(Camp Ramah Yachad in the Ukraine operates under the auspices of the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. For more information on Camp Ramah Yachad in the Ukraine and other programs of the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, please visit www.schechter.edu.)

Kiev is just three hours flying time from Tel Aviv, yet I felt as if I was transported to a totally different world in those few hours.  Camp Ramah Yachad in Ukraine is located this year on a site about forty kilometers outside of Kiev. The place is called a “sanatorium” which is a resort, though not quite by western standards. The antiquated five-story building had plenty of space for the 180 campers and 40 staff members. The site included comfortable housing accommodations, open spaces for indoor group activities, a large communal dining room and an auditorium capable of seating the entire camp.  Tall pine trees graced the outdoor area, which housed a number of sports fields. A few pagodas spread around the grounds served as additional meeting areas for activities. Just a few minutes walk from the main building was a river, a tributary of the Dniepro River in Kiev, complete with a sandy beach.

But before you get the impression that this is paradise, I must warn you that six security guards were needed to insure the safety of the children. This is the reality of Jewish life today in Ukraine. Two guards, with hidden weapons, were placed strategically in the front at the entrance to the building. Other guards were stationed wherever groups of children were located. Guards were needed for protection from the local population who was often curious to see what was going on in this Jewish camp. The security of the children was taken seriously.

Founded in 1992, this summer marks the 10th anniversary of Camp Ramah Yachad.  Many of the campers from the first years are now counselors. The twelve-day camp was well organized under the outstanding direction of Gila Katz, who has been with the camp since its inception. During the year, Gila heads the Former Soviet Union department of Midreshet Yerushalayim (an arm of the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies) and is a fieldworker for Masorti Olami (World Council of Conservative Synagogues, Inc.). Funding for camp is provided by the Jewish Agency, Midreshet Yerushalayim and Masorti Olami. 

Campers and staff come from all over Ukraine including cities such as Uzhgarod, Khust and Munkatch in the Carpathian Mountains, L’viv, Chernowitz, Berdichev, Kiev and others. Traveling to camp involved an 18-20 hour train ride for many campers arriving from afar. But this did not deter their enthusiasm to reunite with friends for the unique camp experience. Five Israeli counselors joined their Ukrainian peers and added a lot of ruach, Hebrew and Zionism to the program. 

The camp day was typical of many Jewish camps including morning t’fillah, birkat hamazon, Hebrew study, learning about Torah, Jewish values and mitzvot; celebrating Shabbat and Rosh Hodesh; Jewish arts and crafts, Israeli folk dancing, Hebrew singing, etc. Yet there is nothing ordinary about the program or the camp in light of the history of the Jews of Ukraine. When I asked several campers what they like most about camp, the unanimous reply was “Everything!” The campers’ eagerness to participate in all of the activities validated this response.

The interest and enthusiasm of both campers and staff were consistently high. Well-disciplined Ukrainian youth, with a special thirst for knowledge and desire to learn more about their Jewish identity, actively participated in a variety of programs and discussions in their units divided by age. The evening activity each night was a camp-wide event, bringing together the children and staff to perform plays on various themes or to participate together in informal educational games. 

Celebrating Rosh Hodesh Elul at camp was a special treat for me. The campers began by learning about the phases of the moon and the significance and customs of Rosh Hodesh.  Slichot services took place at midnight by candlelight. Midrashim on repentance, the learning of traditional prayers, along with the solemn singing of Avinu Malkenu and other nigunim, made the evening unique. Children had time to contemplate their deeds of the past year and to reflect what they had to do to begin the process of repentance.  The evening culminated with the blowing of the shofar outside. As the sound of the shofar pierced the cool night air, I felt a personal wake-up call to do everything I can to help these Ukrainian youth continue to explore their heritage.

A highlight of camp was the dedication of a Sefer Torah, which took place with lots of enthusiastic singing and dancing on Friday afternoon just before Kabbalat Shabbat. The Torah was donated to Masorti Olami by Temple Emanu-el in Brooklyn, New York through the inspired leadership of Rabbi Benjamin Kreitman. The funds for restoring the Torah and making it available to Camp Ramah Yachad were generously donated by the family and friends of Nat and Bea Taubenfeld, from Congregation Agudath Israel in Caldwell, New Jersey, in honor of their 50th wedding anniversary. Dan Dunn, chairman of Masorti Olami activities in Ukraine, brought the Torah to Jerusalem and later joined the festivities at camp. I had the honor of carrying the Torah to Ukraine, a task involving a lot of explanations both to Aerosvit, the Ukrainian airline on which I traveled from Israel, as well as to the customs officials at the airport in Kiev! The Torah will be housed in the day school and kehillah in Chernowitz during the year and used at Camp Ramah Yachad during the summers. 

On Shabbat morning the Torah was used during t’fillot for the first time. When the Torah was taken out of the ark and paraded around the auditorium, campers eagerly reached out to kiss and touch the precious scroll. Groups of campers and staff received aliyot to the Torah, for most, a new experience. Several staff members and campers took responsibility for chanting Torah. I will always remember fifteen year-old Katya who confidently and beautifully chanted from the Torah for the first time, but broke down in tears when she finished, overcome by the significance of her deed.

A number of the children come from families where only one parent may be Jewish or perhaps just a grandparent, yet these children take their Judaism seriously and identify strongly with their heritage. Almost all of the children at camp study in the Masorti Sunday schools or in the Chernowitz Tali day school, which are run by Midreshet Yerushalayim. Masorti Olami is involved in establishing and supporting kehillot in towns where the families from the schools want to celebrate Shabbat and holidays and participate in study and cultural programs together.

As I departed camp on the final day of the session, amidst the hugs, kisses and tears of the campers and staff, I was overwhelmed with feelings of the innumerable tasks and challenges ahead. Thanks to successful fund raising efforts led by David Taubenfeld, Camp Ramah Yachad was expanded this year to accommodate a greater number of campers in an improved facility.  But we must also look beyond the successful camp season. We must provide opportunities for the dedicated and talented staff members to participate in serious leadership training so that they can take on significant roles in their communities. We need to fund scholarships for rabbinical and teacher-training for suitable candidates, so that the communities can continue to expand and blossom. Many Ukrainian Jews are seeking the Masorti approach to Judaism and want to develop schools as well as programs in early childhood, family education and religious services, but this is all dependent on educated leaders and significant funding.  

I returned to Jerusalem rejuvenated with the enthusiastic sounds of “Adon Olam” and “Oseh Shalom” sung in a Ukrainian accent still reverberating in my head. Many activities and smiles were recorded for posterity in the photographs; the laughter, dancing and singing were duly recorded on video. But it is the strong drive of the youth to learn more, their deep desire to explore and understand our traditions, and their optimism for the future that dominate my memories of Camp Ramah Yachad and gives me the determination and energy to move forward.