Ramah Solidarity & Service Trips to Israel
Israel needs us right now. Since December 2023, we have run dozens of solidarity missions to Israel. Participants have volunteered in the fields, planted gardens, painted homes, worked with displaced families, and barbecued for soldiers. We have visited Hostage Square and met with families. We have mourned with other families. We have been active listeners as a traumatized nation tells its story. We have been fully present.
We hope you will consider joining your fellow Ramahniks on one of the upcoming solidarity and service missions being led by Ramah Israel. This is our opportunity to be counted and to let our family in Israel know that we stand alongside them. As Israel faces perhaps her greatest challenge in 75 years, we are proud of our community’s response and Ramah’s deep and enduring commitment to Am Yisrael.
Upcoming Trip Dates
January 20–23, 2025
February 17–20, 2025
March 10–13, 2025
Glimpses of Current / Previous Trips
July 15-18, 2024 | June 24-27, 2024 | May 5-9, 2024 | April 8-11. 2024 | April 1-4, 2024 | March 26-31, 2024 | March 19-25, 2024 | March 11-16, 2024 | March 4-7, 2024 | February 15-19, 2024 | February 13-17, 2024 | February 5-8, 2024 | January 15-18, 2024 (Nyack & Berkshires Mission) | January 11-15, 2024 | January 8-11, 2024 | December 25-28, 2023 | December 19-January 3, 2024 | December 18-21, 2023
Read More
NRC Blog
Leading 300 Ramahniks in Israel for Volunteering, Learning, and Connection (May 2024)
Ramah's Israel Story: Commitment, Love & Devotion (May 2024)
We Stand Together (January 2024)
A Month in Israel (November 2023)
In the Press
“Our Ramah Solidarity and Service Mission to Israel” (Adam Leibowitz, Ramah Darom, 1/25/24)
“How Could We Not Come?’ American Jews Flock to Israel to Help” (NY Post, 1/3/2024)
Ramah Birthright Israel Onward Missions for College Students
Ramah Birthright Israel Onward Missions for Summer 2024 Staff | May 2024
In May 2024, 300 members of our summer 2024 Ramah community—North Americans and shlichim representing each of our North American camps—came together for two powerful back-to-back missions. Read: “Leading 300 Ramahniks in Israel for Volunteering, Learning, and Connection”
"B’Yad Ramah” Winter Break Volunteer Experience for College Students | December 19-January 3, 2024
To give is to receive: לתת זה לקבל. Our 25-person trip had an incredibly moving experience supporting and giving back to the people and land of Israel.
We worked in the sunny fields of Kfar Truman planting, picking, and shipping lettuce; we organized and packed fruits and vegetables at Tachlit for Israeli soldiers and families that have been displaced by the war plus shipped and packaged produce at Moshav Azaria.
In Jerusalem, we spent a day making sandwiches for soldiers and volunteered at a farmers market that sells produce from farms on the border of Gaza. We met several times with a group of Israeli teens on their Mechina gap year and visited several important sites like The Kotel and Kikar Hatufim (Hostages Square).
Throughout the trip, we had important and difficult conversations about Israeli current events, the rise of antisemitism in America, and what experiences and reflections participants will take from this trip back to their college campuses and local communities. We return to North America reignited with pride for being Jewish and Zionist, with a strong cohort of friends, and as advocates for Israel.
This trip was funded by Birthright Israel Onward and with NRC support, organized by the Israel Experience, and staffed by Ramah.
Bring Them Home
We pray for the safe return for all of those who are being held captive in Gaza, including Omer Neutra, a former Ramah Day Camp in Nyack swim staff member.
Facebook: #bringomerhome | Instagram: #bringomerhome
Call and Email Your Elected Officials: Find and contact your elected officials
Prayers (courtesy Masorti Foundation)
Download to recite at home, in your synagogue and at other gatherings:
Three prayers: 1) for the safe return of the hostages (updated), 2) for Israel in this time of war, 3) for the Sate of Israel and Soldiers of the IDF (Hebrew and English)
List of hostages, to be used in prayers for the speedy and safe return of those alive and the return for burial in Israel of those who have perished in captivity (updated October 10, 2024)
OneMinADay
The website www.OneMinAday.com has been established to make it easier to advocate for the immediate release of all hostages with U.S. elected officials. By making thousands of direct, urgent and repeated appeals to our elected representatives, we can place actionable pressure on the U.S. government to prioritize the return all 167 remaining hostages to their loved ones.
