Inspiration at Joint Ramah-URJ Fellowship Training

As I returned back to the University of Pittsburgh’s frigid campus just a few weeks ago, I couldn’t stop wishing I had never left the warmth of California and the incredible community I had shared my Shabbat with at Camp Ramah in California. As a Ramah Service Corps Fellow, I spend my time working at Congregation Beth Shalom in Pittsburgh promoting Camp Ramah in Canada and helping to bring the success of informal Jewish education experienced over the summer at Camp Ramah back to the community.

Blog/Reflections, Staff Leadership TrainingNRC WebmasterJanuary 22, 2014Nyack, URJ, National Ramah

Ramah Fellows Extend Camp Feeling into the School Year

Heading back to school in the fall after a fun-filled summer at camp has always been a bit of a letdown for kids. Who hasn’t wished that school were more like summer camp and that teachers were more like camp counselors?

Staff Leadership Training, Ramah in the NewsNRC WebmasterJanuary 17, 2014Ramah Service Corps

An Incredible Winter Leadership Training Conference!

The National Ramah Winter Leadership Training Conference at Ramah California in Ojai this past January 2-5 was truly extraordinary! This weekend training and Shabbaton were marked not only by inspirational and powerful interactions among staff members across the camps in the Ramah movement, but also by the exchange of ideas and experiences across generations of Ramah leaders.

Staff Leadership TrainingNRC WebmasterJanuary 10, 2014National Ramah

From Palmer to Eilat: An Inspiring Ramah Spring

The summer camping season at Ramah has not even begun, and yet I have already been privileged to participate in a series of Ramah programs over the last few weeks that have left me truly inspired.

Hava Nashira Music Conference Unites Songleaders at Kivun Training for Reform and Conservative Jewish Camp Specialists

"I leave Hava Nashira this year with an overwhelming confidence in our mission as Jewish songleaders, and with the knowledge that the power of ruach and song continues to be shared with thousands of Jewish youth in the Reform and Conservative movements each summer"- Josh Warshawsky

Blog/Reflections, Staff Leadership TrainingNRC WebmasterMay 30, 2013Music

Successful Conclusion to 2013 NRC Spring Leadership Training Conference

“Every time I come to Winer, I feel like I’m getting an upgrade,” said Rafi Spitzer, Rosh Solelim this summer at Ramah New England. “I feel like I become Rafi 2.0.”

Staff Leadership TrainingNRC WebmasterMay 28, 2013National Ramah

Ramah New England Hosts 2013 NRC Spring Leadership Training Conference (Part I)

We are halfway through Day 3 of the 2013 National Ramah Spring Leadership Conference, which is being hosted this year by Camp Ramah in New England. The buzz of simply being back on campgrounds and surrounded by Ramahniks is powerful and invigorating. This week marks the kick-off of Kayitz 2013, and I am just as excited about it as the counselors, rashei edah, and staff specialists learning around me.

Staff Leadership TrainingNRC WebmasterMay 22, 2013National Ramah

The Amazing 2013 Ramah Mishlachat

I recently returned from an exciting and inspiring five days at Kibbutz Shefayim, training the 250 shlichim–180 new and 70 returning–who will be working at Ramah camps across North America this summer. Together with a delegation of directors and assistant directors from each of the Ramah overnight camps, we talked about the core values of Ramah, the centrality of Israel within our camps, and how shlichim can successfully integrate within our communities.

A Fantastic Weinstein Institute

This year’s Bert B. Weinstein Institute for Staff Training was truly remarkable. Over 100 Ramah staff members–our largest winter gathering ever!–came together at Ramah California in Ojai from January 3-6. Seventy-five second- and third-year madrichim, representing all our overnight camps and Nyack, were joined by contingents of Ramah Service Corps interns, Daber Fellows, 11 staff from most of our special needs programs, and directors, assistant directors, and other senior leaders from our camps and from NRC.

Staff Leadership Training, Blog/ReflectionsNRC WebmasterJanuary 10, 2013National Ramah