Camp Lown campers and staff, Oakland, 1947
Item 102731 info
Maine Historical Society
Jews sought to participate as equals in Maine's civic, cultural, social, and recreational life. For much of the 20th century, however, they were often unable to do so fully because of anti-Semitism. Nearly two-thirds of Maine's resorts refused to accept Jewish guests in the 1950s, the highest percentage of any state in the union. Discrimination of this nature persisted into the 1970s.
The Unobskey family owned a clothing store in Calais and helped to support Camp Lown, which opened in 1945 in Oakland, to provide camp opportunities to Jewish families. The camp held daily prayer services, along with Friday night services every week for Shabbat. Camp Lown sought to give its campers an authentic American camp experience each summer while delivering a healthy dose of Jewish culture and religious observance.
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