Ramah: 70 Years of Transformative Jewish Experiences

70 YEARS OF TRANSFORMATIVE JEWISH EXPERIENCES

RAMAH’S

MISSION

To create and sustain excellent summer camps and Israel programs that inspire commitment to Jewish life, and develop the next generation of Jewish leaders.

5 DAY CAMPS “RAMAH TAUGHT ME TO LOVE BEING JEWISH.” Ramah Poconos alum

11,500 + "SEMINAR GAVE ME A STRONG, EMOTIONAL CONNECTION TO ISRAEL." Ramah Israel Seminar alum

4

ISRAEL PROGRAMS

CAMPERS AND STAFF EACH SUMMER

200,000 + ALUMNI

10

OVERNIGHT CAMPS

“RAMAH WAS THE SINGLE MOST FORMATIVE JEWISH EXPERIENCE I HAD GROWING UP.” Ramah Berkshires alum

70 YEAR TRACK RECORD

CREATING ENDURING

CONNECTIONS TO ISRAEL

Every summer, hundreds of young Israelis join our staff as shlichim at Ramah camps in North America. And every year, 250-300 teenagers experience Israel on Ramah Seminar and Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim (TRY), Ramah’s unique summer and semester-long programs. Hebrew is taught and spoken at all our camps.

CLOSE TO 100% OF RAMAH ALUMNI HAVE VISTED ISRAEL

“IT IS BECAUSE OF RAMAH THAT I LIVED IN ISRAEL, HAVE ISRAELI FRIENDS FROM THE MISHLACHAT AT CAMP, AND FEEL PASSIONATE ABOUT ISRAEL EDUCATION.” Ramah Nyack alum *SOURCE: The Alumni of Ramah Camps: A Long-Term Portrait of Jewish Engagement, Steven M. Cohen 2016; Pew Study, A Portrait of Jewish Americans 2013

ENSURING JEWISH CONTINUITY ACCORDING TO CAMP RAMAH ALUMNI SURVEY RESPONDENTS*: 83% say being Jewish is very important to them (vs. 54% of all US Jews) Over 90% say it is very important or essential to raise Jewish children, celebrate Jewish holidays, and feel attached to Israel 94% are married to Jews (vs. 56% of all US Jews) and over 40% met their spouses through a Ramah connection They are 3 times more likely to attend weekly synagogue services than the US average

"RAMAH NOT ONLY INFLUENCED MY SENSE OF BEING JEWISH , BUT ALSO MY ENTIRE IDENTITY. " Ramah in the Rockies alum

LONNI & JOSH'S INSPIRING RAMAH STORY LONNI ROMIROWSKY GAJER, A MARKETING EXECUTIVE FROM PHILADELPHIA, AND JOSH GAJER, AN ATTORNEY ORIGINALLY FROM LONG ISLAND, WERE INTRODUCED BY A MUTUAL RAMAH FRIEND IN NYC

“RAMAH IS THE CENTRAL AND DEFINING JEWISH EXPERIENCE OF OUR LIVES.”

2007

DURING A YEAR IN JERUSALEM IN 2007, JOSH SHARED AN APARTMENT WITH TWO RAMAH FRIENDS

AFTER COLLEGE, LONNI SHARED AN APARTMENT WITH RAMAH FRIENDS AND TOGETHER THEY RAN THE NYC MARATHON IN MEMORY OF RAMAH FRIEND ANDY SCHLOSS

2008 2009 LONNI & JOSH MET IN NYC IN 2009 AT A PARTY HOSTED BY A RAMAH BERKSHIRES ALUM

MAYTAL WAS BORN DECEMBER 2016

2016

2017

LONNI & JOSH REGULARLY ATTEND RAMAH BERKSHIRES AND POCONOS REUNIONS

JOSH PIC

LONNI

JOSH

RAMAH POCONOS CAMPER 1994-1999

RAMAH BERKSHIRES CAMPER 1996-2000

RAMAH POCONOS COUNSELOR AND TENNIS STAFF 2002-2003

RAMAH SEMINAR PARTICIPANT 2001 RAMAH BERKSHIRES COUNSELOR 2002-2005

RAMAH SEMINAR MADRICHA 2006

LONNI & JOSH ON WEAR YOUR RAMAH T-SHIRT DAY

2013

2014

LONNI & JOSH MARRIED IN 2013, SURROUNDED BY DOZENS OF RAMAH FRIENDS

2026

LONNI & JOSH’S CLOSEST FRIENDS ARE ALL RAMAH ALUMNI

2017

WILL MAYTAL ATTEND RAMAH BERKSHIRES OR RAMAH POCONOS? LONNI & JOSH ARE STILL DISCUSSING THAT!

RAMAH TIKVAH PROGRAMS BOLD, INCLUSIVE, PIONEERING

Since 1970, Tikvah has provided the transformative Ramah experience to Jewish children, teens, and young adults with learning, developmental, cognitive, and social disabilities.

Tikvah benefits the entire camp, creating a community where everyone learns the values of diversity, acceptance, and inclusion.

