We are settling in: all of our North American camps are now open, 560 shlichim have arrived, and 92 teens have begun their journey on Ramah Israel Seminar. There is a sense of optimism: the joyful Jewish energy of children, teens, and young adults is palpable. This season, we will not take any of this for granted.
Read More"My JTS colleagues and I were struck by one similarity of our Ramah visits this past summer—our teenage campers and our college-age staff are all yearning for pathways to deepen their knowledge base and their connection to Judaism." - Reflections from Rabbi Joel Seltzer, Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement, The Jewish Theological Seminary
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 More“This summer has provided us with countless shehecheyanu moments. Joel, thank you for helping us get to this point, for allowing 58 new campers to join the Ramah community, and for making camp happen this summer and always. I’m looking forward to a time when we can be together again, in person, at machaneinu Ramah.”
Read MoreWhat are we mourning? Certainly not anything as profound as life and death itself – something we know so many others are suffering through – so what is it? So in this data-driven age of metrics, allow me to attempt to quantify the unquantifiable emotional losses of a cancelled summer
Read MoreAbout three times a day, the campers at Camp Ramah in the Poconos walk past a mural…The mural is the perfect place for Rabbi Joel Seltzer to tell the story of Michael Levin, a lone soldier killed in the line of duty in 2006, whose memory survives at the camp he spent much of his childhood exploring.
Read MoreCamp Ramah in California, Camp Ramah Darom, Ramah Day Camp in Nyack, and Camp Ramah in the Poconos are among the first recipients of a new grant to increase accessibility for campers and staff with disabilities through Foundation for Jewish Camp’s Yashar Initiative.
Read MoreIn February, after a mean case of the flu, I ended up in the hospital for meningitis. A couple of days into my treatment, I developed a brain bleed (a rare side effect of meningitis) that led me to lose mobility on my left side. This was the first time I had personally experienced physical disability. Until now, my experience was limited to working with students or campers with physical disabilities. I could try to imagine what it was like, but I was not in their shoes. Now it was happening to me.
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