The Campaign for Camp Ramah in New England

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In Palmer, Massachusetts
there is a very special place where heritage and tradition mingle with pine and grass and sky and cool lake water.

A place where Judaism is sung, shared, learned, played and prayed.

Where deep experience, lifelong friendships, and emotional and intellectual growth nourish the hearts and minds of all who know this place

wherever their journeys may lead them, and wherever they may lead others.

Camp Ramah in New England

is launching the most ambitious capital campaign in our history an exciting moment of growth that will keep us strong for generations to come.

Please join us.

Camp Ramah in New England was the most powerful experience I had in my childhood of an integrated, egalitarian vision of Judaism of living a day filled with Hebrew and religious experience, but also sports and friends, of being a complete Jew, of being the closest a person could come in the diaspora to the experience that many people have in Israel. I draw from it every day.

Rabbi Ethan Tucker,

Founder, Mechon Hadar* New York City

* the first full-time egalitarian yeshiva in North America

Rua| Ruach | Spirit

After five years in Singapore, Marcia and Scott Glickman returned to the United States so that their children could grow up in an active Jewish community. The family headed straight for Palmer. We came back in June, and literally went right to camp, Marcia remembers with a smile. Ever since, all four children have spent summers at Camp Ramah in New England. Marcia has run the Gan Program, our day camp program for the children of our adult staff, and worked in the Tikvah Program, our renowned program for campers with special needs. And, for at least a week every summer, Scott trades Philadelphia for Palmer. Its a feeling of unbridled joy, says Marcia. You have the essence of everything you need. On Friday nights, when the whole camp is together outside, welcoming in Shabbat with song, its so beautiful and so peaceful. Theres time for contemplation, for reconnecting, for laughter, and for learning.

I will always remember that this is where I first heard our kids read Torah. Scott Glickman,
Board Member, Philadelphia

Building the Future

One of the most important things Ramah does is prepare the next generation of Jewish leaders, says Scott. Ive seen it in our own children. Theyve grown in confidence, and learned how to make their own decisions Jewishly, ethically, and morally. Part of what makes our camp special is our commitment to providing a wonderful Jewish experience for as many kids as possible both campers and counselors. Being part of camp means helping to create this place that is all about the future, helping these young people grow into the leaders they will become, says Marcia. We feel blessed to be part of this world. That sense of commitment to the future of our community has inspired The Campaign for Camp Ramah in New England an exciting philanthropic initiative that will fund strategic capital projects designed to create a memorable, meaningful Jewish experience for generations to come.

Kehillah | Kehillah | Community

Camp Ramah in New England is a community of shared values wonderfully diverse in age, life experience, and geography that gathers to celebrate Jewish life within a deeply evocative, immersive summer experience. Our time together is a vital expression of the power of place place made sacred through spirituality and meaningful human connection. The physical environment in which we come together is an essential element of the Ramah experience. And so, to sustain this very special place, we launch The Campaign for Camp Ramah in New England. Our camp is approaching its 60th birthday. And our facilities, beloved by generations, are showing their age. Our immediate goal is to raise $5 million for essential capital improvements each one undertaken with reverence for our heritage, and for the rustic simplicity that infuses our camp. Our ultimate goal is to raise an additional $5 million, which will allow us to realize the full potential of our vision. Were converting our current multipurpose Bet Am Bet to create a new, winterized Chadar Ochel (dining hall) expanding capacity to design a place in the center of camp where our entire community will gather for song, dance, and prayer, as well as meals, three times every day. Were building a new, winterized Bet Am, with expanded capacity that will allow us all to come together even on rainy days for prayer and athletic and performing arts activities. Also planned is a new Kfar Nivonim that will replace the platform tents currently housing our oldest campers with two permanent, winterized structures creating better housing for teenagers and allowing our community to gather at camp year-round. And theres much more. People often describe Ramah as the pinnacle of their Jewish experience, says Rabbi Ed Gelb, camp director. Every summer, more than 1,000 members of our community experience that in Palmer. We want the summer experience to be a springboard for a lifetime of engagement, and we need facilities that will fully support and enhance immersion in Jewish life. The Campaign for Camp Ramah in New England, the most ambitious capital campaign in our history, supports an exciting array of projects encompassing both renovation and new construction designed to improve housing, community space, and camp infrastructure. Your participation will enable us to continue to make every summer transformative and to remain competitive as a preferred choice for Jewish families who seek a life-changing camp experience.

I remember being in Israel with Ramah and hiking at sunrise. While davening, I found a prayer that praises G-d for the blessing of light. I felt that this prayer had been written just for me, just for this moment. And it was so powerful to have this piece of liturgy to express what I was feeling, with my friends, on that hillside in Israel.

