Camp Ramah (
Machaneh Ramah) is a network of Jewish
summer campSummer camp is a supervised program for children and/or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
s operating in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
.
During the 1940s, the Jewish Theological Seminary established several programs to reconnect Jewish youth with the synagogue and cultivate American-born Jewish leadership. One of these programs was Camp Ramah. The first camp opened in
Conover, WisconsinConover is a town in Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,137 at the 2000 census.- History :The town is named after Seth H. Conover, who would travel to the area for hunting and fishing. He would often take a train to the area, even though there was no station there. ...
, in 1947, under the aegis of the
Jewish Theological Seminary of AmericaThe Jewish Theological Seminary of America is the academic and spiritual center of Conservative Judaism.The Jewish Theological Seminary operates five schools: Albert A...
, the academic hub of
Conservative JudaismConservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.The principles of Conservative Judaism include:* A deliberately non-fundamentalist teaching of Jewish...
.
Camp Ramah (
Machaneh Ramah) is a network of Jewish
summer campSummer camp is a supervised program for children and/or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
s operating in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
.
History
During the 1940s, the Jewish Theological Seminary established several programs to reconnect Jewish youth with the synagogue and cultivate American-born Jewish leadership. One of these programs was Camp Ramah. The first camp opened in
Conover, WisconsinConover is a town in Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,137 at the 2000 census.- History :The town is named after Seth H. Conover, who would travel to the area for hunting and fishing. He would often take a train to the area, even though there was no station there. ...
, in 1947, under the aegis of the
Jewish Theological Seminary of AmericaThe Jewish Theological Seminary of America is the academic and spiritual center of Conservative Judaism.The Jewish Theological Seminary operates five schools: Albert A...
, the academic hub of
Conservative JudaismConservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.The principles of Conservative Judaism include:* A deliberately non-fundamentalist teaching of Jewish...
. The program was drawn up by Moshe Davis and Sylvia Ettenberg of the JTS Teachers' Institute.
In October 2007, Ettenberg was awarded
Pras Ramah (the Ramah Prize) as part of Ramah's 60th anniversary celebrations.
Today
Today, Ramah camps are attended by over 6,500 youngsters, ranging in age from 7-16, with a staff of 1,500 counselors, co-counselors, specialists, and teachers. In addition to typical summer camp activities, Ramah camps offer a unique educational program focusing on Judaism,
ZionismZionism is the international political movement that originally supported the reestablishment of a homeland for the Jewish People in Palestine. The area was the Jewish Biblical homeland, called the Land of Israel...
, and Hebrew-language instruction on different levels. Every camp has a corps of "
shlichim/שליחים" (emissaries) from
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
on staff (known as the "
mishlachat/מישלחת").
Camp Ramah offers sleep-away camps with an option to stay for either 4 or 8 weeks,
day campDay camps are geared for schoolchildren. They offer activities in a larger social setting, usually in the children's home town or nearby.If the children stay all day, a lunch is sometimes offered; however, many day camps require children to bring their own food. The children return home in the...
s with busing, an Israel summer tour program for teenagers, a day camp in
JerusalemJerusalem is the capital of Israel and its largest city in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if disputed East Jerusalem is included...
for American and Israeli children, and a variety of high school programs in Israel.
North American overnight camps
- Camp Ramah in the Berkshires
Camp Ramah in the Berkshires in Wingdale, New York, is one of seven overnight summer camps and three day camps affiliated with the Conservative Movement of Judaism and the National Ramah Commission. It is accredited by the American Camp Association....
(Wingdale, New YorkDover is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 8,565 at the 2000 census. The town was named after Dover in England, the home town of an early settler.The Town of Dover is located on the eastern boundary of the county....
). Located on Lake Ellis, 90 minutes north of New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
by car. Serves the metropolitan New York/New Jersey area.http://www.ramahberkshires.org/
- Camp Ramah in California
Camp Ramah in California is a Jewish summer camp located in Ojai, California. Population-wise, it is the largest of the Ramah summer camps, and it caters to the communities of the west coasts of the United States, Canada, Mexico, as well as the non-contiguous states of Hawaii and Alaska. It has...
(Ojai, CaliforniaOjai is a city in Ventura County, California, USA. It is situated in the Ojai Valley, surrounded by hills and mountains. In 2003, the estimated population was 8,006, making it one of the smaller towns in the county.-History:Chumash Indians were the early inhabitants of the valley...
). Located in the hills of Ojai, CaliforniaOjai is a city in Ventura County, California, USA. It is situated in the Ojai Valley, surrounded by hills and mountains. In 2003, the estimated population was 8,006, making it one of the smaller towns in the county.-History:Chumash Indians were the early inhabitants of the valley...
