From Darkness to Light: A Shabbat of Memory and Hope

By Dr. Daniel Olson, Assistant National Director, National Ramah Commission

Those who have spent any time at a Ramah camp know that Shabbat at Ramah electrifies the soul. Last weekend, Shabbat at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin delivered an especially potent spiritual charge. Early Friday night, the weather cooperated beautifully, with clear blue skies, and a calm breeze coming off the agam.

Nivonim campers, rising 11th graders, led the Kabbalat Shabbat tefillot with skill and enthusiasm. Throughout the services, countless campers and staff sang and danced with unrestrained joy.

Getting ready for Shabbat at Ramah Wisconsin

Partway through services, the tone shifted from radiance to a more somber, introspective engagement with Ramah Wisconsin's summer-long, camp-wide educational theme: M'Afelah L'Orah—from Darkness to Light.

A first-year shlicha, Nicole Kantarji, rose to speak in Hebrew about her personal connection with this theme. She spoke about three friends of hers: Inbar Boyum, Sahar Saudyan, Nativ Kuzaro—may their memories be for a blessing—who were murdered on October 7th. A summary simply can't convey the impact of her words; I quote an English translation of her powerful delivery below: 

Within the loss, there is also a deep understanding: every morning we wake up and open our eyes is a gift. The right to get up, to breathe, to walk, to love—it's not to be taken for granted.

They, who are not with us, remind me with every step I take how precious life is. They are a part of me, a part of my heart, a part of my identity. Everything I do—I do for them too. In their memory. With love for them.

And sometimes, within the brokenness, we discover a simple but powerful truth: That we must not remain in the darkness. That we must continue—for them, for ourselves, for life. We must continue to experience, to continue to love, to continue to hope. We must choose the light.

After she spoke, Ramah Wisconsin Executive Director Jacob Cytryn asked the whole camp to rise for HaTikvah. Nicole, along with her fellow Nivonim madrichot—Israelis and Americans—raised tribute flags with the smiling faces of her friends as we sang together, reaching for that light.

This evening wasn't my first time hearing Nicole share the story of her friends. On our NRC volunteer mission to Israel in May, which included a number of American Ramah Wisconsin staff, Nicole traveled all the way from her home near Haifa to meet us in Be’er Sheva, the day before our visit to the Gaza Envelope and the Nova Festival site, the places where her friends were murdered. She came so far because she wanted to start making connections, and she is serious about her commitment to honor her friends’ stories and lives however she can.

Nicole in Be’ersheva with Ramah Wisconsin North American and Israeli staff members

As Israel experiences another chapter in this dark period, with sirens, missiles, and war, hearing Nicole’s story encouraged me to also look for the light. Her words, alongside the jubilant camp community on Shabbat, brightened my own spirits, offering a renewed sense of hope.