Camp days are filled to the brim with excitement, friendship, and wonder! Read on to learn about the fun-filled activities at Ramah Nyack!
Challenge and Adventure
Our low ropes course is a collection of obstacles and thrills appropriate for campers of all ages. Campers make their way through the “Spider Web” or “Pirate’s Crossing,” and participate in challenges requiring teamwork and strategic thinking. Younger campers enjoy running around our magnificent playground or climbing the “Spaceball,” while older campers favor our high ropes course. Campers love flying down the zipline, maneuvering across the “Islands in the Sky,” and reaching to the very top of the Migdal (climbing tower) where they scribble their names at the top as a record of their exciting achievement.
Performing and Creative Arts
Campers show off their star power in a Ramah musical theater production. They create their own glazed pottery in the ceramics studio and bead a faux-pearl necklace in our art studio. They design a marionette puppet, or build a wooden menorah or model airplane in our woodworking center. Specialists in the following art centers help campers create amazing memories or memorabilia: drama, music, dance, tie-dying, ceramics, beading, arts and crafts, and woodworking.
Sports
Ramah coaches will help campers play hard and hone their athletic talents. They develop basketball and softball skills in our specialized clinics, learn a proper yoga stretch or how to land a cartwheel in gymnastics. Campers practice their tennis serve on the court or learn to play goalie (in full gear) during a floor hockey session. Professional soccer (Super Soccer Stars) and baseball specialists will join the Ramah sports team four times a week in order to advance training to a new level! Ultimate frisbee, volleyball, kickball, capture the flag and more active fun round out the weekly sports schedule.
Exploration
Some campers enjoy baking and decorating cupcakes in the kitchen while others would rather use those same ingredients to make play dough or carry out wacky experiments in one of our three science program areas. And other campers want to tend the garden, learn scouting skills, or build the perfect campfire at our nature center. Summer is the time for campers to explore their environment and Ramah educators will help them do just that. Our expanded STEM program is an exciting new addition to camp. Each edah will focus on a unique project including 3D printing, animation, and Scratch coding, an internet-based programming tool.
Swim
Our Red Cross certified lifeguards provide daily lessons at all levels in our four heated pools. Swimmers learn through small group instruction so that real progress can be achieved. Our gradual entry pool for younger campers begins at a depth of just two feet so that new swimmers can stand easily and with confidence. Already a swimmer? Our 25-yard pool is wide and has a large deep end so that older campers can increase their endurance, refine their strokes, and practice diving. Of course, all campers enjoy cooling off, performing underwater handstands, and spending time with friends during general swim!
Jewish Living and Learning
Ramah’s unique educational program strengthens campers’ connections to Judaism and Israel. Older campers may design and tie-dye a tallit, build a life-size sukkah, or create puppets to dramatize great Jewish stories. Younger campers may arrive home eager to play “Dag Maluach” (the Israeli version of Red Light/Green Light) or hang Mizrach (East, towards Jerusalem) signs that were created while learning about Jerusalem. In daily shiur (informal class), Jewish educators ensure that campers learn about Jewish tradition through performance arts, active games, and crafts. A short morning tefillah (prayer) experience, which includes spirited singing, helps to kick-start the camp day. A younger camper might design a personalized siddur (prayer book) or learn the meaning of prayers through song and hand motions. An older camper may learn cantillation and begin to chant a few lines from the Torah in preparation for a bar or bat mitzvah celebration. Through a variety of these daily activities, Ramah campers learn to embrace Jewish heritage and Jewish pride!