The blessings of white shirts not yet muddied, stained, or wrinkled; fresh haircuts; and lost-and-found bins that are not overflowing. Another summer begins. Many of our camps have welcomed their first campers, who are experiencing the joy of coming home. We feel profound gratitude as we watch our communities open their gates each summer. Our early stops have included Ramah Darom, Ramah Wisconsin, and the Chicagoland Day Camp, as well as staff week at Ramah Canada.
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“May Ramah continue to evolve in ways that embrace its core values while pushing the boundaries of its programming to meet the needs of today’s Jews and tomorrow’s.” - JTS Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz
Read MoreOf the hundreds of thousands of Jewish children who have attended Camp Ramah in the last 75 years, Rabbi Matthew Simon has the distinct honor of having been camper number one.
Read MoreAsking for clarification or repetition of instructions is a skill Jacob learned in Atzmayim, the Tikvah vocational program at Ramah Wisconsin. He participated in the program in summer 2011, and during the subsequent three summers he was part of the camp’s staff, working in the camp office. “I learned a lot at Ramah — things like working in a team environment, having one another’s back, and stepping up to help when things get hectic and work overtime,” Jacob said.
Read More“Camp Ramah is truly a wonderful part of the Conservative Movement. We should all be proud of the dedicated professionals and staff who bring Ramah to life each summer. ” - Cantor Nancy Abramson, Director, H.L. Miller Cantorial School and Director, Women’s League Seminary Synagogue, JTS
Read MoreAtzmayim, the Hebrew word for “independent,” is an extension of Tikvah, Ramah’s program for campers on the autism spectrum or who have other social or learning challenges. All Atzmayim participants are high school graduates between ages 18 and 23, and they all work three hours a day, five days a week, in the town of Eagle River, about 15 minutes from Camp Ramah in Wisconsin.
Read MoreLittle slices of magic are witnessed at Camp Ramah. "The most satisfying thing is to see kids smile and discover something new about themselves," said Rabbi David Soloff, director of Camp Ramah from 1975 to 2009, and now its CEO. "We had a softball league, and there was this kid that was not popular and kind of shy. In the last inning with a man on base, the kid is at bat. Remarkably he gets a hit, and he scores and he gets on his teammates' shoulders. He had broken through."
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