HERE FOR CHESED HINENI
The goal of a Ramaz education is to educate a student who, when he or she hears the Divine voice ask, in the words of Isaiah, Chapter 6, “Whom Shall I send and who will go for Me?,” will answer, as Isaiah did: “Here I am; send me!”
It is our hope that a Ramaz alumnus/a will always answer the call of responsibility for the Jewish people and the world.
Rabbi Haskel Lookstein '49
Principal Emeritus
A note from Rabbi Frank
Rabbi Samlai teaches in Masechet Sotah that the Torah begins with an act of chesed and ends with an act of chesed. In
Breishit, God clothes Adam and Chava and in Devarim, God buries Moshe in his final resting place. These bookends root the entire Torah narrative in acts of kindness, and encourage all of us to be aware of the chesed permeating throughout.
The Ramaz Upper School journey also begins with chesed and ends with chesed, rooting a student’s entire experience in compassion, empathy, and service. On the first day of Orientation, our freshmen bring in extra school supplies and pack backpacks together for those in need. And on one of the last days of school before graduation, our seniors participate in the Daniella Moffson z”l Day of Service, where they work together one last time to make improvements to Camp Simcha before its summer opening.
The opportunities for volunteerism are everywhere at Ramaz. While students must complete a required number of community service hours a semester– most students surpass it before even realizing. Chesed is integrated into every schoolwide celebration, from Sukkot lulav and etrog fundraisers, to inclusive Chanukah parties with Yachad, to mishloach manot deliveries for the elderly in our community.
Students also have the opportunity to travel around the US and even abroad for immersive chesed opportunities and disaster relief missions.
In this booklet, you can read about student volunteering in Israel, Guatemala, Florida, California, and North Carolina. Wherever help is needed, our Ramaz students are there to make a difference.
I am also so proud of the Ramaz student social entrepreneurs who have founded clubs, non-profits, and initiatives that fill the gaps in care for our larger Jewish and New York communities. They have taken the technical and leadership skills that they’ve learned in the classroom and applied them to the values that are so core to our mission.
Nothing we teach at Ramaz matters unless our students realize the responsibility they have towards Am Yisrael and the world at large. Every day, our students demonstrate to us that they fully understand and embody these ideals.
This booklet gives just a taste of the Ramaz chesed experience that follows the journey from Breishit (freshman orientation) to Devarim (senior graduation).
Our students' connection to chesed continues into their daily lives as adults as well-way beyond the halls and walls of 78th St.
I am truly inspired by their work–I know you will be as well.
B’vracha, Rabbi Aaron Frank, Upper School Principal
RAMS RISE TOGETHER
No Upper School celebration is complete without chesed.
Upper Schoolers Prove "Real Rams Wear Pink" and Raise Funds and Awareness to Fight Breast Cancer
The Upper School turned pink on its annual Pink Day, raising awareness and funds for the organization Sharsheret through a student-run booth of treats and merch. Every dollar supported Jews impacted by breast and ovarian cancer, proof that chesed looks great in pink.
Upper Schoolers Celebrate Chanukah with Visitors from Yachad
Juniors and seniors lit up Ramaz as they celebrated Chanukah with guests from Yachad, an organization supporting Jews with developmental disabilities. With games, sufganiyot, and a sensory-friendly “silent disco,” they created an afternoon of fun and connection that warmed everyone’s hearts in the cold season.
Upper Schoolers Celebrate Purim with a Carnival, Costume Contest, and Chesed Purim at the Upper School was a day of chesed in full costume. Students packed 150 mishloach manot and delivered them to 50 homebound seniors across the city, brought mishloach manot and cheer to the KJ Lunch & Learn, and hosted a Purim party–complete with manicures–at a local senior center through the Glamour Girls volunteer club.
Ramaz Community Rallies for the NY Blood Center
The gym became a pop-up blood bank as students, faculty, and staff rolled up their sleeves to donate to the Upper School
Ramaz brings chesed to you and opens you up to new chesed opportunities both inside of school and out.
- Olivia R. �28 “ ”
Blood Drive in partnership with the NY Blood Center. Everyone felt inspired by how easy it was to give such life-saving donations, all during a regular day at school.
Sophomores Spend a Day with Friendship Circle Buddies at LifeTown
Sophomores teamed up with Friendship Circle to befriend Jewish children with developmental disabilities at the educational playcenter LifeTown. Together, they participated in activities including challah baking, a drum circle, and a jungle gym, then explored a simulated town to practice real-life skills like pretending to be doctors, shopping for groceries, gardening, and more.
Upper Schoolers Cheer IDF Veterans with a Dance Party and Soccer Game
Upper Schoolers greeted IDF veterans from the therapy organization Peace of Mind with singing, dancing, and nonstop ruach, capped off with an epic students vs. veterans soccer match in the gym. It was a night full of energy, unity, and gratitude as students gave back to the giborim who’ve given so much to Am Yisrael.
