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Wally Levitt

Chief Executive Officer Ramah Darom

This RAMAHrkable Yearbook is dedicated to YOU, our Ramah Darom community. Thank you to all our families, friends, campers, alumni, retreat participants and staff. We are grateful for all the memories we have made together in our first 25 years and proud of the impact we have had on Southeast Jewish communities and beyond. This is only the beginning of our story. Together, our future is bold and bright. Kadima! (Forward!)

1993-1996: THE BEGINNING Ramah Darom’s history has been driven by passionate vision, unwavering commitment and enormous generosity. Its seeds were planted in1956 by three men: Sol Singer z”l, Philip Selber z”l and Morris Speizman z”l, who foresaw the need for a camp to serve a growing Southern Jewish community. For forty years many persisted in keeping their dream alive and in 1993, those seeds began to sprout.

wanted a spiritual center where Jews of all ages could gather and celebrate throughout the year. Chancellor Ismar Schorsch asked Mayer “Bubba” Mitchell z”l, from Mobile, AL, to lend his leadership, wisdom and networking skills to the project. He invited Leonard Kaplan z”l, from Greensboro, NC, to become involved. Others soon followed. Everyone was united by a single refrain: “Ramah Darom—Soon To Be, Meant to Be.”

Prodded by the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, the National Ramah Commission convened a gathering in Charlotte, NC, and donors funded a feasibility study. Ruthi Sacks coined the name Ramah Darom; Alan Sussman put it on a t-shirt and there would be no turning back. Eric Singer was appointed the first President of the new “Ramah Darom Planning Corporation.” He brought on Lynda Walker to manage the project and conduct focus groups. Eric and Lynda traveled the Southeast, gathering input and feedback. They found that there was a desire for more than a children’s summer camp; people

Meant to be, but where? Eric recalled seeing a magnificent old camp property in Rabun County, GA, called Tumbling Waters. The Board and Lynda set out to raise funds needed to buy and improve the property and, in April 1996, the Planning Corporation acquired 122 acres of the 186-acre Tumbling Waters. The Board appointed Effie Spielman to chair the building committee and develop plans for opening Camp Ramah Darom in 1997. One month after the purchase, Ramah Darom was dedicated at a festive groundbreaking celebration.

Visiting the new site in Clayton, GA

Effie Spielman speaking at an early planning meeting

1996: DEDICATION “Help us create a camp that will cater to the spiritual and educational needs of Southern Jews with an emphasis on fun!” –Rabbi Loren Sykes

Rabbi Loren Syke s

On May 27, 1996, over 700 visitors from across the Southeast dedicated Ramah Darom’s home. Rabbi Loren Sykes, Ramah Darom’s new Camp Director, was introduced. Leaders from the Jewish Theological Seminary, the National Ramah Commission and spiritual leaders from southern Jewish communities joined together with Board members, donors and supporters, former Ramahniks, future parents and others to joyously celebrate this seminal moment in making the dream a reality.

Rabbi Eli Havivi, Leonard Kaplan, Arlene and Bubba Mitchell, Eve and Julia Wertheim, Chancellor Ismar Schorsch, Eric Singer and Barbara Wiston

Families enjoying the celebration

Bubba Mitchell addressing the crowd

Dr. Eugene Sacks and Rabbi Arnold Goodman

Attendees listening to speakers including Lori Kirschner pictured to the right

Jewish leaders from around the Southeast

Leonard and Tobee Kaplan 3

1997: BECOMING RAMAH DAROM Under Effie Spielman’s leadership, a phased master plan to create a facility that could ultimately accommodate over 450 campers and several hundred staff was prepared and adopted in September, only five months after acquiring the property.

storage distribution system refurbished; sports facilities built; six existing camper bunks expanded; original dining hall gutted and rebuilt to accommodate a fully equipped kosher kitchen; covered sports pavilion and new cabins built; and three modular homes (for the Camp Director, Facilities Manager and the infirmary) and four trailers (to house staff) erected and furnished. Meanwhile, Rabbi Sykes hired and trained 112 staff members and created a new summer program for 4th-8th grade campers.

With Camp scheduled to open mid-June and less than six months to complete the work, Nell Poolos z”l, a former Girl Scout properties director, was hired to be Construction Manager, and Shane Palmer and Anthony Franklin were hired to manage the facility.

It rained nonstop leading up to Opening Day. Buildings were unfinished, the campus was flooded and the unpaved road leading to Camp was nearly impassable, blocking construction vehicles. Staff training was moved to a hotel in Atlanta, and some began to doubt the Camp would be ready in time.

