Asking 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 MoreAlison Rudolph credits Ramah New England’s vocational educational program with helping to prepare her son, Aaron, to succeed at his job with Walgreens. “He learned to have a work ethic, be disciplined, how to interact with people, and to help people — basically to understand the concept of customer satisfaction,” she said.
“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 MoreSummer 2020 marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the start of the National Ramah Tikvah inclusion program.
Read MoreIn the past ten years, we have seen in increase in the number of Jewish overnight and day camps supporting campers with a range of disabilities, and a general shift in attitude toward inclusion. Camps are doing a better job training their staffs, providing tools to support all campers. The
Read MoreWe are delighted to announce that over the last several weeks, the National Ramah Commission (NRC) has received various new grants of $1.2 million in order to develop initiative for Tikvah vocational education expansion, professional internships for college students, development of supplemental staff training materials promoting child safety, and intensive leadership training for college sophomores.
Read MoreThis past April, the 112 riders, hikers, and volunteers on the Ramah Israel Bike Ride and Hiking Trip raised more than $540,000 to benefit Ramah Tikvah programs for children, teens, and young adults with disabilities. During summer 2019, a total of 423 individuals will participate in Tikvah-affiliated programs. It is a privilege to share with you this report on this summer's plans for how Ramah camps will be using the Tikvah funds raised on the ride/hike, both 1) programmatically and 2) for the financial support of families with children with disabilities who also have financial constraints.
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 MoreOn the final day of the 2019 Ramah Israel Bike Ride and Hiking Trip, hikers explored the beautiful colored sands of Timna, and riders took a variety of routes, all ending in a magnificent descent into Eilat with a view of the Red Sea. We gathered at Coral Beach with a sense of awe and gratitude-- for new friends, for safety, and for the successful completion of what for so many of us was a new challenge.
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