A letter from Amy Skopp Cooper, National Ramah Commission CEO, to the parents of the 33 teens who are participating in Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim (TRY), the Ramah high school spring semester program based in Jerusalem.

Dear TRY Parents,

I have had the privilege of getting to know your teens over the past few months. I do not use the word "privilege" lightly; your children are passionate, articulate, and thoughtful young people who have navigated an extraordinary period of history.

I first met them during the opening days of TRY. They were sitting at the Tayelet, earnestly taking notes and using the Tanach as a sourcebook to learn the history of early Jerusalem. When I met them again a few weeks later, the world had changed. Returning to Jerusalem after their extended stay at Kibbutz Ketura and the Dead Sea, we spent an hour sharing their stories—some funny, some profound. Their experiences have clearly shaped their time in Israel. They spoke of sharing bomb shelters and laundry services with Israeli families, carrying a Torah to a mamad (saferoom), and the visceral reality of sirens. Later that day, we visited the home of Rena Quint to hear her testimony as a Holocaust survivor. At that moment, it was difficult to imagine they would soon be embarking on their own journey to Poland.

As soon as the decision was made for the group to travel, I knew I had to join them. During our six days together, your teens explored the vibrancy of pre-war Poland. They walked through ancient cemeteries, davened in historic synagogues, and studied texts in the Yeshiva Chachmei Lublin. They searched for the faint remnants of mikvahs, indentations in doorposts where mezuzot once hung, and walls still bearing faded Hebrew signage. It was extraordinarily painful for the group to grasp that most of what they were seeing no longer exists.

As you know, our itinerary included the forests where entire communities were annihilated, as well as Majdanek, Treblinka, and Birkenau. At each site, your children, often draped in Israeli flags, prepared songs and readings, lit candles, and shared personal testimonies. Our days began at 6:00 AM and concluded near midnight with group processing sessions led by our incredibly skilled Ramah educators. In between stops that can only be described as the depths of despair, our Ramahniks sang, davened, and danced with an inspiring zeal.

Our final full day was spent in Auschwitz. After eight hours in the camps and a culminating ceremony in Birkenau, the entire group walked together along the train tracks, turning away from Auschwitz and heading home to Jerusalem.

Earlier this week, I met them once more at President Herzog’s residence. There, they asked the President poignant questions about the State of Israel, his own leadership, and his hopes for their future.

This has been a journey from darkness to light that few have the opportunity to experience. Thank you for giving your children this gift—one that will undoubtedly shape their Jewish futures—and thank you for trusting Ramah to lead this journey.

Shalom,

Amy Skopp Cooper, CEO

National Ramah Commission

A Transformative Journey: Reflections on Our Teens’ Experiences on TRY