A Bright Future for Ramah
by Rabbi Mitchell Cohen, National Ramah Director and Amy Skopp Cooper, Incoming National Ramah Director
Dear Friends of Ramah,
As 2021 comes to an end, we reflect on what has been one of the most difficult two-year periods in the 75-year history of Ramah.
From the excruciating decision-making in spring 2020 about whether or not we should open camp, to the implications of a complete summer shut-down;
From the challenges of creating—almost overnight—a robust virtual camp program in 2020, to the financial bailout to avoid staggering losses;
From an ever-changing landscape of Covid testing and safety protocols in spring 2021; to the incredibly heavy burden of keeping our children and staff safe during the summer.
These last two years have truly tested the strength of our camp leadership teams, as well as community support for Ramah. And in both cases, we could not be prouder.
Ramah today is strong; our camps and Israel programs continue to innovate, and our movement continues to grow. In 2022, a new Ramah day camp pilot project will be initiated in Boston, a new junior overnight feeder camp for Ramah Canada will open near Cleveland, and a new Tikvah program will support greater inclusion at Ramah Berkshires. And in 2023, Ramah in California will open a new day camp in Los Angeles. All this, in addition to numerous programmatic initiatives, and talented new year-round professionals hired by our camps.
When our camps faced existential challenges, parents, community members, and alumni from across our movement, along with national foundations, stepped up with over $25 million in much-needed financial support.
And when faced with the threat of another potential closure last summer, our medical leaders created protocols which allowed all Ramah camps to open, resulting in fewer than 20 cases of Covid out of a population of 10,000. This impressive accomplishment was the subject of a report published by the CDC; we take enormous pride in this manifestation of Ramah’s decades-long commitment to child safety as our top priority.
Enrollment for next summer is robust across our camps. Some are already full and waitlisting; others are at or ahead of recent years’ pace.
It is clear that Ramah’s brand of joyous Jewish living is more critical than ever for the future of our Jewish communities. It is equally clear that our camps’ professional and lay leadership are very much up to the task that we faced—and continue to face—from this pandemic.
During these final days of 2021, we look back with great pride on the recent accomplishments of Ramah, and we pray for a healthier world in the coming months. We will continue to prepare to meet the challenge of opening our camps and Israel programs safely, with inspiring staff role models and enhanced camper programs that will be filled with joyful Judaism.
The future of Ramah looks bright, and we are grateful for your ongoing support!
Mitch and Amy
Rabbi Mitchell Cohen, Director
Amy Skopp Cooper, Incoming Director
National Ramah Commission, Inc. of The Jewish Theological Seminary