Camps

Special Needs Programs

Since the first Tikvah program was established in 1970, the Ramah Camping Movement has been committed to providing a Jewish camping experience for children with a wide variety of special needs, with the goal of enhancing Jewish identity and teaching Jewish values in a supportive, inclusive, fun environment. At Ramah, campers with special needs have many opportunities to connect and participate in activities with campers throughout the camp. These interactions provide an exceptional benefit to everyone at Ramah by fostering in our campers a heightened sensitivity toward people different than themselves.

Which Ramah Special Needs Program Is Right for My Child?

Special needs programs at individual Ramah camps serve different populations of children and different age groups. Some camps offer programs to serve campers with various levels of cognitive delay; others offer programs for campers on the autism spectrum, including Asperger’s Syndrome. Several Ramah camps also offer post-high school vocational programs that are designed to maximize independent functioning within a supervised setting or a college campus. Regardless of their geographic location, families are directed to the regional Ramah camp that best suits their child’s needs. In addition, to our wide range of special needs programs, three Ramah camps also offer inspirational family camps for families with children with special needs.

To discuss the Ramah program offerings and to identify programs that may be a good fit for your family's needs, please contact the National Ramah office at (212) 678-8881.

Descriptions of Current Ramah Special Needs Programs

Ramah Special Needs Program Brochure

Ramah Special Needs Programs in the News

Funders of National Ramah Special Needs Network

Reflections from Participants and Their Families

History of Ramah's Special Needs Programs

No parent of a mildly challenged child should be afraid or ashamed to consider Tikvah as a summer camping experience for his or her child. Eight weeks is a long time for parents to be away from their child, but the days go by so quickly, one realizes that the period is not long enough, particularly for the child! There are no appropriate words to express our thanks to Rabbi Soloff [Director, Camp Ramah in Wisconsin] and to Camp Ramah. We hope and pray that you will have the strength and fortitude to sustain this for many years.
- Avrom B. Fox,

father of Emunah Fox,

Camp Ramah in Wisconsin