We are proud to present the 2024 Ramah Nyack Impact Report, which focuses on our commitment to the future of camp, as well as the many bright spots that we experienced together as a kehillah (community) during this very difficult year.

2024 began with a volunteer mission to Israel. Dozens of Ramahniks, eager to provide hands-on support to our brothers and sisters in Israel, spent several days working the land, meeting with chayalim (soldiers), and having meaningful conversations. We were privileged to have the opportunity to be in Israel together and do whatever we could to help. A bright spot.

As usual, spring was busy with pre-camp work, but this year we experienced an unprecedented number of inquiries from Israeli families who had traveled to the U.S. to find stability during the war. With the support of our professional and lay leadership, we immediately knew that we would find a way to welcome them into our summer home. Thanks to the generosity of many, we worked swiftly to secure all of the funds needed to make this possible and to integrate these new camp families and chanichim (campers) into our kehillah. Another bright spot.

Our countdown to camp was filled with a sense of enthusiasm – the need to be together and gather in the name of Am Yisrael. We could not wait to welcome hundreds of chanichim, and young adult tzevet (staff) – many of whom had faced challenges on college campuses throughout the country and were craving a safe space where they could proudly live Jewishly. They needed camp, and they needed each other. A bright spot, for sure.

We danced, we rejoiced, and we felt so much gratitude when our mishlachat (Israeli delegation) arrived at our gates. The largest mishlachat in Ramah Nyack’s history, and the largest of all camps in the U.S., these beautiful, smart and engaging young adults, many of whom arrived in camp after literally leaving the battlefields of the north and south just days before their flights, found a much needed respite in camp. They were able to experience some distance from the war, to process the difficulties of the past year with their peers, to be supported by our American tzevet, and to be inspired by the smiling faces of our chanichim who were so eager to get to know them. Perhaps, this was the brightest spot of them all.

During our nearly eight weeks together, we watched as our kehillah played, danced, sang, made life-long friendships, spoke Hebrew and demonstrated their passionate love of Israel. Chanichim grew in so many ways, as did our tzevet. It was a bright summer, which we all needed.

And, throughout this entire year, we held space and prayed for our staff alumnus Omer Neutra, z”l. For 423 days, Omer’s parents, Ronen and Orna Neutra, fought with every fiber of their being to bring him home. We heard their cries firsthand when they joined us at camp this summer at Zimriyah. They spoke of Omer’s light, his zest for life, his love of basketball and love of Israel. They talked about his innate ability to lift others up and to make sure that everyone always felt included. They spoke of his connection to Ramah Nyack – a place that he loved, and where he was beloved. We hope that being with our kehillah kedosha (sacred community) that evening provided the Neutra family with a modicum of comfort. Omer was a Gibur Yisrael, a hero of Israel, and his neshama (soul) is a bright light. We will not stop until all of the bright souls remaining in captivity are united once again with their families. #BringThemHomeNow.

We are honored to continue the legacy of Academies at Gerrard Berman Day School through a substantial grant. And to bookend this year, we are preparing for another mission to Israel in January 2025, where we will once again do whatever we possibly can to support Am Yisrael. As we look ahead, we know that our future is bright. Our purpose remains clear: to continue to foster meaningful relationships, lifelong connections to Judaism, and instill Ahavat Yisrael (a love of Israel). We are excited to officially launch The Livnot Atid Capital Campaign to enhance the staff experience, as our tzevet are the backbone of our kehillah.

We could not possibly accomplish all that we have without the dedication of our year-round team, and your generous support, for which we are profoundly grateful. Todah Rabah (thank you) to our donors, and the many families and individuals who recognize the importance of camp and help us soar. As this year comes to a close, we hope you will please consider Ramah Nyack among your charitable giving. We hope you will consider supporting both our Livnot Atid Capital Campaign, and our Scholarship Fund to ensure more children have the opportunity to experience the magic of Ramah Nyack.

We hope that you celebrate our many successes as your own, and in the darkness, that our bright spots bring you warmth, comfort and joy. Thank you for your trust and commitment as we continue to shape the next generation of Jewish leaders.

With great anticipation, we are thrilled to officially launch The Livnot Atid Capital Campaign. Designed to enhance the staff experience, we are more than halfway toward our fundraising goal, and renovations have begun. See our progress and get involved! Dream, lead, inspire, and help us build the future of Ramah Nyack.

The evolution of The Livnot Atid Capital Campaign
At our Annual Dinner on July 17, 2023, we celebrated the Ramah Nyack Staff Experience and joyfully reminisced about camp with tzevet in attendance from just about every decade of our 60+ year history. We unveiled The Livnot Atid Capital Campaign, complete with beautiful renderings, and were encouraged by the very enthusiastic response and support we received that evening. In terms of outreach, we announced that our plan was to officially launch just after the High Holidays, later that Fall. However, due to the horrific events of October 7, we felt it was only appropriate to put our large-scale, public-facing fundraising efforts on hold, and focus our attention on supporting our kehillah (community) and our brothers and sisters, and Ramah mishpacha (family), in Israel. Since then, we continued to discuss the campaign with friends and supporters in more intimate settings. Even during this very challenging year, we are humbled and excited to share that we have made phenomenal progress toward our fundraising goal for Livnot Atid.

