Ramah College Network: Igniting the Jewish Future
The Ramah College Network (RCN) has achieved continued success in its mission to harness the leadership, creativity, and passion of young adults, empowering them to strengthen both the Ramah alumni and the wider Jewish communities on their respective campuses. RCN Coordinators dedicate 10-15 hours per month providing Ramah college students with a variety of Jewish community experiences and a sense of “mishpacha” as they navigate college life. Programs include Shabbat dinners, holiday programs, social action events, picnics, Ramah T-Shirt Day celebrations, Ramahchiattos (coffee chats), hikes, Israel events, and social gatherings. RCN Coordinators are instrumental in welcoming prospective and new students to campus.
RCN Growth 2017-2024
RCN programs have engaged thousands of students on over 30 campuses since 2017. During the 2023-2024 school year, we have 42 RCN Coordinators on 28 campuses.
As RCN expands each year, it reaches new campuses, providing access to experiential education, Jewish camping, and year-round Jewish community-building opportunities.
“I loved the freedom to make events that were our own ideas, and that we had the ability to cater to the needs of our community. It was so much fun meeting new people and it felt great being a source of comfort and familiarity to Ramahniks on campus!”
“I loved getting to connect with so many people. I was able to bring people to new events and help form new friendships. It really got me to think creatively and helped me step into the community at Northeastern more.”
“For many, Ramah is where they expressed their religious identities, but without it they don’t have that same opportunity. I am grateful to provide this outlet for Jewish expression on campus.”
RCN Program Spotlights
Bracelets for Israel, Rutgers University
On October 16, just after the war in Israel-Gaza began, RCN Coordinator Rachel Z. hosted “Rutgers Bracelets for Israel.” At this event, students made blue and white beaded bracelets to raise money for the Michael Levin Lone Soldier Center. Throughout their time together, Rutgers’ Ramahniks discussed camp and built relationships. This event provided a comforting, stress-relieving environment during a challenging time on campus.
Shabbat Across Ramah
Over November 3-4, 2023, National Ramah held its annual Shabbat Across Ramah weekend. Every RCN Coordinator planned an event for Ramahniks on their campus to celebrate and honor Shabbat together. This included Shabbat dinners, Shabbat lunches, Shabbat onegs, challah bakes, making Shabbat-o-grams, and Havdalah events.
Hanukkah Paint Night, Wesleyan University
During Hanukkah, RCN Coordinator Danielle G. invited fellow Ramahniks to her apartment for candle lighting, painting, and desserts. Danielle helped facilitate the introduction of new Ramahniks to the group and ensured that everyone was bonding throughout the night. Lighting candles allowed everyone to connect to their Judaism in “Ramah style,” and doing art together was a fun way to connect and take a break from the stress of studying for finals. This event was a nice final time together before leaving for winter break.
Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Israel Rhetoric on Campus
During the 2023-2024 academic year, RCN has played a critical role in supporting our students as they faced rising challenges of antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment on college campuses. Beyond offering programs, RCN has created a community and safe space for Ramahniks, providing them with a sense of belonging and support as they navigate complex and often hostile environments.
B’Yad Ramah: Ramah Winter Break Volunteer Experience in Israel for College Students
B’Yad Ramah, NRC’s winter break volunteer experience in Israel for college students, brought together 28 college-age Ramahniks for a transformative service trip to Israel from December 20, 2023–January 1, 2024. Participants engaged in a variety of service projects, including agricultural work in Kfar Truman, food packing at Tachlit for Israeli soldiers and displaced families, and volunteering at a Jerusalem farmers market that sold produce from farms near the Gaza border. These activities were coupled with meaningful interactions with Israeli citizens, including a group of Israeli teens on their mechina gap year, and visits to significant sites including Kikar Hatufim (Hostage Square).
Throughout the trip, participants delved into critical discussions about current events in Israel, the rise of antisemitism in America, and their roles as advocates for Israel upon returning to their college campuses and local communities. These conversations fostered a sense of renewed pride in their Jewish and Zionist identities. Below are a few reflections from participants:
“At the end of every day of volunteering, the people who had been directing us for the day always expressed their sincerest thanks. They would talk about how they had lost many workers and had not been able to plant as much lettuce as they were supposed to, or pack enough boxes to feed everybody, until we were there helping them. It made me realize that what we were doing was really, truly making a difference. The difference was affecting all of Israel too, not just the farm or the organization, but so many more people than that. It was also incredibly beautiful for me to be surrounded by Jewish people in a Jewish place and see the life that is still happening there, despite the war, the murders, and the hostages. Jerusalem is still alive and it still felt like a place where I belonged.”
“I loved volunteering at Kfar Truman, as we got a lot of face time with the people we were directly volunteering for/with. It’s one thing to come in for a day and make sandwiches, but to spend days on the farm and build a relationship with those you are helping brings the experience to an entirely different level. Additionally, we had the opportunity to volunteer with a wide breadth of Israelis: students, retirees, and even venture capitalists taking the afternoon off to work at the farm. This tangible expression of love for the Jewish people and Israel was felt from every aspect of Israeli society, and furthered by our bus of American college kids—and it was really beautiful to see all these groups interact and work together to help Israel in its time of need.”
