Amy Skopp Cooper, National Ramah Director

Reflections on Kayitz 2023 - as of Monday, June 26, 2023

During the next nine weeks, I plan to visit each of our 10 overnight and 6 day camps and to spend time with our 281 Ramah Israel Seminar participants. I’m excited to do this for so many reasons.

Camp visits provide me with a rich nusach—an updated Ramah vocabulary which annually includes the names of new programs, educational initiatives, Jewish themes and values, staff limmud topics, original tefillah melodies, Israeli dances, and Jewish songs. This nusach is spread both organically and intentionally through our movement during the summer as well as in Ramah communities throughout the year!

Camp visits enable me to see capital projects and marvel at our expansive programmatic offerings. This summer, I look forward to seeing new and renovated sports fields, adventure courses, camper and staff housing units, solar panels, gardens, and composting sites. Some of these projects, originally slated for completion in 2020, are finally finished and being used this summer!

Camp visits give me time to reconnect with our 350 shlichim and see how they are acclimating. We last saw one another during our four-day orientation and training seminar at Kibbutz Shefayim. I hear about the connections they are making, and see what kinds of Israel programs they have launched.

Camp visits afford me the opportunity to meet with edot, offer divrei Torah, share stories, attend peulot erev, and listen to campers as they tell me about the Jewish lives at camp and year-round.

And finally, camp visits allow me to connect with and express gratitude to our 3,000 staff members: the crown jewels of our movement. These tzevet members, the finest educators and role models, work tirelessly to make Ramah happen. There is nothing more rewarding than listening to their ideas, encouraging them as they contemplate their own Jewish journeys, providing them with opportunities for year-round community on campus and in major cities, and inviting them to participate in our leadership programs.

Of course, the Ramah directorate makes all of this happen. It is a privilege to work with the most extraordinary cohort of professionals in the industry.

I’ll be using this space to update you as I crisscross North America and then head to Israel. And while I know you will never be able to enjoy the journey as much as I will, I hope these snippets provide a window into what makes Ramah….Ramah.

Easing Into Summer

Ramah Israel Seminar has begun, and all of our North American camps are now operational. Our northeast camps are finishing their staff weeks and welcoming campers, while Darom, Wisconsin, Rockies, California (Ojai), Chicagoland, and Northern California (Galim)/Ramah Sports Academy are in the midst of first session.

I’ve returned home to Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, where I spent most of last summer, and to Ramah Day Camp in Nyack, my summer community of 20 years. Ramah Berkshires has welcomed a stellar leadership team and it is wonderful to see Rabbi Eytan Kenter, the new director, and Susie Charendoff, the interim director, getting to know staff and bring their own enthusiasm and vision to the community. Thanks to months of extraordinary preparation, the Berkshires camp farm is now fully operational and during the course of the summer will be used for farm-to-table meals, performances, and harvest celebrations. New to camp are two puppies currently named Taylor and Swift (but only until the youngest campers rename them). Taylor and Swift could not be happier and are the beneficiaries of constant love and attention, which I know they will bring to campers. Yesterday I had the opportunity to teach the entire tzevet about Kavod Ha’Briot, our commitment to the sanctity and safety of each camper and staff member.

I visited Nyack as the staff was beginning their first Zimriyah rehearsal; the excitement was palpable, as is the anticipation for this favorite camp event. I’ll be returning to Nyack in a few weeks to see the Zimriyah, participate in programs held in ParkMada (the new interactive indoor/outdoor STEM center), and celebrate the 10th anniversary of Sha’ar, our Hebrew immersion program that originated at Nyack and is now held at all of our North American day camps.

I look forward to sharing more updates with you soon. Wishing everyone a safe, meaningful, and inspirational summer!