Construction commenced in the middle of a rainy winter and the scope of work was enormous. The lake was dredged; dam reinforced; new spillway created; underground utilities (including electrical, plumbing, and phone lines) and a new septic system installed; freshwater wells designed; water

Then, the rain stopped, the sun shone, the roads dried out, and construction workers and volunteers worked around the clock. The night before campers arrived, Board members were shoveling mud, setting up furniture and doing whatever was necessary to welcome campers to their new home.

It would be no exaggeration to say that, in the 12 months between the Dedication and the opening of Camp Ramah Darom, a “great miracle happened here.”

The first Camp staff trained at Ramah Poconos in the Summer of 1996

Volunteers of all ages helped clean up the flooded campus

Construction continued for five months straight

taff ree S rt T e l i b Dou eek T-Sh W 4

Renovated Beit Am Katan (original dining hall) which, even after expansion, was still too small to hold all our campers at one sitting

Nell Poolos in our first business office

Shane Palmer and Anthony Franklin

JUNE 15, 1997: OPENING DAY There have been many emotional and rewarding days in Ramah Darom’s 25-year history, but none more so than June 15, 1997. As the buses rolled through the gates with smiling, fresh-faced campers and wide-eyed parents arrived to drop their children off at Camp, there were tears of joy and satisfaction in the eyes of all those who had dreamed so long about this day. The first new Ramah camp in 30 years was now a reality, welcoming 307 campers.

“That first summer at Ramah Darom was a remarkable adventure. The pioneering spirit of creating something new and unique will stay with every camper and staff member, forever.” –Eric Singer

s in ok bring Julian Bro e Torah” the “Littl

Staff welcoming families to opening day

Bubba and Arlene Mitchell, Rabbi Sheldon Dorph, Rabbi Loren Sykes, Rabbi Steven Silberman and Eric Singer

Sol ol and Ruth Singer during the Torah procession

Greeting campers arriving on the bus

Staff excitedly await campers

1998-1999

With the first summer in the history books and Phase One of the master plan complete, these years saw the continued growth and development of Camp programs and facilities, and the birth of the retreat program. In 1998, aidot (age divisions) were expanded from three to five: Nitzanim, Sollelim, Halutzim, Kochavim and Shoafim. In 1999 a sixth aidah, Nivonim, was added. As part of Phase Two of the master plan, Cabins 1/2, 3/4 and 5/6 were added on the mountainside campus. A 19-room Retreat Center, housing the new infirmary, was also completed, along with the Mirpesset Tefillah (Prayer Pavilion) and Alpine Tower. The Tower and the new blob quickly became favorite activities. The new Chadar Ochel (Dining Hall) was finished just before Camp started in 1999, allowing the community to eat together for the first time. In late 1999, Ramah Darom hired its first fund-raising professional, Sharon Rosenfeld, as Director of Development. The first retreats were held with the USY Leadership Training Institute and a group from Temple Emanu-el of Palm Beach.

2000: HANNUKAT HABAYIT DEDICATION On July 3, 2000, Ramah Darom supporters gathered together for Hannukat HaBayit, celebrating the dedication of the most recent campus additions. Rabbi Ismar Schorsch, Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary, was the keynote speaker. The Levine Ramah Center, the central activity facility and home of the Chadar Ochel, was dedicated and Sandra and Leon Levine of Charlotte, NC, were honored. The newly completed 20-room Marcus Lodge, the Kaplan Omanut (Art) building, the Schusterman double-decker Lakeside cabin and other facilities were also dedicated.

uction Center constr Levine Ramah Sandra and Le on Levine

Leonard Kaplan and Leon Levine in front of the Levine dedication plaque

Levine Ramah Center

The Schusterman Family

Marcus Lodge

Omanut Building

Abraham Mitchell with Arlene and Bubba Mitchell

Double-Decker Cabin

2000-2006 This period was one of organizational maturation. Fred Levick joined the staff in March 2000 as Chief Operating Officer and became Chief Executive Officer in 2006. The Camp was now able to operate at its planned capacity, the experience was being refined and new programs were being added. Ramah Darom was also blossoming into the year-round “educational village” its founders had envisioned. In 2001, with the completion of the lower level of the Levine Ramah Center—including the Mercaz Aryeh (Library) and Beit Knesset (Spiritual Center)—and the addition of the Margam (Lakeside Pavilion), the final phase of the original master plan was realized. By 2002, Camp Ramah Darom had reached its full capacity, with eight aidot from Nitzanim to Gesher. That summer, Camp received accreditation from the American Camp Association and the first cohort of former campers became junior counselors. “D’rishat Shalom,” written by Rosh Shira (Song Leader) Joanna Dulkin, became the Camp song. From 2003 to 2006, the Camp program continued to grow. The Gesher experience expanded to eight weeks, emphasizing

