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Kinky Friedman has been gone a year, but his family's summer camp lives on

JL;DR SUMMARY Echo Hill Ranch, founded by Tom and Min Friedman in 1953, served as a pivotal Jewish summer camp in Texas, fostering values of tikkun olam and personal growth in a non-competitive environment. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Tom FriedmanJewish Summer CampTikkun OlamChild DevelopmentKinky FriedmanEcho Hill RanchGold Star FamiliesMin FriedmanTexas Hill CountryNon Competitive Environment

Places mentioned

Texas, United States
"The late Kinky Friedman honed his songwriting and performance skills at a Jewish summer camp in the Texas hill country started by his parents."
Austin, Texas, United States
"The family moved from Houston to Austin so Tom could finish his PhD. in psychology."
Houston, Texas, United States
"The family moved from Houston to Austin so Tom could finish his PhD. in psychology."
Kerrville, Texas, United States
"The 266-acre Echo Hill Ranch is nestled in a green valley in the Texas hill country. The locals in Kerrville used to refer to it as the Jew camp, Marcie said."
Newgulf, Texas, United States
"Hyman Penn grew up in Newgulf, Texas, a town of less than 2,000 residents where his was the only Jewish household."
Afghanistan
"Marcie is now 64 and getting ready to retire from the U.S. State Department after serving in Afghanistan and other diplomatic outposts."
Fort Bragg, California, United States
"Lt. Colonel McBride, a helicopter pilot who served in Iraq during the 2006 to 2007 surge, met Friedman when they were both enrolled at the National Defense University at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, which happens to house the Special Forces headquarters."

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Cairo Item ID 60242
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Retrieved 2025-08-28 05:30:58 UTC
Curated 2025-08-28 08:31:38 UTC