Ask anyone who has attended Camp Ramah, or almost any other Jewish summer camp for that matter, what their favorite time of the week is and one answer is bound to bubble up to the top: Havdala. With this ceremony we bring an end to a peaceful, thoughtful, and fun Shabbat (Sabbath) and begin a new week; a week of fun, excitement, educational experiences, and stories to be told later on. The music of Havdala is sweet and simple. This moment can pass very quickly, yet it remains with the campers for years to come.

Tikvah/Special NeedsNRC WebmasterAugust 28, 2014Tikvah

A 12-Year-Old Weighs in on Jewish Camp in the Colorado Rockies

For the past four summers, Kaspar has been a camper at Ramah Outdoor Adventure (ROA) in the Colorado Rockies. Kaspar has participated in ROA’s Tikvah Program for campers with disabilities, both as a participant in the Amitzim edah (division) for campers with disabilities and, most recently, as part of the camp’s inclusion program.

Ramah Outdoor Adventure has become her second home and, according to her parents, has been a big part of her everyday happiness and success. Kaspar hopes someday to become a member of ROA’s tzevet susim (“horse staff”). Below is her take on life at Ramah Outdoor Adventure.

Tikvah/Special Needs, Ramah in the NewsNRC WebmasterAugust 26, 2014Rockies, Tikvah, Summer 2014

Another Kind Of Holy Land

Last Wednesday, I headed to family camp with Max for five days. I figured we'd have fun; I had no idea how meaningful our time there would be. It was full of firsts for Max—and the discovery of a whole other kind of holy land.

As a a teen, I was a counselor at two Camp Ramahs in New York and loved it. After I found out that the Ramah in the Poconos had a five-day Tikvah Family Camp for kids with developmental disorders and social learning disorders, I signed us up. (The Ramah Tikvah Network offers family, day and overnight camps at nine locations.)

Tikvah/Special Needs, Ramah in the NewsNRC WebmasterAugust 20, 2014Tikvah, Poconos, Summer 2014

Camp Yofi brings Children with Autism and Families Together for Summer Fun

During the first week of August, a team of five from the Autism Institute at Mailman Segal Center headed for the mountains of Northern Georgia to help 26 families enjoy a week of summer camp.

Tikvah/Special Needs, Ramah in the NewsNRC WebmasterAugust 19, 2014Tikvah, Darom, Summer 2014

Summer Is For Work Too, Not Just Play

Camp is seen as an escape for many campers and a way to leave their busy lives behind, but for Asher Brown it is also an opportunity for him to improve his social skills as well as his work skills. Asher is a great example of how the Avodah Program at camp benefits all of the campers involved. Asher has been a camper at Camp Ramah in Canada for six years and has been active participant of the Tikvah Avodah Program for the past two summers.

Tikvah/Special Needs, Blog/ReflectionsNRC WebmasterAugust 18, 2014Tikvah, Canada, Voc-Ed

How Camp Experiences and Relationships Helped Me Transition to a Corporate Setting

After celebrating my Bar Mitzvah in June 1998, I joined the first ever session of “Taste of Tikvah” at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, which laid the foundation for six wonderful summers in the Tikvah Program. During this time I made many lifelong friends from the fellow campers, counselors and Israeli Shlichim that I interacted with. In 2004, I was lucky enough to participate in the new Atzmayim Tikvah Vocational Program, which enables former campers to learn independent living skills and get vocational training. In my role, I worked in the camp’s kitchen, where I helped stock and organize the necessary items, clean appliances, serve food to the guest tables, and help the chefs with food preparation.

Tikvah/Special Needs, Blog/ReflectionsNRC WebmasterJuly 31, 2014Tikvah, Voc-Ed, Wisconsin

Summer Camp, Life Skills and Confidence

We have all heard that Jewish summer camp is one of the most valuable experiences a parent can give their child to ensure a strong Jewish foundation. If you think of it as a construction project, the footings beneath the foundation is community and together, this community builds the foundation they share. As each child grows into an adult, the shared experience of community-building in a Jewish context continues to strengthen his or her Jewish foundation.

Tikvah/Special NeedsNRC WebmasterJuly 31, 2014Tikvah, Wisconsin, Summer 2014, Voc-Ed

Getting Over My Fear of Sending My Daughter with Special Needs to Sleepaway Camp

For most parents, the decision to send their children to sleepaway camp is made with little hesitation. But whenever my husband and I considered sending our youngest child, we balked.

Tikvah/Special Needs, Blog/ReflectionsNRC WebmasterJuly 17, 2014Tikvah, Summer 2014, Canada

A Year of Hopeful Trends in the Inclusion World

As a teacher of Jewish Studies and b’nai mitzvah training children with a wide range of disabilities, and as a long time director of a disabilities program which is part of an 800+ camper Jewish overnight camp, I am immersed in the Jewish disabilities world and am part of dozens of year round conversations, conferences and panel discussions on various aspects of inclusion. I would like to share three exciting trends in the disabilities/inclusion world that I have noticed:

Tikvah/Special Needs, Ramah in the NewsNRC WebmasterJuly 17, 2014Tikvah