leadership development. A new Taste of Ramah program was introduced for rising 3rd graders. “Nivonim University” was created, enabling rising 10th-grade campers to choose specialty areas for their “major.” In 2005, Ramah Darom began offering a unique family experience, Camp Yofi, for families of children with autism that quickly attained national recognition. Ramah Darom was evolving as a retreat center, providing its own programming as well as being available for other Jewish group events. An annual Ramah Darom adult retreat during the month of Elul featured such notable faculty as Rabbi Yitz and Blu Greenberg, Susannah Heschel, Rabbi Lawrence Kushner and Rabbi Joseph Telushkin. Ramah Darom’s first annual Passover Retreat was held in 2002, and a Sukkot program and a Small Communities Retreat were also offered. Other Jewish groups began to use Ramah Darom as a site for their programming, including United Synagogue’s IMUN retreat for emerging congregational leaders, Hillel International’s Student Leaders Assembly and many local synagogues and Jewish organizations.

Nivonim University

Beit Knesset Ark This Ark was restored and donated by Congregation Ahavas Chesed 10

Congregation Ahavas Chesed Mobile, AL

2004: Gesher Trip

2005: Camp Yofi

2001: Small Communities Retreat

2000: First Taste of Ramah

2001: IMUN Retreat

na Rosh Shira Joan

Dulkin

2005: CAMP YOFI A conversation with a Ramah Darom Family Camp parent inspired Rabbi Loren Sykes to consider ways to remove barriers for families of children with autism who felt excluded from participation Sue Kabot, Rabbi Lo in the Jewish community. Rabbi Sykes conceived of a new camp model to bring together ren Sykes and Susan Tecktiel families of children with autism to share in a supportive five-day communal family experience. To develop this program, he recruited Susan Tecktiel, Director of Ramah Darom’s Family Camp, and partnered with Dr. Susan Kabot, Executive Director of the renowned Nova Southeastern University Autism Institute. Together, the “two Sues,” as they affectionally came to be known, created a loving, supportive community that has not only deeply touched the lives of the families who have participated in this program in its seventeen-year history, but has transformed the hundreds of staff who worked with and bonded with these families. Many Yofi staff have gone on to pursue careers in the field of autism, and dozens of staff return year after year to volunteer their time to work at Camp Yofi. The program’s success earned Rabbi Sykes the prestigious Covenant Award in 2006.

“Five years of attending Camp Yofi showed us that we were not alone. It showed us that Jewish children— all Jewish children—yearn for and deserve a Jewish community where they are full members.” –Devorah Zlochower

2007: CELEBRATING TEN YEARS Ramah Darom celebrated its 10th anniversary with a Shabbaton for founders, funders and key Camp leadership. The weekend was filled with gratitude, smiles and reflection. Attendees, many of whom had not been on campus in ten years, were in awe of how much the campus had already developed. Bubba Mitchell and Leonard Kaplan were honored for their leadership. Ramah Darom’s Welcome Center was completed and dedicated, as was the new Odyssey high ropes course.

“Ramah Darom will always be grateful to Bubba and Leonard for their leadership and commitment. Together, they helped create an institution that will sustain and enrich Jewish lives for generations to come.”

Leonard and Tobee Kaplan with Arlene and Bubba Mitchell

Plaque presented to Bubba and Leonard in honor of their leadership and dedication to Ramah Darom

Welcome Center

Welcome Center Construction

10th Anniversary event chairs Rebecca Sykes, Ruthi Sacks and Gail Spielman

Past Presidents Dr. Eugene Sacks, Murray Friedman, Lori Kirschner, Eric Singer and Effie Spielman

CEO Fred Levick

The Odyssey

Welcome Cen ter Lobby

Rabbi Sykes places mezuzah 15

2007-2014 Ramah Darom’s second decade began with a major transition. Rabbi Sykes, our founding Camp Director, left after the 2007 season. Former Assistant Camp Director, Geoffrey Menkowitz, was chosen to succeed Rabbi Sykes as the second Director of Camp Ramah Darom. In 2008, a magnificent treehouse was dedicated in honor of Rabbi Loren Sykes. Under Geoff’s leadership, programs in the arts, outdoor adventure and athletics were expanded. “Yom Clinic” started, welcoming nationally recognized coaches and artists. Campers crafted their own tefillin with Noah Greenberg. Off-campus rock climbing trips were added and Intercamp Games, an annual athletic competition with other nearby Jewish camps, began. Ramah Darom also welcomed back Camp alumni for the first Gesher reunion.

