September 7, 2010 * 28 Elul 5770 Visit us on the Web at: www.ramah.org News from Camp Ramah in California
|
|
Shalom Ramah Community - We just completed a phenomenal summer
season! It's hard to believe that camp ended over three weeks ago - kayitz
2010 was one of our best yet! Campers from all over the world enjoyed
memorable Ramah activities like art, sports, swimming, cooking, Israeli
dance, hiking and more.
This e-mail contains so much important information about upcoming Ramah events
and info on how to sign up for Summer 2011 (hurry, spaces are already filling
up!), so be sure to look through this email carefully.
Shanah Tovah to the entire Ramah community - may the 5771 year bring happiness, health and fun for all! |
|
|
Ramah LA Office Holiday Hours
Over the next few weeks the Los Angeles Business Office will be closed in celebration of the upcoming Jewish Holidays.
Here's a schedule of our holiday hours through the end of September:
* Wed., Sept. 8: Closed at 2:30pm for Rosh Hashana
* Thurs. & Fri., Sept. 9 & 10: Closed for Rosh Hashana
* Fri., Sept. 17: Closed at 2:30pm for Yom Kippur
*Wed., Sept. 22: Closed at 4:00pm for Sukkot
* Thurs. & Fri., Sept. 23 & 24: Closed for Sukkot
* Wed., Sept. 29: Closes at 4:00pm for Sukkot
* Thurs., Sept. 30 & Fri., Oct. 1: Closed for Shemini Atzeret & Simchat Torah
We wish you and your family a festive holiday season!
17525 Ventura Blvd.
Suite 201 (2nd floor)
Encino, CA 91316 |
Business Office Notes
Lost & Found:
A
few of our campers are still missing personal items from camp. Please
check
your child's belongings to make sure everything they came home with
belongs to them. If they have brought items home that belong to someone
else, please contact our Los Angeles office and we will arrange getting
these items
to the correct camper.
Financial Aid:
New
this year - Financial Aid applications are now available and
should be submitted with the camper application and payment plan
contract for
anyone who is needing financial assistance to attend summer camp in
2011. Please read carefully and complete the entire Financial Aid
Application. 2009 tax forms and supporting documents are due with the
application. 2010 tax forms and supporting documents must be sent in by
March 2, 2011. To access the Financial Aid Application, click here.
2010 Fees:
Invoices for 2010 medical fees were sent last week. Please
remember that all 2010 outstanding fees must be paid in full in order to
register for 2011. If you need any assistance with this matter please call our office and
ask to speak with Wendy, ext. 227 or LaToya, ext. 228. |
Put On Your Dancing Shoes!
Put your dancing shoes on and celebrate a fabulous weekend of dancing fun Friday,
January 14 - Sunday, 16, 2011!
Rikkudiah is a festival of Israeli folk dance at Camp Ramah in California, a
unique weekend combining the beauty and joy of Israeli dance with the
celebration of Shabbat - including a special dance program just for kids.
Reconnect with friends, learn new dance moves and relax in the majestic Ojai
valley.
Registration forms will be available in the coming weeks, so be sure to mark your calendars. Check the Rikkudiah section of our website, here, for information.
|
Experience Ramah All Year Long!
Camp Ramah in California
is proud to offer a number of programs throughout the year to keep the camp
spirit alive between summers.
Mark your calendars now, and keep your eyes out for future e-mails and mailings
with registration information for the following programs:
· Rikkudiah (Israeli Dance Encampment), January 14 - 16, 2011
· Passover Institute, April 18 - 27, 2011
· Women's Spirituality Weekend, May 13 - 15, 2011
For more information on any of these exciting programs, email us at info@ramah.org.
We can't wait to see you at Ramah soon! |
Shabbat Candle Lighting Times for September
Fri Sept. 10: 6:49pm
Fri Sept. 17: 6:40pm
Fri Sept. 24: 6:30pm
|
|
|
|
Don't Miss Out on Summer 2011
Take Advantage of New Online Application &
Early Enrollment Discounts!
 Summer 2011 will be great! Don't wait until after the Jewish holidays to secure your spot, and
don't pass up on the opportunity to obtain an Early Enrollment Discount. Mazal Tov to the Kravetz, Kohavi & Swanson families - the first three to submit 2011 applications using our new online
system!
Ramah summers are filled with swimming, arts, sports, Israeli dance and Jewish
music, outdoor adventure, warm Shabbat celebrations and much more! You can
depend on our staff to help children entering 3rd to 10th grade discover their
own talents and interests and find the connection between the Jewish tradition
and their own lives.
Great discounts are available for the 2011 summer! Families
who register by October 15, 2010 will save $120 off the cost of 4-week program
or $65 off the 2-week program. New
discounts are also available for siblings and families who pay by check. First time families and/or campers may be
eligible for one of a number of campership incentives between averaging $1,000
off the cost of camp fees. Information on campership incentives and the
Ramah scholarship process are available soon on our website here.
To access our online application click here. As of today we have already received nearly 100 applications
for Summer 2011. Session options
include:
1st Session (4-10th grade): June 22 - July 19th
2nd Session (4-10th grade): July 21 - August 17th 
Gesher A (3-4th grade): June 22 - July 5th
Gesher B (4-5th grade): July 6 - July 19th
Gesher C (3-4th grade): July 21 - August 3rd
Gesher D (4-5th grade): August 4 - 17th
|
Camp Ramah in California Honors the
Reisbaums, Schlesingers and Spitzers
On Thursday, December 9, 2010, at Sportsmen's Lodge in Studio City, Camp Ramah in
California will honor Tara & Jay Reisbaum, Sandi & Avi Schlesinger and
Marci & Andrew Spitzer at our annual fundraising dinner. It is
our great pleasure and privilege to honor them for their outstanding
leadership, accomplishments and contributions to Camp Ramah and the Jewish
community. The evening promises to be a memorable-and fun-experience. We
hope you will join us and demonstrate your support for our good friends by
attending the dinner and/or placing a tribute to them in the DVD Tribute
Journal. Click here to reserve your tribute!