The Bert B. Weinstein Leadership Institute
Each January, RCN Coordinators are invited to the Bert B. Weinstein Leadership Institute, a signature leadership training program of NRC, held at Ramah California in Ojai. Participants study with faculty, Ramah directors, and senior staff, and hone critical skills, enhance programming, and share best practices from across the Ramah movement. Below are reflections from current RCN Coordinators who attended Weinstein in January 2024:
“Apart from camp, the highlight of my year is undoubtedly connecting with people in my position as an RCN Coordinator at Weinstein. These interactions provide me with the opportunity to brainstorm fresh ideas for my campus, build community, and keep the Camp Ramah magic alive!”
“Weinstein provided me with a network of Ramahniks across various Ramah camps and college campuses—a diverse cohort of students who can help me elevate the Ramah experience/programming on my campus. I was also reminded of what it was like to be a Jewish leader and the reasons why it is important to always keep Ramah close to me. Thanks to Weinstein, I gained new skills as a young Jewish leader that have helped me expand the Ramah network and get Tulane Ramahniks excited for the kayitz!”
“Weinstein is a great experience for me as a Ramah College Network Coordinator. I was able to discuss programming as well as my experiences in the role with my peers. Being at Weinstein inspired me even more to bring the ruach of Ramah back to my campus.”
Much of this year’s program centered around Israel and confronting antisemitism on college campuses. Participants were fortunate to learn from Dr. Jonathan Golden, Director of Wellspring at the Shalom Hartman Institute, who provided frameworks for processing recent events and moderating conversations between diverse community members who may not always agree. Amy Skopp Cooper, National Ramah Director, and two participants currently on gap year programs spoke about their experiences in Israel on and after October 7th. Additionally, participants set a table for the hostages still held in Gaza. The table remained set for the duration of Shabbat. Weinstein attendees shared what it was like to take part in these conversations and activities:
“Every time we walked into or out of the chadar ochel, the table [set for the remaining hostages] was an important reminder of the suffering of our siblings in Gaza as well as their families. While we were setting up, someone suggested to seat Omer Neutra and Hersh Goldberg-Polin, both Ramahniks, at the head of the table. To me it’s really special that so many members of our extended community—rather than playing flag football or hanging out with friends—decided to help set up the Shabbat table.”
“Hartman is an incredible resource for teaching us how to respectfully and productively engage about Israel. I was reminded how much I value diverse Jewish thought and need to be in places with people who think differently than me.”
“While I know many individuals in Israel currently, I learn most of my information about current events from the news. Hearing from Amy and Ramahniks in Israel, I learned about aspects of the war that pertain to the more day-to-day life for Israeli civilians and soldiers, which is something often not detailed in the news’ more broad description of current events.”
RCN Shabbaton: Responding to Antisemitism
Over the weekend of February 9–11, 19 Ramah campus leaders gathered at Orangetown Jewish Center for a Shabbaton focused on responding to antisemitism. They explored this difficult topic from many angles, including how antisemitism sometimes operates as an invisible oppression, its relationship to anti-Zionism and criticism of Israel, and the powerful role of living joyfully as Jews to combat antisemitism more effectively.
Throughout the Shabbaton, our young adults embraced this joyful Judaism engaging in spirited tefillot, uplifting singing, meaningful reflections on personal experiences, and a fun evening at one of the best all-kosher supermarkets in the country. The following are thoughts shared by participants:
“At the Ramah College Network Shabbaton, we learned that antisemitism contains multiplicities. The world’s oldest hatred has remained persistent, and with Ramah, we learned to better understand it. Furthermore, we learned to be proudly Jewish in the face of it. We exude this pride not just for the sake of being proud. Instead, we learned to show our pride through action: practice, study, and acts of Jewish joy. These are all things that occur concomitantly at Ramah camps and in our RCN programming.”
“I hope to spread lots of the info we learned on my campus by having productive conversations about protecting Jewish students with various administrative bodies. I also hope to make these conversations a lot better by defining terms, and thinking about potential ways of addressing various problems on campus.”
“I am excited to bring back a much needed renewed sense of Jewish joy to my college campus. I also look forward to applying my learning at camp through the facilitation of conversations to help my campers understand antisemitism on a deeper level.”
Reshet Ramah Ba’Ir: Nurturing the Leadership Pipeline
In addition to RCN, we are committed to providing engagement opportunities for our recent college graduates. Reshet Ramah Ba’Ir (Reshet Ramah “in the City”) Coordinators plan and implement social, educational, and religious events for young alumni in their local communities.
Current Cities
Atlanta
Boston
Colorado (Denver, Boulder, and Frisco)
Los Angeles
New York City
Philadelphia
Washington, DC
Ramah College Network and Reshet Ramah Ba’Ir engage thousands of Ramah alumni and friends of Ramah each year through programming on college campuses and in cities, professional networking opportunities, and immersive experiences. These experiences create vibrant Jewish communities that bring back the magic of camp and empower the next generation of Jewish leaders. This year, these Ramah programs have been more critical than ever, helping our college students and young adults feel empowered and connected in the face of adversity.