2008: Shoafim Tefillin Workshop

2010: Passover Retreat “Rabbis in Shorts”

2010: Inaugural Intercamp Games 16

With support from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, the Mapal Legacy Society was established in 2008, honoring those who include Ramah Darom in their estate plans. In summer 2009, Ramah Darom made headlines in The New York Times as one of the first camps with a Swine Flu outbreak. Camp leaders created a self-contained camp within a camp at the Welcome Center, complete with activities and dining facilities for quarantined campers and staff, and received national recognition for their collaborative work with local health authorities. The Retreat Center continued to grow. Jewish Women’s Getaway, Winter Break Family Camp and Book it to Shabbat with PJ Library were added as annual events. In 2009, Limmud SE moved its Labor Day weekend festival to Ramah Darom, and more and more groups began holding programs on the campus.

2007: First Gesher Reunion

2011: Dedication of Snyder Field

2014: Limmud

2012: First Jewish Women’s Getaway Retreat

2013: Spider Web

Geoff Menkowitz huddles with Ge sher campers

2011: First Winter Break Family Camp

In Loving Memory of Andrew “Sunshine” Silvershein

2009: Nivo U Yom Yarok (Green Day) Our community was irrevocably changed during the summer of 2011 with the tragic loss of Gesher camper Andrew Silvershein z”l. In the weeks that followed, his memory, and the grace of his parents, Joel and Marci, were an inspiration. The 71 campers in his Gesher aidah dedicated their summer to him, adopting the motto “72 Strong” to signify he would forever be a part of each of their lives.

2008: Treehouse Dedication

Andrew’s nickname “Sunshine” reflected his constant smile and enthusiasm for Camp and life. In his honor, Camp Ramah Darom annually gives the “Sunshine Award” to a Gesher camper who most exemplifies Andrew’s spirit, individualism, creativity, love of music, sense of humor and concern for others. 17

2015-2019 In early 2015, Ramah Darom launched VISION2020. The goals of this campaign and new master plan included becoming a more inclusive community, increasing housing capacity for senior staff and guests and creating and expanding spaces to enhance programs. Ramah Darom’s Tikvah Support Program was inaugurated with the hiring of Dr. Audra Kaplan as its founding Director and the opening of the Meisler Cabin. Over the next few years, the boathouse, Gesher Mountaintop Pavilion, a new Gan, five cottages, a boardwalk, an outdoor patio with a wood-burning fireplace and restoration of the island in Ramah Darom’s lake were completed. In 2015, Ramah Darom purchased 18 additional acres from the original Camp Tumbling Waters, and in 2019, acquired the last remaining 45-acres of Tumbling Waters. In 2016, Eliana Leader joined Ramah Darom as Director of the renamed Kaplan Mitchell Retreat Center and under her leadership, retreats and rentals continued to grow.

Our Inclusive Camp Community

in Meisler Cab

Farm-2-Table Tu b’Shevat Retreat, Pardes Learning Retreat and Southern Schmooze, a new Shabbaton for small Jewish communities, were added to the year-round catalog. In November 2016, Ramah Darom faced near tragedy when forest fires threatened the campus. And in 2017, a total solar eclipse passed over Clayton, GA, giving reason to celebrate. In 2018, after almost 19 years at Ramah Darom, CEO Fred Levick retired. Wally Levitt joined as the new CEO to lead Ramah Darom into its next chapter, and worked with the Board to create a new Strategic Plan and new North Star.

Boathouse

cia Fred, his wife Mar anna Jo er ht ug da d an

2017: Island Restoration 20

2018: Celebrating Fred Levick

Emily Kaiman and Eliana Leader sing with Fred Levick

2018: Passover Retreat

2017: Farm-2-Table Retreat

2016: Winter Break Family Camp

2019: Pardes Learning Retreat

2018 Musical: Trolls

2019: LimmudFest

2016: Book It To Shabbat

2015: Camp Havdallah

Cottages

“Working at Ramah Darom never felt like work. When you’re doing something that comes from your heart you can never get enough of it. As the promotional material says, I made countless lifetime friends, got to learn from marvelous mentors, stretched myself and learned new skills. But most importantly, I got the soul-rewarding satisfaction of being part of a timeless tradition and cherished community, and the gratification of watching so many young people blossom into adulthood.” –Fred Levick

2015: TIKVAH SUPPORT PROGRAM The Henry and Annette Gibson Tikvah Support Program was established in 2015, thanks in part to inquiries from parents whose children were aging-out of Camp Yofi. Housed in the new Meisler Cabin, which allowed for smaller group spaces and sensory break areas, Tikvah-supported campers were integrated into age-appropriate aidot for Camp activities.

and campers Dr. Audra Kaplan abbat Sh r fo prepare

Tikvah support quickly expanded to include campers living in traditional camper cabins. Under the leadership of Dr. Audra Kaplan, the program grew from nine campers in its first summer to 73 in 2021, including campers with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, intellectual disabilities, communication disorders, ADHD and anxiety disorders. In 2018, Ramah Darom added a vocational education component for supported camper alumni wishing to return as staff. The Tikvah Support Program has enhanced the entire Camp community, enabling Ramah Darom to teach campers and staff what it means to live in a truly inclusive Jewish community.