Current and Former Upper Schoolers Sort Donations for Israel
Chesed for Israel spans generations at Ramaz. Freshmen sorted 475 Purim costumes for families affected by October 7, while alumni in Israel helped the non-profit Kedma pack donations for miluim families.
Class of 2029 Begins their Upper School Journey with Games, Reflection, and Chesed
At Orientation, the Class of 2029 kicked off their Upper School journey by packing 110 backpacks of school supplies for displaced children in Israel. This special activity was organized by Kedma, which is run by alum Orit Barnes Seif ‘97!
Seniors Have a Day of Chesed on the LES
Seniors spent September 11 serving the NYC community at Bialystoker Synagogue’s senior citizens center. They served Ramaz-sponsored lunch, chatted and bonded with residents, and even performed live music, including old favorites like “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” by the Beatles.
Students Pack 300 New Boots for Chayalim
Sophomores and seniors literally stood with Israel when they packed 300 new boots for the IDF. Partnering with Boots for Israel, they zipped and tied, wrote heartfelt notes, and even presented a pair of boots to a visiting chayal on his way back to the front lines.
Juniors Assemble Shabbat Boxes for
Patients at Lenox Hill and Mount Sinai Besamim, kiddush cups, and Teddy bears–oh my! Ramaz juniors teamed up with Chesed 24/7 to pack Shabbat kits for patients at Lenox Hill and Mount Sinai hospitals, complete with handwritten notes and student-made Teddy bears (tiny kippot included).
Freshmen Go Apple Picking for Chesed
Freshmen combined a classic Northeast tradition with chesed when they went apple picking at Alstede Farm. They gathered hundreds of apples and donated all of it to Jewish
Family Service and Sephardic Bikur Holim for Rosh HaShanah.
Student Volunteers Phone Bank to Register Ramaz Families to Vote
20 juniors and seniors volunteered for a day of phone banking: they called over 300 Ramaz families to help them register and request mail-in ballots for the upcoming NYC mayoral election. Ramaz students are getting out the vote and making their community’s voices heard.
A Student Helps Launch a New RamazHabitat for Humanity Initiative in NYC
Inspired by Ramaz’s Hurricane Relief Mission in Asheville, Joseph K. ’26 took initiative and organized a chesed program in our backyard. He launched a year-long partnership between Ramaz and the Fuller Center for Housing, the founders of Habitat for Humanity. To kick it off, senior volunteers headed to Yonkers to restore the home of a wounded veteran and build memorial benches for local parks.
My brother and I organized the clothing drive at Ramaz for families impacted by the LA wildfires and it showed me how powerful our community can be when we come together.
IMPACT WITHOUT BORDERS
Our chesed work isn’t limited to NYC. Ramaz students travel across the country and overseas for chesed and relief missions.
- Harry H. ’27
Four Ramaz Students Run the Jerusalem Marathon for Shalva
Ramaz was full of pride when Serena A. ’27, Elianna G. ’27, Eleanor G. ’27, and Ayla K. ’27 traveled to Israel to run in the Jerusalem Marathon to support Shalva, an organization helping Israelis with disabilities. Elianna’s inspiring reflection letter captured the meaning behind every mile, sharing that “hearing people cheer ‘Go Shalva!’ reminded me I was running for something much bigger than myself.”
Students Engage in Chesed and Practice Spanish in Guatemala
Advanced Spanish students took their learning beyond the classroom on a meaningful trip to Guatemala, using their language skills as they painted the walls of a medical center, cleaned beaches with local schoolchildren, and cooked kosher Mayan cuisine. From connecting with the local Jewish community to learning about environmental sustainability while exploring coffee and cocoa plantations, they proudly represented their dedication to the call of “Hineni ” everywhere they traveled.
US Students Travel to Asheville, NC To Provide Hurricane Relief
When a community is in need, Ramaz students step up to make a difference. Upper Schoolers journeyed to Asheville, NC to partner with Nechama Jewish Response to Disaster, demolishing and rebuilding homes ravaged by Hurricane Helene. They saw the direct impact of their hard work when they met individuals whose homes they were rebuilding, and when they found a woman’s pie recipe that survived the flood, they were inspired to bake and sell pies back at school to raise more funds for Asheville.
Upper School Volunteers Travel to Florida for a Chesed Mission
Upper School volunteers traveled to Fort Myers, FL with OU Relief Missions to rebuild after Hurricane Helene, performing chesed with their hearts and hands as they demolished ruined homes and installed drywall in new ones. While in the neighborhood, they visited children with the orphanage One More Child and bonded over dinner and games with a foster family.
Students Visit Peru for Cultural Immersion, Sightseeing, and Chesed
Students took an incredible trip to Peru over the summer, where they painted a children’s center and library, and visited families with the organization Peruvian Hearts. Peruvian Hearts helps young women attend school and build careers to break the cycle of poverty: Ramaz students not only visited their homes and heard about their lives firsthand, but supported them by purchasing handmade accessories crafted by the women’s mothers.
