The mission of Ramah in the Rockies is to nurture the character development of Jewish youth by providing them the opportunity to challenge themselves physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually.
VALUES
SIMCHA
החמש
Our campers and staff experience authentic joyful Judaism every day through friendship, teamwork, and learning and through the simcha (joy) of being part of a vibrant Jewish community.
PERSONal GROWTH
תישיא החימצ
We believe in “Challenge by Choice,” and give our campers the opportunity and encouragement to challenge themselves physically, intellectually, socially, emotionally, and spiritually.
CONNECTION
םירשק
We seek to strengthen our relationship with God, create an enduring love of the State of Israel and the broader Jewish people, and become worthy caretakers of the natural world around us.
KAVOD
דובכ
We cultivate a culture of self-respect, inclusion, and acceptance. Our staff and campers learn that we can only function as a true community when we show kavod to others, to the environment, and to ourselves.
TExecutive Director a note from rabbi eliav bock
here is nothing quite like that first morning back on the ranch — stepping outside to the crisp mountain air, taking in the sweet smell of pine trees, and feeling the promise of a new season. After months of planning and preparing, that moment is a reminder that we’ve made it: another summer at Ramah in the Rockies has begun.
We are marking our fifteenth summer welcoming chalutzim (campers) to our ranch. Ramah in the Rockies began with an audacious vision: to build a Jewish community rooted in joy, adventure, and a connection to the natural world. What began as a dream has become a vibrant reality — thanks to you.
In an uncertain world, we remain a place of stability, belonging, and growth. Our Israeli tzevet (staff) — many still carrying the weight of conflict from their army service — have shared how profoundly healing it is to be embraced by a caring Jewish community across the ocean. And our American tzevet and chalutzim form lifelong bonds with each other, with nature, and with Jewish tradition. At Ramah, young people build a sense of identity that will sustain them for life.
None of this would be possible without you.
As we look to the future, we’re filled with excitement and ambition. With your help, we’re planning to increase camper capacity, enhance our physical spaces, and ensure long-term financial health through building our endowment, which will make camp accessible to even more campers and staff. As we begin the 2025 season, I am filled with gratitude — for your trust, your generosity, and your belief in this sacred work. Thank you for being part of the Ramah in the Rockies family.
SUmmERS of changing lives
2,600+ unique campers have come through our gates
1,100+ individuals have been part of our staff program
2010
Camp opens our doors, welcoming 120 campers and 25 staff, introducing programs like wilderness survival, mountain biking, and rock climbing.
2012
Dining moved under a new tent on the dining deck to seat 300 people. Camp expands to welcome rising 3rd and 4th graders.
Second bathhouse completed and additional camper tents are added. $1.6 million+ awarded in camper scholarships
Each summer, we create educational posters and stickers to help tzevet be more effective and deliberate Jewish educators. Our 2025 poster is pictured above.
2014
Beit Kesher opens with housing for staff and guests upstairs and a new staff lounge below.
2016
2017
A middle-of-the-night electrical fire destroys key facilities including the kitchen, dining hall, and administrative offices. Campers and staff safely evacuate and finish the summer at the JCC Ranch Camp.
15 Summers of Living Our Values
From the very beginning, sustainability has shaped both our infrastructure and our daily rhythms. We installed solar water heaters on our first shower house, built bathhouses to function without electricity during the day, and designed buildings with translucent roofs to make the most of natural light. Since our first summer — and continuing today — our kitchen has reflected these values with a mostly vegetarian menu, serving meat only once a week.
At Ramah, sustainability isn’t just a practice—it’s a core Jewish value we model and teach to every camper and staff member.
Our ongoing commitment includes:
• A solar-powered geothermal heat pump now heating and cooling our wellness center
• 168 solar panels currently installed, with 56,000 watts of capacity across all year-round buildings
• 68 additional panels, adding 30,000 watts of capacity, to be installed this year
Donors have given over $3 million for waste water and clean water infrastructure projects. While not glamorous, without these investments we wouldn’t be able to function in an environmentally responsible way.
2018
Camp reopens in temporary facilities and our first permanent covered program space: Beit Hayetzeira, the arts-and-crafts pavilion.
2020
Camp season is cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While virtual camp offered opportunities to connect, it was not the same.
2021
Camp reopens with a new dining hall, new staff lounge, and new wellness center
OVER
60% of our electricity comes from solar energy created on site
This is equivalent to the carbon sequestered annually by 10 acres of mature trees.
NEXT UP:
Creating additional educational content about our energy use and solar production
2023
Expansion of farm program with additional animals and mountain biking program with new trails
2025
Celebrating our 15th season, camp empowers Jewish youth through nature-based experiences that inspire growth, confidence, and a sense of belonging to the greater Jewish community.
Your investment supports a community where everyone is transformed
Thanks to your support, over 100 college-age staff members are now immersed in a powerful Jewish summer experience — one that develops their values, shapes them as leaders, and strengthens the Jewish future.
Our tzevet are not only key drivers of this mission, they are also growing right alongside the chalutzim they guide.