2016: FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN On November 9, 2016, three wildfires broke out in Rabun County, including the Rock Mountain fire along Tallulah River Road, near Ramah Darom. Hearing that over 1,000 firefighters were coming to help, Ramah Darom offered to house and feed them. On November 14, Ramah Darom’s campus became base camp for over 300 firefighters from as far away as Utah, California and Hawaii. For 21 days, volunteers from local churches, Camp alumni and Board members joined year-round staff in preparing meals and caring for these special guests. The fire covered 48,000 acres at its peak and came within a half-mile of the campus. Flames were seen on the ridge behind the Welcome Center. Torahs and other sacred items were packed and ready to be evacuated.

On Thanksgiving, staff and volunteers decorated the Chadar Ochel and prepared a festive meal for the men and women who had left their families and homes to come to the aid of strangers. By December 5, the fire was 95% contained and the firefighters returned home. On January 12, Ramah Darom hosted an Evening of Gratitude, gathering together with local churches in the Levine Ramah Center to say a Shehecheyanu prayer. One of the firefighters, Denise Higbee, drove all the way back from Sundance, UT, to attend.

“This is a beautiful place and the people here are the most generous I have ever seen.” –Denise Higbee

2017: SOLAR ECLIPSE When Ramah Darom learned that Clayton, GA, was at the center of the path of totality for the August 21, 2017 eclipse—an event that happens once only every 375 years— it was cause for celebration. Four hundred adults and children came from across the U.S. and Canada to witness a total eclipse passing right over Ramah Darom’s mountain home. The weekend was filled with sunshine, astronomy-inspired programming and Jewish learning. On the day of the eclipse, everyone gathered on Ramah Darom’s Snyder Field to enjoy music, food, fun and games while they waited for the moon to cross the sun. When the sun disappeared and the sky went dark, all that could be heard was an eerie silence and a chorus of oohs and ahhs.

“I can’t stop thinking about what my grandfather would have said if I told him that I’m at a Jewish camp and retreat center, in the North Georgia mountains, attending a kosher shabbaton, with hundreds of Jewish people from all over North America, watching a solar eclipse right over our heads. It’s truly out of this world.” -Jed Rosenfeld

“It was too awe-inspiring to describe! From the anticipation and excitement, to the numbing silent darkness and the heating and cooling of the air. I’m grateful I could experience this once in a lifetime event with my family.” -Participant 24

MATZAH IN THE MOUNTAINS Murray Friedman, z”l, knew Ramah Darom would be a marvelous place to celebrate Passover. In his first term as Board President, he made it happen. Volunteers Henria King, Faye Landy and Gail Spielman planned a 2002 program that attracted 160 guests and staff from around the country. Word spread about the fabulous food, stimulating scholars, spirited services, stunning setting and ultimate family experience. Ramah Darom now welcomes over 400 guests to the annual Passover Retreat, with some original young attendees now returning with their own families. At the end of our seders we sing L’Shana Haba’ah B’Ramah Darom (Next Year at Ramah Darom).

“Ramah Darom epitomizes what I would like all Jewish life to be like, filled with faith and yet intellectually challenging, a commitment to Judaism’s ethics, the practice of rituals in a way that spreads a feeling of holiness and immensely kind.” -Rabbi Joseph Telushkin 29

ART AROUND OUR CAMPUS The art and history of the Jewish people is full of finely crafted ritual objects, handscribed texts and beautiful architecture. Thanks to countless campers and omanut (art) staff, Ramah Darom’s campus is filled with creations that beautify and “Ramahdify” our North Georgia mountain home. For 20 summers, as Camp Ramah Darom Rosh Omanut (Head of Art), Laurel “Dafna” Robinson helped design, plan, facilitate and supervise incredible Judaic art legacy projects that have become integral parts of our campus. Her guiding principle was Hiddur Mitzvah: the practice of making each mitzvah as beautiful as possible. Each summer Camp’s Nivo University art campers create a keepsake piece to continue to beautify our sacred space in the North Georgia mountains.

“Ramah Darom gives all of us in Omanut (Art) a great opportunity to teach, to learn and to create. A heartfelt Todah Rabah goes to all the campers and staff who worked together every summer to truly glorify Hiddur Mitzvah.” -Laurel “Dafna” Robinson

Tile Mosaic

2005: Tzedakah Box

Day and Night Etching

Omanut son with campers in Laurel “Dafna” Robin 30

2006: Yiriah with Ark

2013: Trope Benches

Bereshit Ark Interior

2010: Candlelighting Station

2002: Nivonim Arch

2008: Nivo U Tapestry 2007: Shoafim Yad

2015: Birkonim Cabinets

2004: Torah Table

2007: First Calendar Bench

SACRED SPACES What makes a space sacred? Is it a memory, a moment, a feeling or a connection? Some have called Ramah Darom’s entire campus sacred and others have a specific place or a space that speaks to them. Where do you like to sit, relax, reflect and take in our beautiful mountain home? What is your sacred space? Here are just a few locations where memories are made at Ramah Darom.