, 90 minutes north of Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
by car. Opened in 1956. http://www.ramah.org/ Alumni include Chaim PotokChaim Potok was an American Jewish author and rabbi.-Biography:Herman Harold Potok was born in the Bronx to Benjamin Max and Mollie Potok , Jewish immigrants from Poland. His Hebrew name was Chaim Tzvi. He received an Orthodox Jewish education...
.http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=17013
- Camp Ramah in Canada
Camp Ramah in Canada, or is a Jewish summer camp located in Utterson, Ontario, Canada.The Max and Beatrice Wolfe Campus is based on Skeleton Lake, only two hours from Toronto. Part of the National Ramah Commission, Ramah camps in the United States, Canada, and Israel are all religious camps...
(Utterson, OntarioThe District Municipality of Muskoka, more generally referred to as the District of Muskoka or, simply, Muskoka is a Regional Municipality located in Central Ontario, Canada. Muskoka extends from Georgian Bay in the west, to the northern tip of Lake Couchiching in the south, to the western border...
). Located in the Muskoka Region of Ontario, 2 hours north of TorontoToronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America...
, on Skeleton LakeSkeleton Lake may refer to:*Skeleton Lake , in the Muskoka region*Skeleton Lake , near Boyle.*Roopkund in Uttarakhand, India, the location of three to six hundred skeletons at the edge of a lake...
.http://www.campramah.org/Camps/Canada.html
- Camp Ramah Darom
Camp Ramah Darom, opened in 1997, is a Jewish summer camp located in Clayton, Georgia. The camp is affiliated with the National Ramah Commission, the national parent organization that oversees all Ramah overnight camps, day camps, and Israel programs...
(Clayton, GeorgiaClayton is a city in Rabun County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,019 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Rabun County.-History:...
). Located in in the Appalachian Valley near Clayton, GeorgiaClayton is a city in Rabun County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,019 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Rabun County.-History:...
, 2 hours north of Atlanta.http://www.ramahdarom.org/
- Camp Ramah in New England
Camp Ramah in New England is located in Palmer, Massachusetts, in the south-central part of the state. It is one of the older Ramah summer camps, organized by the Jewish Conservative Movement...
(Palmer, MassachusettsThe Town of Palmer is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,497 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area...
). Located approximately 1½ hours west of BostonBoston is the capital and largest city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is considered the economic and cultural center of the region and is sometimes regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England"...
and 45 minutes east of AmherstAmherst is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2000 census, the population was 34,874. The town is home to Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, three of the Five Colleges...
and NorthamptonNorthampton is a city in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 28,978 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hampshire County...
.http://www.campramahne.org/
- Camp Ramah in the Poconos
Camp Ramah in the Poconos is a summer camp affiliated with the National Ramah Commission. Opened in 1950, it is located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, in the mountain region of Wayne County in Northeastern Pennsylvania...
(Lakewood, PennsylvaniaPreston Township is a township in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,107 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 51.5 square miles , of which, 49.5 square miles of it is land and...
). Located in the mountain region of Wayne CountyWayne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2000, the population was 47,722. Its county seat is Honesdale. The county was named for the Revolutionary War General Anthony Wayne.-Geography:According to the U.S...
in Northeastern Pennsylvania, 3 hours driving time from both New York City and Philadelphia.http://www.campramah.org/Camps/Poconos.html
- Camp Ramah in Wisconsin (Conover, Wisconsin
Conover is a town in Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,137 at the 2000 census.- History :The town is named after Seth H. Conover, who would travel to the area for hunting and fishing. He would often take a train to the area, even though there was no station there. ...
). Located in the lake region of Northern Wisconsin, north of Eagle RiverEagle River is a city in Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,443 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Vilas County. The city is known for being a popular "Northwoods" vacation town...
, from ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
, and from MinneapolisMinneapolis is the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Hennepin County. The city lies on both banks of the Mississippi River, just north of the river's confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Saint Paul, the state's capital. Known as the Twin Cities,...
, on the shores of Lake Buckatabon. The first Camp Ramah.http://www.ramahwisconsin.com/
Ramah Israel Seminar
- Summer program for teenagers in Israel combining intensive touring, lectures, and Jewish educational activities. The home base is the Israel Goldstein Youth Village
A youth village is a boarding school model first developed in pre-state Israel in the 1930s to care for groups of children and teenagers fleeing the Nazis...
, known in Hebrew as Havat Hano'ar Hatzioni, in JerusalemJerusalem is the capital of Israel and its largest city in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if disputed East Jerusalem is included...
.
Former Camps
- Camp Ramah in Glen Spey (Glen Spey, Lumberland, New York
Lumberland is a town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 1,939 at the 2000 census.The Town of Lumberland is in the southwest part of the county.- History :...
