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From Jacob Cytryn, Director Some of us, members of the Ramah community – Ramahniks – get our Ramah identity from parents, grandparents, or siblings long before we ever step off a bus onto the packed dirt of the parking lot, feel the Kikar’s grass beneath our feet, learn what it means to “meltz,” and feel the vibrations of the entire camp singing the Himnon in our hearts and souls. Others learn what it means to be Ramahniks organically, by living through these experiences and many others, coming up through the system, dreaming about and then realizing what it means to be Nivonim. Yet without a third category of Ramahniks, we could never accomplish what we do every year - those who become Ramahniks as adults. These parents and grandparents of campers, spouses and friends of lifelong Ramahniks, financial supporters and donators of time and energy, lay leaders par excellence often begin their journeys hesitantly, attempting to assess and evaluate what this place is all about. On the recruiting trail, we meet first-time parents nudged to consider sending a child to Ramah Wisconsin for the first time. They are often motivated by their own life choices and vision for their children; for the deep and enduring quality of the work we do and the brand we have built; relying on the advice and opinion of a Rabbi or educator, lay ambassador or friend, spouse or sibling. They ask questions of curiosity and, occasionally, bafflement: Daily minyan is going to be enjoyable for my eleven-year-old ball of energy? Jewish Studies and Hebrew lessons during the summer? A Broadway musical, you say, in Hebrew? Most often, those initial questions transform radically by the time the next year comes around, if not years down the road when the zeal of the converted has truly taken root in our new Ramahniks. After a first summer the questions change dramatically: We have just received our first Bat Mitzvah invitation from a camp friend – how many times should we plan on sending him to in Kansas City, Omaha, and the Twin Cities? How can I help support the growth and independence my daughter showed when she returned from camp – and can I replicate it? And, most powerfully: How do you do it? This fall, energized by a record enrollment pace and wonderful excitement generated by another successful summer, we ask for your help in allowing us to continue to build on our impact. That help can come in a variety of ways, but none is more powerful than exposing one more child, one more family, to Ramah to pass through the process of becoming Ramahniks. To help you do so, we share here some gems from a project that emerged from our Nivonim counselors this summer. They communicated with the parents of their campers asking them the million dollar question: “What do you hope your children have learned from their time here [at Ramah], what values have they internalized, and how have they grown?” We received dozens of wonderful responses, many of which were woven into a moving letter read to the Nivonim campers during
Nivonim 2014 on their way to Friday night services by the lake
their last Shabbat at camp. These responses, for which we only have room for a scant few, captures, in a nutshell, the powerful impact camp has not only on our campers but on their parents, and should serve as inspiration for current Ramahniks and as a powerful tool in helping grow that community. You have made great friendships with Jewish kids … you have learned so much about Israel, Jewish values, Hebrew, friendship, compassion for those less fortunate in addition to self confidence and taking on leadership roles. You have come away with a Jewish soul. For us, Ramah means learning how to be a good Jew …. Ramah has given all this to you so you can be an active participant in the course of Jewish history. That’s a big deal. Camp … is mainly an emotional experience. The lasting imprint it leaves on you is one of Belonging. … [C]amp creates an environment where our kids belong, regardless of their varying personalities, families and life experience. It has been a great joy to watch you grow into a caring, passionate young individual. We feel that who you are and who you are becoming has been heavily influenced by your experiences at Ramah. The camaraderie, inclusion, and friendship that you’ve lived with at Ramah has helped you build the self-confidence that has enabled you to navigate life’s trials, aggravations, sorrows and joys and will continue to do so.
Stay in touch with Camp Ramah via our blog and youtube channel at www.ramahwisconsin.com. To receive our weekly e-newsletter, HaMirpeset Shelanu, send an email to arosen@ramahwisconsin.com.