Margam (Lakeside Pavilion)

Mapal (Waterfall)

Outdoor Patio

Beit Am (Amphitheater)

Gan Randy

“I will always remember the musical tefillah my husband and I experienced at our first Passover Retreat. Now, just being in the Margam brings a sense of calm to my soul and fills my heart with happiness.” -Passover Attendee 32

Beit Knesset (Synagogue)

Lakeside Firepit

Treehouse

Boathouse Porch

Weiss Arch

Levine Ramah Center Porch

Agam (Lake) 33

2020: UNPRECEDENTED 2020 was marked by COVID-19. With our Passover Retreat scheduled to begin just a few short weeks after the start of the pandemic, Ramah Darom made the difficult decision to cancel the program. That was followed by the heart-wrenching decision to cancel summer camp. Although campers could not gather on our campus as they had done for the previous twenty-three summers, we were determined to give our community the chance to get together –albeit virtually. Our professional staff quickly pivoted and developed Kayitz Babayit (Summer at Home), a one-week virtual program for each session, Aleph and Bet. Over the course of two weeks, 435 campers, including 33 Tikvah supported campers, and 91 volunteer staff, gathered on Zoom for tefillot (prayers), peulot (activities), virtual aidah gatherings and a camp-wide Havdallah. As the 2020 Camp t-shirt said, “This summer at home; B’shanah Haba’ah b’Ramah Darom (Next Year at Ramah Darom).”

Starting in July, Ramah Darom gave families the opportunity to get away for a vacation during the height of the pandemic. Our series of Mishpachah B’Ramah getaways offered COVIDsafe, physically-distanced family activities on our rigorously sanitized campus. For many of the families—over 40% of whom were first-time visitors to Ramah Darom—it was the only time they had left their homes in months. The end of 2020 saw a change in Camp leadership. After 13 years as Camp Director, Geoff Menkowitz stepped down. In his honor, and in recognition of his many contributions, Ramah Darom announced plans to build the Menkowitz Bike Trail. In December, Anna Serviansky joined Ramah Darom as Camp Director & Head of Education. She is the first Director to have worked as a counselor and Rosh Aidah in the early years at Camp Ramah Darom.

2021: CELEBRATING 25 YEARS For Ramah Darom, 2021 will be remembered as RAMAHrkable: the year we celebrated our beloved organization’s 25th! We commemorated all that Ramah Darom has accomplished, reconnected with alumni and looked ahead to a bright future with excitement. Plans originally included numerous in-person gatherings that ultimately became virtual celebrations. The year began with “A RAMAHrkable Night,” where almost a thousand people joined on Zoom for Havdallah, memories, music, laughs and more. Highlights of the evening included an incredible “Legacy” video documenting the founding of Ramah Darom, and a “25 Years of Song” video mashup featuring Ramah Darom music staff from the first quarter-century. In June, Camp Ramah Darom and new Director Anna welcomed over 700 campers back to Clayton for a summer filled with fun and plenty of COVID protocols! In July, a special RAMAHrkable 25th Summer Celebration was broadcast from Camp, and with

the announcement of the Kadima! Campaign launch, an exciting new vision for the evolution of Ramah Darom’s future was unveiled. 2021 also saw the creation of CRDAA–the Camp Ramah Darom Alumni Association, for both camper and tzevet (staff) alumni. Thanks to the hard work of founding CRDAA committee members Gabe Altman, Hannah Dunkelberger, Jeff Hast, Josh Kirschner, Jennifer Spielman, Ayala Wasser and Shira Wasser, within weeks of the launch there were 350 members and the numbers continue to grow. During our year of celebrations, the milestone was marked at each in-person, COVID-cautious Ramah Darom retreat. A new Ramah Darom t-shirt wall was installed on the lower level of the Levine Ramah Center, featuring Camp t-shirts from our first twenty-five years. And we concluded the year by lighting up the Zoom room together on the 8th Night of Chanukah.

irt wall New t-sh

s elcomes viewer Susan Tecktiel w celebration on Zoom to the

rviansky and Anna Se ers Wally Levitt p Big Bo p celebrate with

STAFF THROUGH THE YEARS

BUILDING THE FUTURE In the months leading up to Ramah Darom’s milestone 25th year, our Board of Directors finalized a new Strategic Plan that included the following priorities:

• Dramatically expand our community and experiences • Commit to enhancing our Clayton campus • Ensure universal affordability Then, we developed a new master site plan that re-imagined our Clayton campus for the next decade and the Kadima! Campaign was launched.