If we all reach out to our elected officials—now and constantly—we stand a much better, realistic chance of ensuring that the return all hostages continues to remain a top U.S. and global priority.
Hostages and Missing Families Forum
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum was formed by the families of the abductees less than 24 hours after the horrific attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7th, in which more than 1,400 innocent civilians were murdered and hundreds were taken hostage. The Forum is volunteer-based and laser-focused on bringing the hostages back home to their families, to us.
The forum offers families holistic medical and emotional support as well as professional assistance, and advances the ongoing efforts locally, regionally and globally, to bring the hostages and the missing back home.
American Jewish Committee
Join American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, in urging the U.S. Congress and the UN to secure the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza.
In Memoriam
We mourn all of those who lost their lives on October 7 and since then in the continuing violence, including the following members of the extended Ramah family. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families and all of those who love them.
Lt. Yaacov Elian, age 20, first cousin of Dor Levi, longtime Ramah Day Camp in Nyack staff member and rosh mishlachat. Yaacov fell in battle in the north of the Gaza Strip. He was a cadet in the Gefen Battalion at the officers' training school and served as a class commander at the Givati training base. Read “Giving to others was at the root of his soul”
Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, was murdered while in Hamas captivity. Hersh served as a madrich for Ramah Israel programs, and his extended family attended Ramah Darom's Passover retreat for many years. Hersh's mother Rachel, has served for many years as a Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim staff member. Facebook: Bring Hersh Home | Instagram: Bring Hersh Home | Watch: “What Can We Do?” an open discussion with Rachel Goldberg
Staff Sgt. Dror Hen, age 20, cousin of Dena Tolkin, NRC development assistant, fell in battle in Lebanon alongside five other members of the Golani Brigade's 51st Battalion. Read "6 Israeli soldiers killed in fighting with Hezbollah as IDF pushes deeper into Lebanon"
Adi Vital Kaploun, age 33, daughter of Jacqui Rivers Vital, alumna of Camp Ramah in Canada and a participant in the Mador leadership training program in 1972. In this interview with Anderson Cooper, Jacqui describes Adi as “a superstar…everything she touched was golden.” Adi's family has relocated to Jerusalem and needs significant funds to start rebuilding their life. Please consider making a donation to the Adi Vital Kaploun Memorial fund to help support them.
Rose Ida Lubin, age 20, niece of Minda Snitkoff and Rabbi Ed Snitkoff, former director of Ramah Israel Seminar and niece of Elise Kosofsky, board member of Camp Ramah Darom. Rose died in a stabbing attack while serving as a border police officer. She made aliyah two years ago and joined the army through Garin Tzabar. Read “ Israeli-American Border Police officer, 20, Killed in Jerusalem Stabbing Attack”
Eden Nimri, age 22, sister of Hadar Nimri, Camp Ramah in the Berkshires mishlachat 2016 and 2017. Eden, a commanding officer in the “Sky Raiders” (Rochev Shamayim), died on October 7 while protecting her soldiers.
Read “Israeli International Swimmer Eden Nimri Killed in Fighting in Nahal Oz”Ari Yehiel Zenilman, age 32, cousin of Ava Lang Soffer, longtime staff member of Ramah Day Camp in Nyack, was killed while fighting with the IDF in Gaza. Read "The Day It Hit Home: Farewell to My Friend, My Cousin, Our Hero Ari Zenilman hy”d"
Recordings of Past Programs
A Conversation with AJC CEO Ted Deutch
January 9, 2024 | View Recording
Informative and enlightening Q&A with Ramah alum Ted Deutch, current CEO of AJC and Member of Congress from 2010 to 2022.
