If I had to summarize my Ramah experience this summer, the first word that comes to mind is “amazing.”
During my visit to Ramah New England, which came during my second week as Chancellor, I had the privilege of meeting campers ranging from Ta’am, getting their first “taste” of Ramah, to intellectually curious rising 11th graders wrestling with deep fears about their own futures, as well as the future of humanity.
Read MoreThis summer, I had the profound privilege of visiting all nine of our overnight Ramah camps, and Ramah Day Camp in Nyack—an experience that carried me from the lakes of Canada, Wisconsin, Poconos, Berkshires, and Palmer to the peaks of the Rockies, from the heart of the South to the shores of California, and back home again to the Ojai Valley, where I worked for eighteen years. It was a summer of movement, but also, in a deeper sense, a summer of stillness: the chance to slow down and simply witness the Ramah ruach (spirit) as it lives and breathes in each of its distinct communities.
Read MoreAt Ramah, we often speak about the “bubble" of camp. Every summer, for up to eight weeks, campers slip away into our beautiful campsites and take a breath from the daily pressures of their regular lives. In such an environment, we unselfconsciously explore our identities, sing and dance with abandon, and feel a sense of security and belonging so often missing elsewhere. We use this special “bubble time" to prepare for the outside world, ready to make our broader community just a little bit better.
Read MoreOur visits this week have taken us to Ramah Canada, Berkshires, New England, and the Boston day camp. Shlichim and Israeli campers who arrived late are now settling in, and our camps have the mid-July feel that we joyfully anticipate each year: exuberant children (some already in need of hair cuts!), sticky humidity (when we are all in need of ice cream!), tzevet who have become masterful counselors—spirited shira, rikud, tefillot, maccabiahs and zimriyahs. As friends of Ramah, we all know firsthand the sounds of July: they are our favorite sounds.
Read More"We usually think of the incredible power of Ramah communities as being demonstrated through the joy of children’s summer camp experiences. At times we are reminded that the power of our Ramah kehillot is also demonstrated by the tremendous comfort and critical support provided to families who have suffered a loss". - Reflections from Rabbi Mitchell Cohen, Senior Advisor, National Ramah Commission
Read MoreReflections on a “historic summer” throughout the Ramah Camping Movement from Dr. Daniel Olson, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Research, National Ramah Commission.
Read More"Although I wish I could spend more time at each camp, I am grateful that each stop affords me the opportunity to talk with campers and staff, express gratitude to my colleagues, and get a glimpse of the Jewish joyfulness that makes Ramah….Ramah." - Reflections from Amy Skopp Cooper, CEO, National Ramah Commission
Read MoreCamp Ramah Sasson is the movement’s first experience offered specifically to families with children battling cancer and is free-of-charge, even to families who have never been involved with Ramah or the Conservative movement
Read More“[Ramah New England] did everything in their capacity to make it possible for him to have this precious time with his friends and to recapture some semblance of adolescence that he’s missed over the last year.”
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