Each of the honorees has a unique and special relationship
to Camp Ramah in California and to each other as campers,
staff and even "Ramah romances". They have become the closest of friends
through camp, and their children have grown up together, both at camp and in
the community. All of the honorees have served Camp Ramah as active, dedicated
volunteers, including Jay, Avi and Andrew's long tenures as Board and Executive
Committee members, with Jay also serving as Board chair. Tara, Sandi and Marci
have worked at camp many summers, and have served on countless Ramah
committees. Also, over the years, Tara has served as Tikvah program director
and Marci has coordinated the Moreshet program.
We hope to celebrate with you on December 9th!
|
Tikvah Corner:
A Fabulous Time For All at Camp Ohr Lanu
 This summer we welcomed 29 families to our third annual Camp
Ohr Lanu a camp for families who have children with special needs. The
families were brought together to enjoy the beauty and magic of Camp Ramah.
As one parent said "it is the best thing our family has ever
done."
There were programs for the parents such as conversations
about bar/bat mitzvah planning or how to celebrate shabbat. There were
special activities for the siblings, in which they created community and shared
what it is like to have a sibling with special needs. And there were activities
for the child with special needs such as dance, the ropes course and krav maga.
Together, as families we enjoyed hiking, davening, swimming
and climbing up the brand new ropes course.
Save the date for Ohr Lanu summer 2011 - August 19 - 24!
|
Join Camp Ramah in California
on Facebook & Twitter!
 Become a fan of Ramah on Facebook and get our tweets through Twitter! Get updates on all of Ramah's happenings including: special camper contests, enrollment deadlines, Ramah events, Ramah's year round programs, what schools and synagogues we will be visiting, special summer announcements and so much more!
 With over 900 fans, join our Facebook community today! To become a fan of ours on our Facebook page, search for Camp Ramah in California in the Facebook search box and add as one of your pages.
To follow Ramah on Twitter simply visit our twitter page at: http://twitter.com/CampRamahCA.
We look forward to keeping in touch with our Ramah community through both Facebook and Twitter!
|
Farewell from Rabbi Dan
Dear
Community of Camp Ramah in California,
Jennifer
and the boys and I have arrived in Jerusalem and are getting settled in for the
year. On August 31st, I officially concluded my tenure as
Executive Director of Camp Ramah in California. Over the past nine
summers, it has been a pleasure and an honor to care for the children of our
community and to get to know so many of you and your families. I have
been humbled to play a small role as teacher and rabbi in your lives and the
lives of the children of our community. Even as I move on from this
position, I would love to keep in touch with you and, in particular, to share
with you my experiences and reflections during this upcoming year in
Israel.
If you are interested in following my blog, please feel free to
see the first few posts at: http://rabbidanielgreyber.blogspot.com/and
click "subscribe by email" to be notified when new posts go up.
You
can also follow me on Facebook by clicking: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Rabbi-Daniel-Greyber/105866049455568?ref=sgm
If
you are in Jerusalem this year or Durham, NC in the future, be sure to be in
touch. I hope our paths continue to cross in the future. Until
then...
Kol
Tuv (only good),
Rabbi
Dan
dgreyber@yahoo.com
|
|
Shanah Tovah Ramah Community
Rabbi Joe Menashe, Executive Director
As I begin my tenure as Executive Director of Camp Ramah in
California, I look forward with immense excitement and great anticipation. However, the first holiday to celebrate is
Rosh Hashanah, which reminds us first look back before looking ahead. One of the significant themes of Rosh
Hashanah is Zichronot,
remembrance. In fact, the name Rosh
Hashanah does not appear in the Torah.
Instead, one of names referring to this holiday in the Torah is Yom Ha-Zikaron, Day of Remembrance.
 Just as Rosh Hashanah directs us to look back
over the previous year, to reflect first and only then, begin anew, I too want
to look back and learn from the rich history of Camp Ramah in California. In the months ahead I hope to hear from
alumni going back to the 50's. I want to
gain insight from former lay leaders who helped to develop this strong and
dynamic organization. I want to learn
from former and current Ramah professionals, Ramah parents, summer staff, and
especially the current chanichim
(campers). As I learn from you and gain
a more nuanced understanding of our rich history, I will be better prepared to
help steward Camp Ramah in its next chapter. I truly want to hear from you. Please email or call rabbijoe@ramah.org or call (310) 476-8571
to share your stories, ideas, insights and suggestions.Regarding Ramah's recent history, I am mindful of Rabbi Dan
Greyber's nine magical summers at camp, his conscientious stewardship of Camp
Ramah and the incredible contributions he made at camp. I am grateful for his warm friendship and
assistance in helping to ensure a smooth transition. The entire Ramah family wishes Rabbi Dan,
Jen and the kids an enriching year in Israel and years of health and happiness
in North Carolina.May the New Year bring all of us health, happiness and
moments filled with the joy and magic of Camp Ramah in California. L'shanah tovah and I look forward to hearing
from you in 5771. |
|
Shanah Tovah,
Joe, Zach & Ilana
Rabbi Joe Menashe Dr. Zach Lasker Ilana Meskin
Executive Director Camp Director Board Chair
|
Phone us: 888-Camp-Ramah
Write us: 17525 Ventura Blvd.
Suite 201
Encino, CA 91316 |
|
|
|
|
