Camp Shoshanah Photos 1975

This page contains historic photos of Ariel Ministries Camp Shoshanah Messianic Bible Study Summer Program taken during Summer 1975.

All of these Black & White photos were taken by Arlene Rigney, and were nearly lost to us. A few years after the home going of her husband Dan Rigney, Arlene was downsizing, moving and throwing away lots of extras. She came across a plain envelope of orphaned 35mm negatives, but no prints were found. She was about to throw them out, but then thinking they may show Camp "back in the day", she offered them to your humble Editor in 2018. A way to scan them was recently found, and the result is presented here. Most of the color photos were taken by Arnold Fruchtenbaum.

In the Summer of 1975 Arnold Fruchtenbaum was on staff with ABMJ (Chosen People), and along with co-worker Dan Rigney were seeing many Jewish young people coming to faith in Messiah, and discipleship was needed. They had run a 1 week program here in 1974, and 1975 would be 2 weeks. Once again they rented 'Camp Heathcote' in the northern Adirondacks, a dilapidated old children's camp, but in those post-hippie days it was fine. Some folks with Jews for Jesus attended as well. Within two years Ariel Ministries would be born, then the camp property would be given to them, and a complete overhaul and modernization was done. After this 2 week study camp concluded, about half set out for witnessing trip, handing out literature from Boston down to Washington, DC, under the direction of Dan & Arlene Rigney. (see last photo)

So far in these photos we've identified: Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Dan & Arlene Rigney (Arlene was also behind the camera), Barry Leventhal, Michael Rydelnik along with a young lady by the name of Eva who would soon become his wife, Deborah Brautigam (who would soon become my wife), Vincent Morgan (who had just led Deborah to faith), Gary & MaryLou Derechinsky, Rich Robinson, Linda Block, Dave & Faye Walz who would become Camp Caretakers in the early 1980's, Eliezer Maas, Brynn Knable, siblings Gail Starks and Jerry Starks, Chris Rodgers and Rochelle Kronzek of the "Star of David Singers", a Pittsburgh Messianic Music group, Jeff & Bonnie Pfeffer, Ken Zwikle, Tim Timmons, Rob Mirkin, Bruce LaBelle, Mrs. Olive Morrow (mother of MaryAnn Fruchtenbaum), and more to be named.

Note: For privacy, this webpage contains code to prevent it from being found or indexed by search engines. The only link is on our photo index page.

In 1975 this one room was the Main Lecture Hall, the Main Study Hall, it became the Dining Hall when the books were cleared off the tables,
in the evening it became the Israeli Folk Dance Hall, and for some, the Courtship Hall. The kitchen was just behind the photographer.
One slow dial telephone for calls, no Internet, no TV, no electronics, and the one road into Camp was unpaved. Oh, the roof was tin.

Yes, teacher Barry Leventhal was wearing a Dashiki, a quick way to say "I'm hip" in 1975.

Barry Leventhal is able to diagram complex theological concepts on a third of a broken blackboard.

Dan Rigney supervised lunch as Tim Timmons wondered how he wound up in a room full of Jewish Hippies.

Messianic Music Rehearsal or an audition for the 1975 off-Broadway production of "HAIR" ??

Once upon a time Dave Walz and Vincent Morgan had no beards, later they did.

Barry Leventhal teaches at Bible College level, wearing an African Dashiki. Groovy.

Eva and Deb are wearing "the colors", Gail decided to go with Mickey Mouse.
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We're they coming directly from Woodstock ??

Vincent Morgan has been bringing people to Camp for more than 45 years!
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Deb in a serious discussion. You see, Sephardim and Ashkanazim can get along !!
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Just before a game of leapfrog broke out?? (notice the Chai on the young man at left, flipped around, very cool)

Deb and friend 'chillin on the grass, before 'chillin was a thing

Tim Timmons was a well known Christian author and a DTS classmate of Arnold's & Barry.

Volleyball Playoffs. The shack at left is in the area where Arnold's cabin now stands.

Barry in a Dashiki in the height of 1975 counter-culture fashion. Well. almost.

After this 2 week study camp concluded, about half set out for a witnessing trip, joined by others, handing out literature from
Boston down to Washington, DC, under the direction of Dan & Arlene Rigney. This photo from Brynn Knable Padrick.

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