Rabbi Annie Tucker

Assistant Rabbi, The Jewish Center Princeton, NJ

My Ramah experience really led me to teaching. When I was a camper, there were staff members and counselors who taught me incredibly valuable life lessons about taking risks, trying new things, not giving up. I carry those lessons with me on a daily basis along with my friendships from those years. My camp friends are my closest friends in the world.

Michael Goldfarb
7th grade teacher, Teach for America, Baltimore

I have amazing memories of Camp Ramah in New England. It made Judaism cool like nothing else Id ever experienced. There was a simultaneous sense of tzedakah, and responsibility, as well as a strong sense of play. My camp experience gave me a real love of Judaism and an understanding of others, along with the ability to think critically and question authority. I learned self-confidence and deep respect for other members of the camp community. And I had a great time. The camp experience is critically important to a childs development an experience I wish more children could have. Its where you start developing as an independent soul.

Randi Weingarten, President

American Federation of Teachers Washington, DC and New York

| Bchol Dor | In Every Generation

You get off the bus, you breathe a deep breath of camp air, and your arms are around the first person you see, says 15-year-old Claire Mendelson, brimming with exuberance. Everything about Camp Ramah is about the friendships, about caring about each other. Claire is a third-generation Mendelson at Camp Ramah in New England. Her grandparents, Sandy and Adina, met here. Her father, Dan, and her uncles were campers and counselors. Claire, her two sisters, and her cousins are continuing the tradition. When I first met Dans family, I saw how much fun they had being Jewish together, and I asked him how does that happen? remembers Jennifer Mendelson, Claires mom. The first thing he said was Camp Ramah. Its everything you dream for your family, she continues. Its a fun, full-time, organic Jewish experience that creates leadership opportunities and friendships for life. These are people my children love. I love how we pray in nature, how we pray with our friends, how we sing during havdalah, says Claire. Its magical. Theres so much room for self-expression. Ramah gives young people a strong foundation, notes Adina. Who they will become will always include their basic Jewish values. Camp Ramah is an important touch point to Judaism for our family, says Dan. We believe very strongly in the importance of preserving it as a place that can give that experience to future generations. Every so often, an institution has to renew itself, Sandy explains. This is an important moment of physical renewal for Camp Ramah in New England. Claire Mendelson, for one, expects her special place in Palmer to be there for a good long time. I know this is planning far ahead, she says, but I hope its as much part of my kids lives as its been part of mine.

I feel so blessed to have Camp Ramah in my life. Who would I be, without this experience and without these friends? Claire
Mendelson Age 15

XXX | Ramah | Elevate

Every September, Camp Ramah in New England returns 1,000 people campers, counselors, and staff back to the world beyond Palmer. Back to Israel. Back to cities and towns up and down the east coast of the United States. Back to families and schools and synagogues and communities. Our people are enriched and enlightened by summers steeped in vibrant Jewish life, and they are sustained by friendships forged in the beauty of nature. They know the power of shared laughter and compassion and achievement and ritual and respect. They are thoughtful and committed sons, daughters, friends, spouses, parents, teachers, healers, community servants and community leaders. Our founders drew the name of this extraordinary place from values of aspiration and growth and transcendence naming it Ramah, which translates literally to high place or elevate. We embody those values every summer, as we help another generation of young Jews to reach higher, dream bigger, and develop spiritually, intellectually, emotionally and socially preparing them for lives of leadership, citizenship, and personal and professional fulfillment. And we all carry the spirit of Ramah with us throughout our lives, at camp and beyond in every mitzvah we perform. Just as a Ramah summer is the work of many hearts, minds, hands, and voices, the success of The Campaign for Camp Ramah in New England will depend on the generosity of every member of our family. Your participation will make it possible for us to sustain and grow our community one child, one young adult, one family at a time for generations to come. Please join us.

| Shalom

Rendering of new Chadar Ochel (Dining Hall)

Our son, Sam, is 24. He started in the Tikvah Program at 16. It was hard for Sam to be part of organized Jewish classes or involved in the synagogue. Without Camp Ramah in New England, he would have had much less exposure to Judaism. But he can speak some Hebrew. Hes had exposure to Jewish values and teachings. And he has a real sense of connection to Israel. Sam lives in his own apartment. He volunteers in the cafeteria of a Jewish Day School. We marvel every single day that Sam has such a full life, and were proud that hes such a caring person. Ramah is a big part of that. The whole culture is about being caring towards your neighbors. Over the years, the staff has both coached Sam directly and modeled compassionate, empathetic behavior Camp Ramah in New England taught . Sam to be a mensch.

Judith Beck, Board Member, Philadelphia

Camp Ramah in New England 2 Commerce Way Norwood, MA 02062 Tel: (781) 702-5290 Fax: (781) 702-5239 www.ramahblog.org

www.campramahne.org