Palmer Stories

"I was only able to make it to camp as a staff member. I had a friend who told me Ramah in New England would be a fun summer job. Little did I know that 4 summers later it would feel like a second home. Camp embraced me immediately and I have really felt welcome there. I have been able to develop my own sense of self and my relationship to Judaism as well as feel a real sense of contribution to the Jewish people. There are few more powerful experiences than Jewish summer camping and to participate in a camp that does it so well is a real honor. Facilitating this experience for Jewish youth has been a source of great pride for me. I just want to say thank you to Camp Ramah in New England."
JF, Rabbinical Student, JTS, New York

"Camp is not about miracles. It is about the everyday moments, living a fun and enriching Jewish life. However, what to a staff member at camp is the ordinary routine of camp would likely be considered miraculous by most anyone else. At Ramah, we are used to helping teenagers debate the meaning of the birkat hamazon, assisting immediate post-bar/bat mitzvah kids read Torah for Shabbat, and successfully convincing ten year old boys to dance to Israeli music, but this does not happen magically. It is a product of the Ramah approach. As a member of Tzevet Ramah (Ramah staff), I have worked hard with my fellow staff members to develop creative programs and activities that combine both the fun aspects of any summer camp with Jewish content. Campers therefore associate Judaism with fun.

My favorite illustration of the Ramah approach is a peulah (program) called "Aerobic Tefillot (services)." Although everyone at camp attends services every morning, once a year I put together a special experience where campers and staff work together to make prayer motions (bowing, swaying, wrapping tefillin) into dance moves. Then we incorporate these dance moves into a dance routine using popular American and Israeli music. It is always a lot of fun and everyone comes away from the experience with an incredible realization that Ramah succeeds at taking the ordinary moments and making them extraordinary."
JBR, Rosh Edah, Norfolk, VA

"Everything I ever needed to know I learned as a counselor at Camp Ramah. The experiences provided as a staff member have been invaluable in that I have learned how to work with anyone, how to manage a group and how to keep to a budget. Its also taught me to think on my feet and enabled me to create programs that are interesting, educational and fun.

After being a camper for many years, I was still surprised at how rewarding the experiences I had as a staff member were. These are memories I will cherish. Being a counselor provided for me the opportunity to infuse the love of Camp Ramah that I hold so dearly into a whole new generation. I was able to teach and learn from the experience. I look forward this summer with great anticipation to seeing my former campers become counselors, with bunks of their own, passing on their experiences."
AHS, Rosh Edah, Newton, MA

"I started going to camp when I was going into seventh grade. I will be graduating from college this May and I am still spending my summers in Palmer. My friends joke about how I still go to camp, but honestly everything I learned about friendship and Judaism, I learned at Camp Ramah."
JUS, 11 summers – and counting - at Camp Ramah in New England.

"This past summer was, by far, my favorite summer ever! It was my second year as Rosh Ilanot and I had a blast. Who knew a job could be so much fun?! My staff was inspiring and phenomenal. The kids were hilarious, and always ready with a funny story about something that happened that day. One of my campers' favorite activities was trying to tip me out of my boat on the agam (lake) which really was quite fun for me as well, particularly on hot days! The support and guidance that I received from the senior staff made the job both rewarding and very memorable. Who could ask for more?"
RS, JTS student, North Easton, MA