“There are a lot of things going on in the world now,” Rabbi Ami Hersh, director of Ramah Day Camp in Nyack, said. “A lot of tough things. I felt like we needed to find a way at camp, in the Jewish context, to explain to our staff and campers that they really can make a difference in the world, and that their voices could be heard within the context of American politics.”
Read MoreWorking as a Field Guide at BaMidbar Wilderness Therapy is tough. Field Guides are in the wilderness for days or weeks on end, away from family and loved ones, technology and the creature comforts of modern life. They handle unpredictability, are exposed to a variety of weather and elemental forces and work with students experiencing deep internal struggle.
Read MoreAbout three times a day, the campers at Camp Ramah in the Poconos walk past a mural…The mural is the perfect place for Rabbi Joel Seltzer to tell the story of Michael Levin, a lone soldier killed in the line of duty in 2006, whose memory survives at the camp he spent much of his childhood exploring.
Read MoreEvery Friday, the staff and campers at Camp Ramah Nyack gather for a ceremony called Shishi Al Hamigrash – Hebrew for “Friday on the field.”…In August, on the last Friday of camp, anyone spending the next year in Israel is called up, and the Israeli staffers dance around them, welcoming them into their circle. This year, Sammy Fishman will be among them.
Read More“Jewish summer camp is a rite of passage for many American Jewish families for a multitude of reasons. In our family, Ramah has been a source of community, a center for education, a dating pool and profoundly impactful on the formulation of Jewish identity…. We wanted to pass that same gift along to our children…” -Dave Cutler, Ramah New England Alumnuis
Read MoreBackcountry Bayit (BCB), where youthful Jews — virtually all of them drawn to the mountains by the lure of Colorado’s ski culture — come together to celebrate not only their love of the Rockies but simply being Jewish…The BCB originated organically some four years ago, the brainchild of a group of young Jews from Boulder, and last year came under the funding and management umbrella of the national Ramah organization, affiliated with the Conservative movement, specifically Reshet Ramah, the organization’s alumni network that supports youth engagement projects..
Read MoreMore than 120 participants from across all sectors and movements of the Jewish communal world gathered in New York last week for the second annual Summit of the SafetyRespectEquity Coalition. …Discussions focused on how critically important safety, respect, and equity are to ensuring a vibrant, inclusive future for the Jewish community and at the same time continuing to ground their work in the broader national context. …Additionally, the Coalition has announced a total of more than $1.2 million awarded to 15 grantees working to advance women’s leadership and address sexual harassment and gender inequity in Jewish organizations.
Read MoreAfter struggling with depression and social isolation as a teen, Zack Slavkin went on a wilderness therapy program that changed his life, spurring his work to help heal others.
Read MoreLike our forefathers, Abraham, Jacob, and Moses, who found God and spirituality in the wilderness, BaMidbar students spend time in nature rediscovering themselves and their spiritual core. They build skills to recover from adversity, are empowered to break free of the habits and patterns that limit their lives, and embark on a new journey of living well.
Read More
