwest.
- The pool was built in 1966. After the Six Day War (1967), there was an increased interest in Tavor and the ranks swelled to a high of 200 campers each session in 1971. In 1969 the kitchen (chador ocher) was expanded to its present size and the Bonim area (shetach) was first used as a campsite. Tavor survived through declining enrollment in the 1980s. Camper enrollment numbering as low as the 50s was not uncommon through 1994. In the 1990s enrollment began to grow again and much needed building repairs began to be made. 1993 saw the start of the Chalutzim program (for 9 year olds) and KMBet was replaced with the Madatz program (counselor training for 17 year olds). The new health center (mirpaah) was built in 1999.
- In 2006, Tavor celebrated its 50th anniversary with a spirited reunion which was attended by 320 alumni and guests of all six decades who traveled back to Three Rivers for the event. Revelers visited from 25 different U.S. states and Canadian provinces.
- 2011 marked the 55th anniversary of Camp Tavor. In June, Camp Tavor and Midwest Camp Habonim Alumni brought their families to speed a beautiful Shabbat at camp. Alumni travel from places as far as Israel and Alaska to celebrate this important milestone.