Over the past five seasons we have invested heavily in our commitment to staff by:
• Increasing the number of seasonal staff by 31% to further the breadth of our impact
• Raising overall seasonal staff salaries by 75% to reflect the value of their work
• Offering flexible employment opportunities, from one month to full summer
• Prioritizing wellness by opening a new staff lounge: a space to connect, decompress, and recharge
All Jews are connected to each other
In 2025, we will bring 40 Israeli shlichim (emissaries) to camp — more than double the number from pre-pandemic times
Develop an enduring love for the State, people, and Land of Israel
Appreciate the complexities involved in living in a Jewish and democratic State
Create relationships and memories that last a lifetime
CONNECTIONS
Deepen one’s own Jewish identity
Understand the richness and diversity of diaspora Jewry
Exchange differing perspectives
Learn and practice
Experience an open and joyous form of observance
“Camp was a bright spot for me during a difficult time. It gave me a sense of calm and a break from the reality of the war, but also a place to feel that I was doing something meaningful for Israel, even from far away. More than anything, it gave me hope to see and feel the love, unity, and support of a community that truly cares, and it reminded me that I’m not alone.” REUT, 2024 & 2025 MISHLACHAT
2025 By the Numbers
campers served 460+ staff working at camp 170+
2025 operating budget
campers returning for at least five years 84 first-time campers to Jewish camp 70 expenses
$2,682,434
US campers will come from 33 states
Campers and staff will spend 3,800+ nights sleeping in tents on masa’ot (excursions)
40 shlichim (Israeli emissaries) joining our community
● Annual fundraising needed to run camp: $574,746 (includes scholarship dollars, routine maintenance and annual capital expenses)
THAnk YOU
Camper tuition covers only 75% of operating expenses
We rely on your gifts of all sizes to sustain the magic of camp for years to come. We especially want to celebrate the new gifts received over the past 12 months. Your ongoing support and investment in our community enables us to continually impact the lives of 600+ Jewish youth each summer!
Program & general operating gifts received over the past 12 months
April 1, 2024 – April 1, 2025
364 UNIQUE DONORS
$100,000+ 3 donorS = $432,575
$36,000+ 2 donors = $101,100
$10,000+ 18 donors = $248,454
$1,000+ 90 donors = $236,119
$1+ 249 donors = $58,628 TOTAL = $1,076,876
In addition, we are grateful to major donors who have funded the majority of our pond.
Pond Fundraising
$890,000 pledged ($526,000 collected as of April 2025)
Our financial goals over the next 18 months
Immediate: by the close of 2025
Retention pond
Water is a precious resource in Colorado. We’re constructing a retention pond to help us conserve and responsibly release water back into the stream during times of drought. Without this project, we risk losing critical water rights — which would jeopardize our ability to expand programming in the future.
$285,000 remaining of $1.175 million needed
Historic building rehabilitation
We need to restore the original 1880s homestead house and preserve two Girl Scout pavilions, honoring their legacy and ensuring they endure the next 50+ years of camp use.
$85,000 needed
scholarships
We remain committed to making camp accessible to all families. These funds ensure that no camper is turned away due to financial need.
$140,000 needed annually
Camper/staff tents
We plan to build two new camper tents in 2026 and two more in 2027. Once complete, these will allow us to welcome 50 additional campers and staff each summer.
$160,000 needed
($40,000 to name a tent)
We hope our community of passionate donors will continue to support our mission through:
Near Term: By the close of 2026
Senior Staff Housing
To attract and retain senior staff, we hope to create four additional living spaces that also can be used for shoulder-season retreats. These tiny homes will be connected to our year-round electric and sewer systems. By the 2026 season, we hope to have completed Phase I of this project as proof of concept for future expansion.
$200,000 needed
Concrete flooring for program spaces
Our pavilion tents are beloved, but their dirt floors become challenging in rain and uncomfortable for seated programming. We aim to install concrete floors to make these key spaces more functional and weather-resilient.
$172,000 total needed:
• Beit Midrash: $72,000
• Ohel Mo’ed: $100,000
Israeli staff hiring
Our shlichim create meaningful connections to Israel for our camp community. We are committed to sustaining this vital presence and are seeking partners who will help invest in their continued impact.
$100,000 needed
Long Term
Eliminate Camp Debt
Paying off our mortgage would free up substantial funds annually to invest directly in scholarships and program expansion.
$3.5 million needed
Soundproofing the Dining Hall
While our dining hall is beautiful, its acoustics make it uncomfortably loud. To create a more enjoyable and accessible dining experience, we need to work with a sound engineer and install professional-grade sound-dampening systems.
$150,000 needed
name our ranch
Seed an endowment fund that will provide enough investment interest in perpetuity to underwrite scholarships for all eligible campers and support our mishlachat program that brings Israeli staff to camp.
$7 million needed
We’re so thankful for the way you’ve enhanced our daughter’s connection to Judaism and Israel. It’s not just the fun activities she remembers, but the meaningful lessons and deeper understanding of her heritage. We couldn’t have asked for a better environment for her to grow, learn, and strengthen her identity
– SARA, CAMP PARENT
We are blown away by what we are hearing about his experience this summer. Wow. This experiment you have created has yielded unbelievable results. The combination of fun, thoughtful, hard-core outdoorsy, and meaningful Jewish values all wrapped up into one — it really is a kehilla kedosha.
– ERICA, CAMP PARENT
Camp truly helped me grow into the person I am today. There, I fell in love with nature, Hashem, Torah and teaching. Without it I wouldn’t be on the path I am today.
– YAAKOV, 2022-2024 TZEVET, CURRENT DAY SCHOOL TEACHER
