JerusalemCamp at the National Rainbow Gathering of the Tribes.

The Rainbow Gathering is a pilgrimage to a different time and culture. At the Gathering, there are no cell phones, no electricity, no money, and no advertising. Participants can go for days or weeks without ever looking at an automobile, a billboard, a parking lot, or a cash register. People who are hungry for meaning, who want relief from the rigid, spiritually dessicated contemporary culture, come to the Gathering to meet with others who feel the same way. It is a kind of "Spiritual World's Fair," where religious groups of all kinds establish camps and offer their approaches to meaning.

Of course, many camps are built around non-religious themes, such as improvisational theater, musical collaboration, fancy foods, yoga, movement arts, firespinning, dreamwork, and even chess.

Jerusalem Camp provides a Jewish presence at Rainbow, a presence that is completely authentic and true to Jewish standards, but that is stripped of the middle class "uptightness" that so many people are turned off to. Stepping into one of the three daily prayer services at J Camp is like stepping into a time machine, into a time that is either long ago, or perhaps far in the future. Wide-eyed people mill around the shul-tent, seeing the passion and joy of men and women praying in the ancient tongue, without suits and ties, without social one-upsmanship, and with open-hearted, sincere attachment to the Creator Before Time.

Friday night services bring many guests, and 500+ people will be singing and dancing wildly to the wordless niggunim [chants] that herald the arrival of the Shabbes Bride. People who have no idea what Judaism is about, or who have only been exposed to misconceptions and stereotypes, find themselves inexplicably crying and dancing with joy as they taste the Kedusha, Holiness of Shabbes, that flows freely from the hearts of the brothers and sisters that make the Camp happen.

People who have lost their own Judaism, or never connected to it, react in wonder at the sense of awed beauty radiating from the very frequent prayer services, the crowds of women singing and lighting Shabbat candles, and the constant air of sanctity generated by the infusion of Torah into every activity: study, cooking, drumming, or just hanging out. People discover that they can address their most profound spiritual questions, and have fun at the same time.

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One of the original traditions of the Gathering is the Morning of Silence, that occurs on July 4. From dawn to noon, there are no sounds in the camp. 15 to 20 thousand people, kids, and dogs are utterly silent. The little playgrounds that people build are filled with children on swingsets or climbing toys, all playing happily in utter silence. At noon, a circle forms in the largest meadow, and a giant Om [or ShalOm] is sounded as an invocation for World Peace. The 4th of July is celebrated with no firecrackers or fireworks, only prayers for peace.

This tradition provides what small structure there is at the Gathering, a focal point that keeps it from just becoming a big party. The addition of Jerusalem Camp 10 years ago has instituted a new focal point, the Kabbalat Shabbat service on Friday night, at which sometimes 1,000 people participate. This year's Kabbalat Shabbat is the night of July 4, and it is also the new moon, so it will be really special.

The Gathering's "Official" website is here: http://welcomehome.org. An important issue surrounding the Gathering is the environmental impact of so many people camping out in the woods for more than a month. One of the primary instincts of Rainbow-types is concern for the environment, and great care is taken before, during and after the event to respect the land. Here are some newspaper articles from towns near where Gatherings have been held, attesting to the positive outcomes.

Modoc Country News

The Modoc County Record published several articles about the gathering in CA in 2004. This one is from after the gathering talking about the high quality of cleanup. Rainbows Leave Forest Clean, Tidy This next article is a recap of the 1984 Rainbow Gathering held near Likely. This article talks about the Incident Command Team and how they are unnecessary.

Rainbows earn praise for cleanup

This was published in the Salt Lake Tribune a month after the gathering, and talks about the quality of the cleanup.

Recap From PA

This is a nice article, where the PA Chief of Police was interviewed about the previous year's gathering. Not suprisingly, he says the harsh propoganda put out by the Forest Service turned out to be completely inaccurate, and that while there few problems, it just wasn't that bad at all. Plus the local business made over $1,000,000.

Without a Trace

A recent article from the Missoula Independent, talking about how the reality of the Montana gathering, was way less than the locals had been led to believe.
Oregon Cleanup
This is an article from the Oregonian, about how well that site has recovered.
Montana Cleanup

This is an article from the Montana Standard about how well the site has recovered.

Idaho Cleanup

This is an article from the Idaho Stateman, about how well that site was cleaned up.

Treading Softly On the Earth:The Rainbow Tribe's Impact on Forest Lands.
This article is an in-depth look at the cleanup side of the Rainbow Gatherings done by a Taos, NM college student. It goes into detail covering the process of cleanup, and the comments of the various Forest Service's District Rangers years later.

• Star's Rainbow Ride Board
• Peace Conspiracy Ride Share
• Craigslist

No matter how much time you allot to be at the Gathering, you will wish you had more. See you there!

Things To Bring To The Gathering

Normal camping stuff (this varies depending on how you camp):

• Hiking boots for the trek in, and light shoes for around camp. The hike to the site is reported to be the longest and most arduous for any Gathering ever held, so be prepared for a workout, and travel light...
• Sleeping bag / hammock, blanket, tent / tarp, toilet paper / paper towels.
• Rain gear, appropriate clothes, etc... The elevation is around 3,000 feet, so it can get quite cold at night - be prepared!
• PLATE, CUP or BOWL, and SPOON: this will be your food kit. You will eat out of it so this is VERY IMPORTANT. It's especially handy if it has a way to put a "leash" on it so you can carry it "hands free" by tying the whole kit to your belt or whatever.
• Biodegradeable soaps and stuff.
• WATER, WATER, WATER, and more WATER: Drinkable water is a very precious commodity. If you can hike some in... or bring some to the lot and ask for some help to hike it you will make many people happy. Pretty much all you get to drink at Rainbow gatherings is water coffee and tea. If you don't like coffee or tea, you may want to bring powdered drink mix (with the sugar already added).
• Bicycles don't work well unless they're really rugged; a sturdy wagon or small cart is like gold for hauling supplies the long trek from the parking lot to the camps.
• Some sort of night light for trails - something that is not an obnoxious bright white light - they make subtle blue ones that are wearable - these are the best.
• Sun protection - the sun can be brutal at high altitudes - bring sunblock, wide brimmed hats, or one of those giant Maharajah umbrellas with the dingleballs if you have one . . .
• Sweets (especially chocolate).
• Fruits, vegetables, food supplies. Bring extra to donate to the kitchen.[Jerusalem Camp kitchen is Kosher - keep this in mind]
• Tools if you can (i.e. knife, axe, saw) There will always be firewood that needs cuttin'.
• Musical instruments (non-electrical)
• Poetry / art supplies / toys / costumes
  

Here's another very useful page with advice about what to bring.

The map page doesn't seem to be working, but here's the link.
Here are the longitude and latitude coordinates: N 42.64532 - W 109.46142

Join the Jerusalem Camp Facebook Group.