Posts tagged California
Camp Ramah in California adds 174 acres to Ojai Property

Camp Ramah in California has closed escrow on property adjacent to its Ojai, California, facility. The new land on the northern border will extend the camp to the north and west from its current location and bring the total camp acreage to 445 contiguous acres.

The purchase of the 174 acres of additional property will enable Camp Ramah to grow with the changing needs of current and future summer campers as well as service non-summer retreat needs. The new property will be preserved in its natural state and used to enhance nature experiences and camp programming.

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Camp Ramah in Ojai expands with $1.8 million land purchase

Tucked into the Ojai Valley of Ventura County are some of the most pristine and beautiful locations in Southern California — an idyllic place to go to summer camp or unwind on a retreat.

Now, thanks to the purchase of 174 acres of additional land that will increase its size by 40 percent, Camp Ramah in California hopes to do an even better job of taking advantage of its setting near the hills of Ojai. The Jewish sleep-away camp, which is part of the Camp Ramah network of Jewish camps associated with the Conservative Movement, announced Dec. 15 that it
closed escrow on the property, which was acquired for just over $1.8 million, according to Rabbi Joe Menashe, the camp’s executive director.

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Songleader Boot Camp 2016: My Connection Through Music

When I received an email from Camp Ramah in California about attending the Songleader Boot Camp National Conference (SLBC) as a member of the 2016 Cohort, I answered back immediately with an ecstatic “YES!” I didn’t really know what to expect going into SLBC, only that I would get to sing and learn some pretty cool Jewish music. I had no idea that I would gain leadership skills, expand my musical repertoire, learn from incredible teachers, rabbis, and musicians, make new friends, and find a deep connection to music through Judaism and camp.

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Inclusion in the Workplace Too

Dozens of articles online and in print publications proudly and enthusiastically note that February is Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month (JDAIM). JDAIM, marked by agencies and organizations throughout the Jewish world, is described as “a unified effort among Jewish organizations worldwide to raise awareness and foster inclusion of people with disabilities and their families in Jewish communities worldwide.”

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Ramah is beloved tradition for Tucson family

Tucsonan Lisa Goldberg’s connections to Camp Ramah in Ojai, Calif., run deep. She’s been a Ramahnik since she first attended camp when she was 8 years old, having “inherited” Ramah from her mother, Mimi Dinin Sisk, who was one of the first campers at the California location, and her grandfather, Samuel Dinin, a noted Jewish educator who helped the camp get its start back in 1956. Goldberg’s three children, Elana, Lily and Samson, have all spent summers there.

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Harmony: Hava Nashira 2015

Harmony (noun): the combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords and chord progressions having a pleasing effect. If I could describe my past week with one word, it would be harmony. It was not only the harmony of the musical notes that covered my skin with goose bumps and filled my heart with joy, but the harmony of the URJ (Union of Reform Judaism) and Ramah camps working as one.

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The Unexpected Way My Son With Down Syndrome Blossomed at Jewish Camp

Jewish memories are made of this: sneaking out with my bunkmates for a thrilling nighttime swim. Israeli dancing on the lawn in the sunshine before lunch. Singing the birkat hamazon with gusto after dinner, concocting elaborately goofy skits for the talent show, playing friendly pickup games of GaGa, and sending a “Secret Shabbat-O-Gram” to my crush in Tent Gimel. Much more than the hours spent in synagogue or in religious school, I can directly trace my continued connection to Judaism to the unforgettable summers I spent at Camp Ramah in California. As it turns out, Ramah would play an even more crucial role for my son Nathan, who was born 14 years ago with Down syndrome.

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