Journeys

Amy Skopp Cooper, National Ramah Director

Reflections on Kayitz 2023 - as of Monday, July 17, 2023

While my journeys this past week have not numbered 42 (B’nei Yisrael’s encampments during their 40-year span in the desert), my four encampments have allowed me to appreciate and celebrate what differentiates each of our camps. I’ve had the privilege of visiting Ramah in the Rockies, the Ramah Philadelphia Day Camp, Ramah Day Camp in Nyack, and Camp Ramah in Wisconsin during the past 10 days.

Ramah in the Rockies chalutzim (campers) on a masa

My time at Ramah in the Rockies was truly inspiring. Nestled in the majestic mountains, this camp community frames every experience with Jewish values of gratitude, awe, and yachasim bein adam l’chavero (relationships between people), and empowers everyone to be a guardian of the land. During a limmud session I was leading on Shabbat afternoon, I asked teens to share their Ramah stories with me. The session lasted well over an hour as participants spoke about the tremendous impact this community has had on their Jewish lives and the confidence it has instilled in them. The chalutzim (campers) had just returned from their masaot (backcountry trips) and spoke about how they learn to challenge themselves and one another as they navigate their wilderness adventures.

(L-R: At Ramah Nyack Zimriyah: Chancellor Schwartz; Amy; and Rabbi Ami Hersh, Ramah Nyack Director)

While my visits to the Boston and Chicagoland day camps were postponed (flight cancellations due to epic flooding and tornadoes), I did have the opportunity to visit the Ramah Philadelphia Day Camp and return to Nyack for Zimriyah. Our network of six day camps (Nyack, Philadelphia, Chicagoland, GreaterDC, Greater Boston, and Jerusalem) welcome children as young as four to the Ramah community and serve as a robust pipeline to our overnight camps. A Los Angeles day camp will proudly become our 7th Machane Ramah Yomi next summer. Philly campers are flourishing and now several weeks into the summer are dancing, davening, and singing with gusto as they joyfully skip around camp.

The Ramah Day Camp in Nyack Zimriyah, held on Wednesday evening, was (and has always been) a tremendous Ramah reunion bringing multi-generations of proud Ramah parents and grandparents to see their kids belt out an array of Jewish music. Included among the grandparents was JTS Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz. We have spent many hours together this week, first at Nyack and at Wisconsin for Shabbat.

(L-R: At Ramah Wisconsin: Susan Sacks; Amy; Gal Atia, Director, Summer Shlichim Program at The Jewish Agency for Israel; Marc Sacks, incoming president of Ramah Wisconsin)

Arriving at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin (the longest journey to an encampment) is always a meaningful experience. This is our first camp, established in 1947, and where the vision for Ramah was born and still lives. I have always referred to Ramah Wisconsin as our intentional Jewish playground, where Jewish educational theory is translated into ruach-filled practice. The camp has built a robust cohort of Jewish professional and lay leaders (spanning decades), which includes six past NRC presidents and our current NRC president, Arnie Harris. Chancellor Schwartz and I had numerous opportunities to study and speak with campers, staff, and board members; dance on the kikar; and join older campers for slow shira towards the end of Shabbat. In each gathering, participants shared immense pride in what they have accomplished this summer and in 76 years.

At both Ramah Nyack and at Ramah Wisconsin, the strength of the connection between our camps and Israel was palpable. At the conclusion of the Zimriyah on Wednesday night, the entire community was deeply moved by the sight of our mishlachat holding Israeli flags and leading us in Hatikvah. We are so grateful for our partnership with the Jewish Agency for Israel that makes it possible for shlichim to play such an important role at Ramah camps. (Enjoy watching this new video about the summer shlichim program.)

And at Ramah Wisconsin, it was wonderful to see Israeli teens, rising 10th and 11th graders primarily from the No’ar Masorti (NOAM) youth movement in Israel, interact with their North American peers as they learn about their Jewish mishpacha halfway across the world. Altogether, there are 70 Israeli teens at 7 Ramah camps across our movement this summer. The journeys of both our Israeli staff members and these Israeli teens are part of the Ramah story of kayitz 2023.

I'm continuing my journey this week and look forward to sharing more reflections as we reach the midpoint of our season.

Shavua tov.