Ramah Literature
History of Ramah
National Ramah Publications
Ramah at 60: Impact and Innovation
edited by Mitchell Cohen and Jeffrey S. Kress; published by the National Ramah Commission and The Jewish Theological Seminary, 2010
Dedication | Preface | Looking Back, Moving Forward | Ramah: Onward from 60 | Learning from Ramah | In Memoriam | Reflections
Ramah—Reflections at 50: Visions for a New Century (“Ramah at 50”)
edited by Sheldon A. Dorph; published by the National Ramah Commission, 1999
The Ramah Experience: Community and Commitment ("Ramah at 40")
edited by Sylvia C. Ettenberg and Geraldine Rosenfield; published by the Jewish Theological Seminary and the National Ramah Commission, 1989
Writings of Ramah Leaders
Cohen, Burton. “Louis Newman’s Wisconsin Innovations and Their Effect Upon the Ramah Camping Movement” (in Studies in Jewish Education and Judaica in Honor of Louis Newman, 1984).
Eisen, Arnie. “Why Ramah Works—and Why It’s Essential,” JTS blog post, August 2017.
Fox, Seymour, and William Novak. Vision at the Heart—Lessons from Camp Ramah on the Power of Ideas in Shaping Educational Institutions (Mandel Foundation, 1997).
Mogilner, David. "Ramah Is My Pulpit” (in Ramah—Reflections at 50: Visions for a New Century, 1999).
Schorsch, Ismar. “An Emerging Vision of Ramah” in The Ramah Experience: Community and Commitment, 1989).
Schwartz, Shuly Rubin. “Camp Ramah: The Early Years, 1947-1952” (in Conservative Judaism 40, Fall 1989).
Schwartz, Shuly Rubin. “Ramah Philosophy and the Newman Revolution” (in Studies in Jewish Education and Judaica in Honor of Louis Newman, 1984).
Winer, Louis. "Camp Ramah in Wisconsin and the National Ramah Commission" (excerpt from My First 89 Years, 1993).
Research on Ramah
COVID Response
This study describes the successful outcome of the multiple COVID-19 prevention strategies implemented at Ramah camps during summer 2021. Among over 7,000 campers and staff at our 9 U.S. overnight camps, there were only 9 positive cases of COVID-19, and no secondary infections identified during camp.
Mental Health
Mental Health Care at Ramah Camps, Summer 2021 - Daniel Olson, PhD, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Research, National Ramah Commission
Mental Health Briefing, Summer 2022 - Daniel Olson, PhD, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Research, National Ramah Commission
Mental Health Update, Summer 2023 - Daniel Olson, PhD, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Research, National Ramah Commission
Alumni
"The Alumni of Ramah Camps: A Portrait of Jewish Engagement" (2016)
Disabilities / Tikvah
"A Profound Impact: Results of a Survey of Past Tikvah Staff" (2018)
A Publication of the Leadership Commons of the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education at The Jewish Theological Seminary (Debbie Singer, Dr. Jeffrey Kress, Dr. Abigail Uhrman)
"Impact of Ramah Special Needs Programs on Children, Teens, and Young Adults with Disabilities" (2013)
A Survey of Special Needs Education Professionals, Ramah Special Needs Staff, Staff Alumni, and Parents |
National Ramah Commission, Inc., and Research Success Technologies, Inc.
“The Tikvah Program at Ramah New England,” in Ramah—Reflections at 50: Visions for a New Century, 1999, pp. 139-153.
Chapters from Ramah at 60: Impact and Innovation (2010)
Campus and Camp: A Study of College-Age Ramah Staff - Jeffrey S. Kress
Social Climate at Ramah: Relationships and Motivation - Jeffrey S. Kress and Michael Ben-Avie
The Ramah Experience and the Religious Attitudes and Behaviors of Shelihim - Yaara Shteinhart-Moghadam and Jeffrey S. Kress
"Four Up/Eight Up": Studies by Barry A. Kosmin and Ariela Keysar
The Impact of Camp Ramah on the Attitudes and Practices of Conservative Jewish College Students
Rabbi Mitchell Cohen (adapted from the foreword to Research Findings on the Impact of Camp Ramah--see below)
Research Findings on the Impact of Camp Ramah
A Companion Study to the 2004 "Eight Up" Report on the Attitudes and Practices of Conservative Jewish College Students (report for the National Ramah Commission, copyright 2004)
"Eight Up": The College Years
The Jewish Engagement of Young Adults Raised in Conservative Synagogues, 1995-2003 (copyright 2004)
The Camping Experience 1995-1999
The Impact of Jewish Summer Camping on the Conservative High School Seniors of the "Four Up" Study (report for the National Ramah Commission, copyright 2001)
"Four Up": The High School Years, 1995-1999
The Jewish Identity Development of the B'nai Mitzvah Class of 5755 (copyright 2000)
“Jewish Summer Camp Theatre and Sondheim, the Talmudic Scholar”
Jonah Greene, in Studies in Musical Theatre, Volume 17, Issue Sondheim from the Side, Dec 2023, pp. 263-268.