The Kadima! Campaign is a comprehensive plan supporting leadership, accessibility, education and fun through capital projects, program initiatives and endowments.

Capital Projects & Program Initiatives 1. Program Center

Taking the place of the original dining hall, this multifunctional building will provide necessary indoor programming, recreational and meeting space for summer Camp staff and year-round guests. • Leadership Lounge • Fitness Center

• Coffee Bar • Games Center

2. Gesher Village

This new home for our oldest summer campers, built on the east side of our campus, in the mountain treetops, will include outdoor fun for everyone to enjoy.

• Three Cabins • Indoor Program Space • Zipline Circuit

• Bike Trail & Rock Climbing • Outdoor Classroom • Tent Platforms

3. Welcome Center Extension

This self-contained space will provide needed space for our growing Tikvah Vocational Program, offer opportunities to host smaller retreats and will be the home of a future year-round Jewish Leadership Program.

• ADA Housing • Dining Room • Kitchen 40

• Conference Room • Lounge • Breakout Spaces

LEGEND

existing buildings

NICHOLS N ICH HO HOUSE

ZIPLINE CIRCUIT

proposed buildings

TENT PLATFO A ATFO RMS PLATFORMS

OUTDOOR C LASS SSR ROO OOM M CLASSROOM

NAT A URAL ROCK AT NATURAL CLIMBING AREA

KITCHEN STAFF HOUSING MAINTENANCE AREA SOFTBALL & SOCCER TARGET SPORTS RESTROOMS

WELCOME CENTER

LEVINE CENTER

PROGRAM CENTER

MARCUS LODGE

DIRECTORS DUPLEX

AIDOT CREATIVE SPACES

LAKE

WATER SLIDE

COTTAGES CHICKEN COOPS

TENNIS COURTS

TEACHING KITCHEN

RESTROOMS

MOUNTAINSIDE HOTEL

BOULDERING WALL

OMANUT

FUTURE PLAY FIELDS CLIMBING WALL ALPINE TOWER

LAKESIDE CABINS

PROGRAM BUILDING

MOUNTAINSIDE CABINS NEW CABIN

ADDITION & PLAYGROUND NEW CABIN

ARCHERY

4. Wooded Activity Walkway • Water Slide • Canopy Walk

• Creative Spaces • Bouldering Wall

5. Lower Roads Refresh & More • Indoor Program Space • Two New Cabins

• Expanded Gan • Gan Playground

Endowments & Naming Opportunities Endowments provide a permanent flow of income, allowing us to expand our programs and keep them affordable. As part of the Kadima! Campaign, Ramah Darom is looking to grow current scholarship, program and campus endowments and create new endowments.

Current Ramah Darom Endowments Include: • The Andrew Silvershein Memorial Fund • The Fred Levick Campership Endowment Fund • The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Endowment Fund

• The Leon Levine Fund • The Mayer “Bubba” Mitchell Fund • The Michael Klein Memorial Music and Hiddur Mitzvah Endowment

• Summer Staff Programming • Tikvah Vocational Programming

• New Leadership Training Program • Wilderness & Adventure Program

Kadima! Endowment Opportunity Ideas:

• The Ramah Darom Retreat Programming Excellence Fund • The Weiss Family Scholarship Fund

• Mountain Biking Program

• Arts Programming and More

Kadima! Let’s GoRamah Darom!

For more information about the Kadima! Campaign and naming and endowment opportunities, visit:

ramahdarom.org/kadima

THANK YOU! Every Ramah Darom experience is made possible thanks to the collaborative efforts and hard work of our dedicated Board of Directors, our professional leadership and the entire Ramah Darom year-round team. Thank you to all our Ramah Darom Board of Directors Presidents: Eric Singer (1996 -1997) Ephraim Spielman (1997 - 2000) Murray Friedman z”l (2000 - 2004) Eugene Sacks (2004 - 2006)

Lori Kirschner (2006 - 2008) Julian Brook (2008 - 2010) David Krueger (2010 - 2012) Debra Michaud (2012 - 2014)

Sanford Herman (2014 – 2016) Howard Zandman (2016 - 2018) Benjamin Miller (2018 - 2020) Elise Lipoff Mayer (2020 - Present)