). Located in Sullivan County, New YorkSullivan County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. According to the 2007 estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau, the county's population was 76,303. The county seat is Monticello. The name is in honor of Major General John Sullivan, who was a hero in the American Revolutionary War...
, from the Delaware RiverThe Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.The Delaware was explored by Adriaen Block as part of the New Netherlands Colony, and was named the South River to mark the southernmost reach of that colony....
. Opened in 1967; closed in 1971. On June 16, 1976, after the camp had stood empty for several years, a fire broke out in the kitchen-dining hall and destroyed many buildings. The Glen Spey fire department burned down the rest of the camp as a training exercise in 1982.http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:04QjOOC3eZEJ:www.lumberlandfd.com/History.htm+camp+ramah+glen+spey+fire&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4
- Ramah Community Program in Israel. Established in the summer of 1968, the Community Program was an Israel summer tour for teenagers along the same lines as the Ramah Seminar, but organized in groups hailing from different American Jewish communities.
Day camps
- Ramah Day Camp -- Chicago (Wheeling, Illinois
Wheeling is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 34,496 at the 2000 census, and 38,555 at the 2006 special village census.-Geography:Wheeling is located at ....
). Located northwest of Chicago, in Cook County, IllinoisCook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. According to 2008 US Census Bureau estimates, the county has 5,294,664 residents, which is larger than the populations of 29 individual U.S. states, the...
.http://www.ramahday.com/
- Ramah Day Camp -- Philadelphia (Melrose Park, Pennsylvania
Melrose Park is an unincorporated section of Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania on the Philadelphia city line. It is bordered to the south by Cheltenham Avenue, to the west by Old York Road, to the east by New Second Street and to the north by Ashbourne Road....
). Located in the Perelman Jewish Day School. It has use of nearly all the grounds of the extensive campus. The camp shares a pool with the Jewish FederationA Jewish Federation is a confederation of various Jewish social agencies, volunteer programs, educational bodies, and related organizations, found within most cities in North America that host a viable Jewish community....
Day Care Center, and also rents an Olympic-size pool from an apartment complex less than five minutes away. Activities include sports (soccer, football, baseball, T-ball, archery, gymnastics, basketball, hockey, etc.), swimming (twice a day - instructional and free), art, drama, nature, cooking, Judaic studies, music, and dance. Special events include Rick RechtRichard Samuel "Rick" Recht , is a Jewish rock musician who is especially known for his live performances for groups of youth all over the United States as well as performances at synagogues and Jewish rock festivals...
concerts, Yom Yisrael (a carnival celebrating Israeli culture, history, and people), Maccabiah (color warColor war is a meta-game played in summer camps, schools and some social organizations . Participants are divided into teams, each of which is assigned a color. The teams compete against each other in challenges and events to earn points...
), and Yom USA (3 July). Older campers go on overnights, while younger campers have 'undernights.' An arts festival is held at the end of the summer, combining drama, song, and dance.http://www.ramahjobs.org/center/philadelphia_camp.asp
- Ramah Day Camp in Nyack (Nyack, New York
Nyack is a village in the towns of Orangetown and Clarkstown in Rockland County, New York, United States, located north of South Nyack; east of Central Nyack; south of Upper Nyack and west of the Hudson River, approximately 19 miles north of the Manhattan boundary, it is an inner suburb of New...
). Located in Rockland County, New YorkRockland County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, north-northwest of New York City. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2000 census, the population was 286,753. The county seat is New City. The name comes from "rocky land", an early description of the area...
, approximately 45 minutes by car from New York City. A day camp at which the staff remains overnight, though the campers, ages 5-14, go home every day. Activities for the campers include basketball, soccer, hockey, tennis, two ropes courses, art, woodworking, ceramics, and cooking. A hot kosher lunch is provided daily to the campers, and the staff receive three meals per day. A new swimming pool was recently added, bringing the number of pools to three.http://www.ramahnyack.org/
New Camps
National Ramah announced in March 2006 that it plans to open a
Camp Ramah in the RockiesRockies can mean the following:* Rocky Mountains, a North American mountain range* Colorado Rockies, a Colorado Major League baseball team* Colorado Rockies , a former NHL hockey team that became the New Jersey Devils...
. A camp site has been purchased in
Deckers, ColoradoDeckers is an unincorporated town along the South Platte River in Douglas County, Colorado, United States. The U.S. Post Office at Sedalia now serves Deckers postal addresses.-Camp:...
(1½-2 hours by car from Denver and Colorado Springs). The camp is expected to open with full programming in the summer of 2010.
http://www.campramah.org/news/rockies_announce.html Plans are also in the works for a new camp in northern California.
External links