RASHI, RAMBAM and RAMALAMADINGDONG
A Quizbook of Jewish Trivia Facts & Fun
A Quizbook of Jewish Trivia Facts & Fun
Musical theatre lyricist and composer Stephen Sondheim passed away last week at the age of 91. The legendary artist wrote the lyrics for West Side Story and Gypsy, and wrote lyrics and music for many shows including A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company, Follies, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, and Into the Woods. He was the winner of multiple Tony and Grammy awards, an Academy Award, and a Pulitzer Prize among others, and he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. Sondheim, the grandson of German-Jewish immigrants, had no formal Jewish upbringing. However, when asked about his Jewish identity, he replied, “It’s very deep. It’s the fact that so many of the people I admire in the arts are Jewish. And art is as close to a religion as I have.” Sondheim’s upbringing did include attendance at summer sleepaway camp with many other Jewish campers. Where did Sondheim go to summer camp?
Stephen_Sondheim_-_smoking by an Unknown photographer is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
A. He attended Camp Androscoggin in Maine. The camp focuses on athletics, including archery, tennis, boating, and soccer. Other Jewish attendees over the years at Camp Androscoggin were Alan Jay Lerner, Tom Lehrer, and S.I. Newhouse, Jr.
B. He attended Herzl Camp, a Zionist camp in Webster, Wisconsin, where he learned to play piano. Attending Herzl in other years were Bob Dylan, who learned to play guitar there, and Ethan and Joel Coen, who both focused on photography.
C. He attended Surprise Lake Camp in Cold Spring, New York, where he sang in the camp choir. Other Jewish campers who sang in the choir at other times included Eddie Cantor, Neil Diamond, and Gene Simmons.
D. He attended Interlochen Arts Camp in Interlochen, Michigan. The camp program is centered around musical theatre (which Sondheim concentrated on), plus creative writing, dance, and visual arts. Other Jewish attendees have included actor Tovah Feldshuh and singer Peter Yarrow.
E. He attended Fleet Street Camp in London Town. At camp Sondheim learned to shave and also to bake pies.
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