Thank you to all who have served on Ramah Darom’s Board of Directors and as community trustees through the years: Laura Abramson Mark Abramson Aaron Alexander Gabriel Altman Larry Appel Andi Arnovitz Marshall Baltuch Shelli Bank Carolyn Bass Janet Beck Jeffrey Becker Betty Behr Michael Benstock Mike Berkelhammer Diane Bernstein z”l Ted Blum Barbara Brande Julian Brook Didi Browdy Harvey Brown Fred Brownstein Patti Brownstein Andrea Caufield Burton Chasnov Angela Cohen Gerald Cohen z”l Joel Cohen Mark Cohen Elizabeth Davis Toby Director Sheldon Dorph Sam Dressler Ernest Drucker Sara Duke Caryn Dunn Carol Effrat Daniel Elozory Suzy Engelhard Lauren Estrin Linda Feld Noreen Field Scott Fisher Randy Fleisher

Bill Forster Ronnie Fox Sara Franco Larry Freiman Harold Friedman Janet Friedman Michael Friedman Murray Friedman z”l Gloria Frisch Michelle Gary z”l Horty Gendzier z”l Barbara Goldberg Toby Goldman Fran Gordon Scott Gordon Stacey Gorelick William Gorelick Melvin Gottlieb Jane Grann Alvin Greenberg z”l Bernard Gutterman z”l Miriam Halachmi z”l Mark Harris Wendy Heller Sanford Herman Kaenan Hertz Avi Holzel Bruce Horovitz Linda Hurst z”l Naom Ivker Barbara Kabatznik Natalie Kaiman Leonard Kaplan z”l Mark Kaplan Randall Kaplan Sally Kaplan Scott Kaplan Avraham Kapnek Janet Katz Lori Kirschner Orly Klein Barry Koffler Janet Kolodner

Evan Koplin Abraham Kravtin z”l Jimmy Krell David Krueger Betty Kupersmit-Ziman Arthur Kurtz Esther Labovitz z”l Jerald Labovitz Adam Landa Bradley Laye Lauren Lebovitz Allie Lerner Eric Lerner Harry Lerner Jerome Levin Sheldon Levin Sandy LeVine z”l Susan LeVine Elise Lipoff Mayer Daniel Lobovits David Lowenthal David Lubel Max Luber z”l Eric Ludin Judy Ludin Barbara Mayden Sharon Mayer J.B. Mazer z”l Benjamin Meisler Bert Meisler Carla Michalove Debra Michaud Ben Miller Alan Mintz Edward Miron Abraham Mitchell Arlene Mitchell Mayer Mitchell z”l Jeffery Morris Robin Morris Sandy Myers Alan Nussbaum Jason Ossey

Flora Oynick Sam Pincus z”l Martin Port Lisa Pote Dan Rabin Amy Rader Goldie Redisch z”l Irven Resnick Janice Rhodes Amy Ripps Barry Ripps Carl Rosenthal Sheila Rudd Chico Sabbah z”l Kathy Sachs Eugene Sacks Linda Sacks Ruthi Sacks Stephen Sacks Robert Salamon Arthur Salkin z”l Joan Samet Alvin Samuels Daniel Schaffzin William Schatten z”l Joseph Scheib Asher Schlusselberg Sidney Schlusselberg Michael Schneider Stanley Schwartz Rhea Schwartzberg Daniel Schwimmer z”l Maury Seldin Diane Sembler Henry Sender z”l Karen Sher Bill Sholk Norman Sholk z”l Laura Shulman Luis Silberwasser Steven Silva Barry Silverman Harry Silverman

Loraaine Silverman Carol Simon Eric Singer Andrea Slomka Howard Slomka Stacey Slomka Gary Snyder Celia Solomon Sheila Solomon David Solovey Ephraim Spielman Gail Spielman Hannah Spinrad Beverly Stahl Maxine Stein Barbara Steinberg Leonard Stern Louis Stern Jacklyn Stevens Alan Sussman Naftali Thomas Linda Tillinger Joyce Tritt Elissa Vessal Lynda Walker Paul Wallach Adam Waxman Karen Weil Justin Weininger Phyllis Weinstein z”l Harold Wishna Barbara Wiston Deborah Wiston Jay Wiston Paul Wolpe Judy Yudof Howard Zandman Shelley Zausmer Regina Zelonker Stephanie Zerden Mark Zimmerman Sanford Zimmerman Edward Zissman

Thank you to all our professional, seasonal, full-time and part-time staff who have given of their time and all who have joined us on this journey. Each one of you has helped us reach this moment. A special thank you to Fred Levick for his assistance in compiling this RAMAHrkable 25 year history. We apologize if we inadvertently misspelled any names or excluded information or photos in this yearbook. 44

‫ַרד ַהיֹום‬ ‫שֶ ׁמֶ ׁש דֹום‬ ‫ּכֹו ָכ ִבים נֹו ְצ ִצים ַבּמָ ּרֹום‬ ‫ַלי ְ ָלה ָ ּ‬ ‫בא ֵליל מְ נּוחָ ה‬ ‫שָ ׁלֹום‪...‬שָ ׁלֹום‬