What Can We Do? An Open Conversation with Rachel Goldberg, mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin
Thursday, November 2, 2023 | View recording here
Moderator: Jonah Platt, alumnus of Camp Ramah in California
This Zoom conversation with Rachel Goldberg was both heartbreaking and important. More than 700 participants heard Rachel talk about Hersh, and together we prayed for the return of Hersh and all the other women, men, children, and babies who are being held captive by Hamas in Gaza. Also among the captives is 22-year-old Omer Neutra, former staff member of Ramah Day Camp in Nyack. Bring Hersh Home #BringOmerHome
Co-sponsored by the World Zionist Organization and Ramah
Ramah Mishpacha Solidarity Gathering for Israel,
October 15, 2023 | View recording
Hundreds of Ramahniks from across the world and across the decades joined together in song, reflections, and prayer to show support for Israel. Our warm sense of community helped to bring some light into these dark days.
Ramah Israel: Strength in Unity, Strength in Community
October 22, 2023 | View recording
Ramah Israel’s “Ramah B’Yachad” solidarity gathering was followed by a discussion with Neil Lazarus, educator in the fields of Middle East politics, public diplomacy, and communication training. Click here to view Neil’s FAQs on the current war.
Article: “The War Hamas Always Wanted,” in Foreign Affairs, October 11, 2023.
“The War that Hamas Always Wanted”
October 24, 2023 | View recording
This session was moderated by Rabbi Mitchell Cohen, Senior Advisor, National Ramah Commission, with the following Ramah parents as guest speakers:
Dr. Matthew Levitt, former FBI counterterrorism analyst and current director of the Jeanette and Eli Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
Cary Gleicher, former senior FBI official who most recently served as an associate for the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism of Reichman University in Herzliya, Israel
Uri Rosenwald, an FBI Special Agent currently serving in Minnesota on the FBI’s Minneapolis Hazardous Evidence Response Team.
Unity in Harmony: Standing in Solidarity, Solidarity, Song, and Prayer for Israel
October 26, 2023 | View recording
Some of the top music artists and thought leaders in the Jewish world participated in this concert, including Ramah alumni Rick Recht and Rabbi Josh Warshawsky. Presented by Judaism Alive (the nonprofit parent organization of Jewish Rock Radio, JKids Radio, Songleader Boot Camp, and Jewish Star).
Major partners: Foundation for Jewish Camp, Jewish Federations of North America, Harold Grinspoon Foundation, JCamp 180, PJ Library, Life & Legacy, JCC Association of North America, Union for Reform Judaism Camp and Immersives, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, USY, The Jewish Theological Seminary, Ramah Camping Movement, Young Judaea, Sing Unto God, Rabbinical Assembly, Cantors Assembly, American Conference of Cantors, and Guild of Temple Musicians.
Educational Resources
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D’var Torah on the Situation in Israel (Rabbi Gordon Tucker for Camp Ramah in New England)
Hearts Broken But We WIll Keep Living (Rabbi Ashira Konigsburg, Rabbinical Assembly and USCJ)
This War Is Just Even Though It’s Brutal (Yehuda Kurtzer, Shalom Hartman Institute)
Israel at War: Moral Red Lines (Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi, Sharlom Hartman Institute)
Trauma of Going to War: The Wars of King David and their Lessons for Today (Rabbi Professor David Frankel, Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies)
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How to Talk with Children About Israel Today (Webinar, Jewish Education Project)
Israel at War – Being the Jews We Want to Be (Podcast, Shalom Hartman Institute)
How to Talk to Kids About What’s Happening in Israel Right Now (Sivan Zakkai, Associate Professor of Jewish Education at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion)
How to Talk to Children About the Conflict in Israel (Rabbi Edythe Held Mencher, LCSW, former URJ Faculty Member)
Tips for Talking to Kids about the War in Israel (Rabbi Yael Buechler, Midrash Manicures)
