1913 – 2013: 100 years of the Cantor family
The One Hundredth Anniversary of the Israel Cantor Family Society was held on August 23-25, 2013 at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in Falls Village, Connecticut.
The location was perfect. The Retreat Center looks like the former summer camp that it is. The rustic cottages, with modern conveniences, are nestled among the tall pine trees and face a beautiful lake. Across the lake, more cottages back against an 1100 foot peak where the Appalachian Trail crosses Connecticut.
The Center grows much of its own food and raises its own goats. The farm-to-table cuisine, though not gourmet, was hearty and delicious and provided all 64 of us with sustenance for the many varied events held during the weekend.
A hike up the mountain, volleyball game, Shabbat services, ping-pong matches, Casino Night, board games, speeches and presentations, Family Tree, Qi Gong exercises, wine tasting, a garden tour, swimming, canoeing, group portrait and a bonfire were the planned events during the weekend. Unplanned were the connections made between cousins, many who have never met each other and many who have not seen each other in years. Predictably, the 19 young people under 30 gravitated together and spent the weekend talking, playing and exchanging contact information.
The weather was remarkable and must be noted. It was, as one cousin said, ” a million-dollar weekend.” Mist rising from the lake at breakfast time, followed by sunny days that were just warm enough to make the sporting activities totally comfortable, followed by evenings, just cool enough to make the bonfire worthwhile.
Those who have been to many of the previous anniversary weekends were enthusiastic about the informality of the Retreat Center, the close proximity of all the activities, the natural environment, and the lack of distractions which all aided in bringing together all the participants. Never in recent memory were we all able to spend such ‘quality time’ in such a beautiful place.
One young member said, “it was magical.”
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Credits:
Main organizers:
Madeline Cantor
Barbara Greene
Phil Cantor
Special activity leaders: Ron Jordan, Marc Hornick, Aaron Hornick, Ethan Cantor, Ken Wachtell, Mikhail Kivovich, Sandy Hornick, Madeline Cantor, Phil Cantor
Program assistance: Stephen Cantor, David Berman, Tess Liebersohn, Nate Cantor, Alice Markham Cantor, Lizzy Cantor, Wendy Hoffman, Mark Jordan
Casino dealers: Eli Markham Cantor, Josh Greene, Josh Berman, Andrew Resnick, Nate Cantor, Mark Jordan
Website: Nate Cantor, Max Liebersohn, Phil Cantor