Through this program at Camp Ramah in Northern California, we noticed the barriers between teens and mentors, whether rabbi, cantor, rosh edah, or others, were lessened. Teens realized their mentors cared about them, made themselves available to them, and that they treasured having one-on-one conversations with them – our teens mattered.
Read More“The Tikvah virtual vocational training and socializing series offered reliability and predictability during uncertain times; it offered friendship and conversation during a summer when in-person socializing wasn’t possible. The program expanded the world of our participants.”
Read MoreA recent letter from the parents of a child in one of our Tikvah programs captures the feelings of so many in the Ramah community this summer. “Even without camp, Ramah was critical for our children, offering fun tefillot, choices of chugim, bunk and edah reunions, and great concerts. Even without camp, Ramah was there for us, and it added so much to a very challenging summer.”
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 MoreWith the serious threat of illness facing everyone from the coronavirus, no one knows whether our precious summer camps will be able to open this summer. Such uncertainty: Might we be able to run camps as usual, or at least have a few weeks of camp in July or August? What is certain, however, is that the benefits of camp are perhaps more obvious than ever.
Read MoreIn telling the story of the Exodus, we will read about four children: the wise, the wicked, the simple, and the one who does not know how to ask. This year, amidst the uncertainty that has come to be our new norm, we also feel the presence of a fifth child.
Read MoreLike our forefathers, Abraham, Jacob, and Moses, who found God and spirituality in the wilderness, BaMidbar students spend time in nature rediscovering themselves and their spiritual core. They build skills to recover from adversity, are empowered to break free of the habits and patterns that limit their lives, and embark on a new journey of living well.
Read MoreOn April 1, hundreds of Ramahniks gathered in Jerusalem to mark 50 years of Tikvah at Ramah and to honor Barbara and Herb Greenberg, who established the first Tikvah program in 1970. The Greenbergs received a lifetime achievement award from the Ramah Camping Movement and spoke movingly about the impact of Tikvah in the lives of countless campers and families, and in their own lives.
Read More“In operating Ramah’s camps, you continue to push to create a safe space for Jewish learning and exploration, one that can tune out the digital noise and encourage deeper personal relationships within a Jewish community. Ramah’s impact beyond the camper years can be inspirational to other camps, to show they don’t have to compromise their values to succeed. Ramah’s focus and success presents a standard that I hope other camps can learn from.”
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