Talking to Kids about Israel (Rabbi Rebecca Rosenthal, Central Synagogue)
Strategies for Talking to Kids about Israel, (Recorded Webinar by The iCenter)
How Grandparents Can Support Their Family Members (Jewish Grandparents Network)
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Israel Connections and Prayers (Howard Blas, National Ramah Tikvah Network)
8 Tips for Talking about Israel with Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities and Mental Health Needs (Tali Cohen Carrus, Gateways: Access to Jewish Education)
Resources for Talking about Israel with Children with Cognitive Disabilities - for individuals with cognitive or developmental disabilities (Dori Kirshner, Matan)
Talking About Israel: A Social Story for Autistic and Learning Disabled Individuals (Rabbi Simcha Weinstein, Jewish Autism Network)
Understanding Our Feelings Around the War Between Israel and Hamas: A Social Story (Keshet Chicago)
Five Important Accessibility Reminders for Community Rallies and Vigils (Matan)
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The #BringThemHome Educational Toolkit (Everyone Counts)
Resources for Teaching About Israel in Crisis (Jewish Education Project)
Resources for Schools on Violence and Terrorist Attacks in Israel (Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools)
Educating in a Time of Crisis (The iCenter)
FAQ: Gaza and Israel (The iCenter)
Tips for Unpacking the Current Israel War with Your Students (The Lookstein Center - Bar Ilan University)
Suggestions for framing educational conversations about the situation (Jonathan Golden, Director of Wellspring Initiatives at Shalom Hartman Institute of North America)
Slide Deck for High School Students, Israel October 2023 (Dr. Matt Reingold, TanenbaumCHAT, Toronto)
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Talk and Take Action: Parents' & Caregivers' Guide to Countering Antisemitism (Nickelodeon and USC Shoah Foundation)
A Guide to Understanding the War Between Israel and Hamas (Unpacked for Educators)
Talking to Young Children about Bias and Prejudice (The Anti-Defamation League)
How to Talk to Children About Antisemitism (PJLibrary)
Confronting Antisemitism: If I Don't Respond, Who Will? (Interfaithfamily.com)
Our Kids and Antisemitism (St. Louis Jewish Light)
Discrimination: What it is, and How to Cope (The American Psychological Association)
Why I'm Teaching My Kids That Antisemitism is Not the New Normal (kveller.com)
Education & Outreach: Confronting Antisemitism (The Anti-Defamation League)
Pride and Prejudice: Educational Resources on Anti-Semitism (The Jewish Education Project)
How to Talk to Kids About Difficult Subjects (Common Sense Media)
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Ramah Shiron with Prayers and Stories
Prayer for the State of Israel
Prayer for the Welfare and Return of Israel’s Captured and Missing
Psalms for this Time of Crisis in Israel (USCJ and Rabbinical Assembly; compiled by Rabbis Rob Scheinberg, Gordon Tucker, and Jan Uhrbach)
A Prayer for Israel in this Time of War (Rabbi Naomi Levy)
Prayer for Israel at War (Rabbi Michael Knopf)
Prayer (Rabbi David Wolpe)
Prayer of Mothers for Life and Peace (Rabbi Tamar Elad-Appelbaum and Sheikha Ibtisam Maḥameed)
Prayer for Israel (Rabbi Nicole Guzik and Rabbi Erez Sherman)
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Tikvah Fund (Tikvah Online Academy)
Educational Resources curated by Rachel Fish, Boundless
Educating and Parenting in a Time of War (Podcast - Shalom Hartman Institute and Jewish Education Project)
How Jewish Parents Can Help Kids Deal with a Flood of Pain on Social Media — Beyond Just Looking Away (Jewish Education Project)
Talking to Kids about Terrorism and War (Nefesh b’Nefesh)
Videos to Help Parents and Kids Talk About Scary Situations (PJ Library)
How to Talk to Your Children about Conflict and War (UNICEF)
Helping Children Cope with Frightening News (The Child Mind Institute)
Explaining the News to Our Kids (Common Sense Media)
Talking to Children About Violence (National Association of School Psychologists)
Trauma & Grief - Resources (Child Mind Institute)
Guidance for Talking to Our Kids (eJewish Philanthropy)