"I BELIEVE THAT THE WAY THE PROGRAM INVOLVES THE CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES WITH THE REST OF THE CAMP IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE AND LIFE‐CHANGING FOR EVERYONE.” Parent of a Tikvah camper at Ramah New England "IT'S THE GREATEST FEELING IN THE WORLD!" Vocational training program participant at Ramah California WE BELIEVE ALL JEWISH CHILDREN SHOULD BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THE TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT OF JEWISH SUMMER CAMP

RESHET RAMAH

YEAR-ROUND ALUMNI & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT “THE RAMAH SHABBAT DINNER WAS AN AMAZING WAY OF BRINGING THE RAMAH COMMUNITY TOGETHER ON MICHIGAN’S CAMPUS.” Ramah Wisconsin alum

RESHET RAMAH BRINGS TOGETHER YOUNG ADULT ALUMNI FOR EVENTS, SHABBAT DINNERS, STUDY, AND MORE

OUR COLLEGE NETWORK OPERATES ON CAMPUSES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA

“IT HAS BEEN FIVE YEARS SINCE MY LAST RAMAH SUMMER, BUT AT THE RESHET RAMAH EVENT, I QUICKLY FELT A STRONG CONNECTION WITH FELLOW ALUMNI.” Ramah Darom alum

RAMAH ISRAEL INSTITUTE OFFERS ADULT & FAMILY JEWISH HERITAGE TRIPS TO ISRAEL, MOROCCO, POLAND, AND MORE

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS TRAINING FOR EMERGING LEADERS - Bert B. Weinstein Institute for Counselor Training - Leadership Institute for College Sophomores - Louis & Shoshanah Winer Institute for Rosh Edah Training SPECIALIZED STAFF TRAINING PROGRAMS - Daber and Sha’ar Seminar - National Ramah Tikvah Network Training - Songleader Boot Camp Ramah Shabbaton - Amitei Ramah Training ISRAEL-BASED TRAINING - Mishlachat Training Seminar - Ramah Shabbaton in Israel FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS - Alexander M. Shapiro Fellowship - Morton M. & Miriam Steinberg International Travel Fellowship - Kerem Young Professionals Network

“CAMP RAMAH PROVIDED ME WITH A CLOSE KNIT COMMUNITY OF FRIENDS WHOM I FEEL CLOSER TO THAN ANY OTHER FRIENDS I'VE MADE OUTSIDE OF CAMP, IT INSTILLED JEWISH VALUES IN ME THAT I HOLD TO THIS DAY, AND IT IS THE PLACE WHERE I EXPERIENCED SOME OF THE HAPPIEST AND WARMEST MEMORIES OF MY LIFE.” Ramah Canada alum

OVERNIGHT CAMPS

DAY CAMPS

CAMP RAMAH IN THE BERKSHIRES WINGDALE, NY ramahberkshires.org

RAMAH DAY CAMP – CHICAGO AREA WHEELING, IL ramahday.com

CAMP RAMAH IN CALIFORNIA OJAI, CA ramah.org

RAMAH DAY CAMP IN NYACK NYACK, NY ramahnyack.org

CAMP RAMAH IN CANADA UTTERSON, ON campramah.com

RAMAH DAY CAMP IN PHILADELPHIA ELKINS PARK, PA ramahdaycamp.org

CAMP RAMAH DAROM CLAYTON, GA ramahdarom.org

RAMAH JERUSALEM DAY CAMP JERUSALEM, ISRAEL daycamps.ramah.org.il

CAMP RAMAH IN NEW ENGLAND PALMER, MA campramahne.org

RAMAH DAY CAMP OF GREATER WASHINGTON, DC GERMANTOWN, MD ramahdcdaycamp.org

CAMP RAMAH IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA (RAMAH GALIM) WATSONVILLE, CA ramahnorcal.org CAMP RAMAH IN THE POCONOS LAKEWOOD, PA ramahpoconos.org RAMAH IN THE ROCKIES DECKERS, CO ramahoutdoors.org RAMAH SPORTS ACADEMY FAIRFIELD, CT ramahsportsacademy.org CAMP RAMAH IN WISCONSIN CONOVER, WI ramahwisconsin.com

ISRAEL PROGRAMS RAMAH ISRAEL INSTITUTE rii.ramah.org.il RAMAH ISRAEL SEMINAR seminar.ramah.org.il RAMAH JERUSALEM DAY CAMP daycamps.ramah.org.il TICHON RAMAH YERUSHALAYIM (TRY) try.ramah.org.il

“The basketball and swimming that I observe at Camp Ramah take place in Jewish space and time. The budding romances and intimate conversations of which I catch glimpses are Jewish, too. So are the experiences of fun and friendship that Tikvah program campers with disabilities share with others. Text study and tefillah, both standard at camp, are different than they are elsewhere because here they take place in the context of all the rest of what is Jewish. So too the use of Hebrew. The Jewish community of North America does not have the billions to spend on selling Judaism that retailers routinely expend on advertising. What we can do, though, is provide experiences of community and meaning, one person at a time, summer after summer.”

ARNOLD EISEN - Chancellor of The Jewish Theological Seminary From “Why Ramah Works — and Why It’s Essential” (2017)

"THIS CAMP HAS REALLY CHANGED THE WAY I LOOK AT JUDAISM , AND MAKES ME THINK ABOUT HOW GREAT IT IS TO BE JEWISH." Ramah Galim camper

NATIONAL RAMAH COMMISSION, INC. OF THE JEWISH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 3080 BROADWAY NEW YORK, NY 10027 212.678.8881 campramah.org info@campramah.org NATIONAL DIRECTOR: RABBI MITCHELL COHEN mcohen@jtsa.edu

‫מחנות רמה‬

Ramah Camping Movement

NATIONAL ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR: AMY SKOPP COOPER amy@campramah.org