History
Camp Avoda was established in early 1927 by an organization then known as the Young Men's Hebrew Association. The camp was established to serve the needs of underprivileged Jewish boys. Originally, the bunks were essentially "huts" and had no screening or walls. Today the campers sleep in basic cabins which were built at various times between the late 1950s and early 1980s. Many bunks have had extensions annexed to them after the great rise in attendance in the middle 1990s.
Today the camp is a non-profit entity operated by a Board of Directors and duly incorporated as Camp Avoda, Inc. It serves the needs of 125-150 campers per session.
Camp Avoda is located on a 50-acre (200,000 m2) tract of land on on Tispaquin Pond in Middleborough, Massachusetts. However, more than half of that land is wooded area which is used for hiking, camping, and a high-elements ropes course which was constructed in 1999.
The camp is well known for its unique layout. All 8 cabins, the recreation hall, the C.I.T. "bungalow", the shower houses, two administrator cabins, and the "OD shack" surround the large ball field, where all field sports are played. The small size of this camp grants it what many consider a very "intimate" feeling.
Paul G. Davis is currently the Executive Director of the Camp, a position he has been in since the late 1960s; he has been employed as an administrator since 1966, making him one of the longest serving camp directors in the United States. Camp Avoda has a 7½ week season, which includes a 3½ week long first session and a 4-week second session. Each summer there are 32-40 junior and senior counselors ranging between ages 17–24. Almost all counselors were once campers at Camp Avoda, and most are typically college students.
Most campers reside in New England, with the vast majority concentrated in the Greater Boston area. However, not all campers live near the camp. Each year, a large number of campers travel from states like Florida, New Mexico, and California, and from countries as far off as Israel, to spend their summers at Camp Avoda.
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