Students Travel to Savannah, GA to Clean Up After Hurricane Helene
Volunteers teamed up with OU Relief Missions and Inspiritus to help victims of Hurricane Helene in Savannah, GA. Using real tools, cutting down trees, carrying furniture, and more, they worked to restore the homes of two individuals who had never met a Jew before. The impact went beyond the physical: an Inspiritus partner said that after working with our students,
he feels a personal responsibility to stand up against antisemitism and spread the word that Jews are good people.
Upper Schoolers and Alumni Team Up for an Impactful Mission to Israel
Upper Schoolers went on a mission to Israel and joined forces with gapyear alumni! Together, they built a pergola at an IDF base, packed hydration bottles and snacks for chayalim, held a barbecue for the IDF, and even planted trees in memory of fallen soldiers with the family of a young man murdered on October 7. They explored chesed from countless angles and made deep connections with Israelis: touring the national medical center Magen David Adom, participating in a wheelchair basketball game to better understand disability, and bonding with a family of October 7 survivors over food at the father’s hummus restaurant.
COMPETING WITH COMPASSION
Ramaz athletes make a difference on and off the court.
Ramaz Hosts the First-Ever Yeshivah League Soccer Tournament to Support the Ariel Center (and Wins)
Ramaz made history by hosting the first-ever Yeshiva League Soccer Tournament, uniting six schools for an epic day of action, sportsmanship, and charity. Ramaz won the championship, but the biggest victory was raising funds and awareness for the Ariel Center in Israel, helping chayalim and civilians recover from psychological trauma through sports therapy.
Girls Varsity Volleyball Delivers Care Packages to LA Families and Firefighters
While in LA for the YULA Tournament, the Girls Varsity volleyball team “served” up something extra: they delivered Shabbat packages to people whose homes had burned down in the devastating wildfires, and brought food and thank-you cards to local firefighters. Their acts of chesed were met with gratitude, including a full firehouse tour.
“At Ramaz, chesed is a passion deeply woven into the fabric of the community.”
- Nathan P. ’26
CHESED BEYOND THE BELL
Ramaz Upper School students take initiative to build impactful, student-led, and faculty-supported chesed extracurricular programs.
Philanthropy Club
The Ramaz Philanthropy Club meets monthly to learn from guest speakers who are leaders in the world of Jewish philanthropy. They learn how to set priorities for their philanthropy and give to trusted, impactful organizations.
Fresh Opportunities
The Fresh Opportunities club brought chesed to the party by packing leftover food during this Purim’s “Esther’s Ball,” pushing Ramaz past 7,000 total meals donated to community fridges.
Founded by Maya P. ’25, the entire organization has packed over 10,400 meals citywide, mentored schools to implement food recovery projects, partnered with programs to provide those facing food insecurity with long-term support, and received national recognition. Fresh Opportunities meets weekly to package leftover school lunch and deliver them to community fridges and people facing food insecurity around NYC.
Glamour Gals
Glamour Gals visits assisted living homes monthly to give makeovers and bring joy to senior citizens.
Bridging Ages with Music
Morris C. ’26 spearheaded creating a new monthly program that brings NYC high-school musicians to the senior-living facility Inspīr. Bridging the gap of generations, participants engage in special performances and interactive music activities, creating shared moments of joy and discovery for all ages.
Starting Bridging Ages with Music has been one of the most meaningful parts of my time at Ramaz. It’s been so amazing to see how music can spark joy and connection, especially between students and seniors who might otherwise never cross paths.
- Morris C. ’26:
RAMping Up CHESED
Seniors focus on leadership and service with dedicated RAMCorps chesed days built into their calendar.
Seniors Immerse Themselves in Sephardic Chesed and Culture
Seniors spent a day learning about Sephardic culture and ways to help the Sephardic community. They spoke firsthand with a representative from the Sephardic Bikur Holim (SBH) organization, then decorated and packed Tu B’Shevat packages that SBH sent to widows and the elderly.
RAMcorps Seniors Partner with Jewish Organizations for Leadership and Chesed
Seniors spent a full week dedicated to leadership and chesed with RAMcorps, digging deep and giving back. First, they learned about the environment and sustainability while tending a GrowTorah garden alongside Ramaz alumni, before helping Yad Leah pack truckloads of clothing for Israeli families in need.
Seniors Honor a Life of Chesed During the Daniella Moffson z”l Day of Service
The senior class wrapped up their time at Ramaz with the Daniella Moffson z”l Day of Service, honoring a beloved alumna through hands-on chesed at Camp Simcha. From planting flowers to packaging gifts to prepping cabins, and hearing Daniella’s inspiring story from her father, it was the perfect way to say goodbye to their high school careers and remember the values they will carry with them the rest of their lives.
“I’ve come to truly love chesed, and Ramaz has helped shape that passion. I know that wherever I go after Ramaz, this value will stay with me and continue to guide me.”
-George M. ’26