More than halfway to goal
Our exceptional staff has been the hallmark of Ramah Nyack since the very beginning. Improving our residential living quarters is important to ensure we will continue to attract and hire smart, talented and dynamic young adults. We are moved to realize how deeply this has resonated with our kehillah, as it is with tremendous gratitude that we share we have already secured $1,125,000 in donations and pledges for The Livnot Atid Campaign during a quiet phase of the campaign. We have made great progress, but there is more to do! We must raise an additional $975,000 to reach our fundraising goal. Please learn more about this campaign and consider becoming a sponsor to help us Build the Future of Ramah Nyack. Rabbi Ami Hersh is happy to discuss your involvement and answer any questions you may have about sponsorship opportunities, multi-year pledges and more.

Renovations have begun
We are more than halfway to completing all of the proposed construction and facilities upgrades as a part of this initiative. We aim to complete the project within the next 3 years and intend to renovate during the off-season to ensure there will be no disruptions while camp is in session. To date, we have completed phases 1 and 2.
• Phase 1 (2023): Ramot Ramah Dormitory HVAC Upgrades, Motel Dormitory full renovation.
• Phase 2 (2024): Gould Dormitories, Beit Knesset Dormitory, Beit Am Dormitory, HVAC Installation, full renovation.

The Livnot Atid Capital Campaign is an investment in our tzevet (staff), and in turn, an investment in our chanichim’s (campers’) experience
Ramah Nyack has been home to thousands of young adult tzevet throughout our 60+ year history. Our unique camp model – the only one of its kind in North America – is a demonstrated recipe for success. It is a summer community that is created for young adults, and by young adults. After fantastic, fun-filled days, our chanichim return home to their families, and our tzevet transition to the second part of their days and evenings. Our Etgar Ramah Staff Program is designed to engage our young adult tzevet in ways that are meaningful, fun, interesting, and lead to long-lasting friendships, a strong Jewish identity and a deep connection to Israel. We know that the investment we make in our tzevet – in the programming, the level of care, the food, the living quarters and the mentorship – directly impacts their well-being and happiness. Their contentment enables them to be focused, present, and amazing madrichim (counselors) and dugmaot (role models) to our chanichim.

A brief history: Ramah Nyack was founded just over 60 years ago, but that is only the second part of our story
Our campus was originally built as Mont Lawn, when the Christian Herald magazine (the then parent company of The Bowery Mission) founded a fresh air home in Nyack. Most of our current buildings were constructed approximately 120 years ago. This includes all but one of our dormitories. For the first 60 years, they were occupied by the Christian Herald Children’s Home, and for the second 60 years, by Ramah Nyack. While they have a “campy feel” and have served us well, they are showing their age and are in need of important upgrades. The Livnot Atid Capital Campaign will enable us to make critical improvements to our residential living quarters, increase efficiencies to our electrical & plumbing systems, renovate bathrooms in all staff dormitories, upgrade staff bedrooms and common spaces, and improve the HVAC systems.

Through Livnot Atid, we will Build The Future
With your support we will renovate staff dormitories, green our campus, and ensure that the current and next generations of staff will have a place to call their summer home for years to come. There are multiple opportunities for involvement in this campaign at all levels of support. Stay tuned for more information about parlour meetings to be scheduled next spring, and in the meantime, please contact us with any questions. We are so grateful for your support as together we will realize our dream and Build the Future.

Zimriyah Bet: Solelim, Tzeirim, Nevonim, Chalutzim/Bogrim

Zimriyah!

Zimriyah is a hallmark of a Ramah Nyack summer. Starting on the very first day of camp, our chanichim (campers) and tzevet (staff) begin to learn their songs and choreography. The anticipation leading up to Zimriyah is truly palpable. We marvel that thousands of Ramahniks seamlessly join together under the “big tent” for two outstanding performances during one amazing and magical evening. How beautiful it is, to watch our chanichim – as young as 4 years old – and hundreds of our young adult tzevet sing in Hebrew. It was especially moving, and spiritually uplifting, to be joined by more than 1,500 voices as we sang the final songs of the evening: Am Yisrael Chai, followed by Hatikvah. Save the date for Zimriyah 2025 on July 9!

Let’s Talk Sports!

Summer is synonymous with having fun outside. At any given moment at camp, the fields and various courts are filled with chanichim and lots of cheer! This summer, we added table tennis (aka ping pong) to our sports catalogue and everyone loved it! We were thrilled to welcome Iddo Etkin to our sports tzevet this summer as our table tennis instructor. A professional athlete in Israel and the former #1 ranked table tennis player in Israel, Iddo has traveled the world representing Israel on the international table tennis circuit. Iddo taught our chanichim proper form and shared his love of the sport. We will learn more from Iddo as he’s set to return for Kayitz 2025. Another racquet sport, pickleball is also a big “hit” at Ramah Nyack. Chanichim of all ages love to smack the ball! Finally, our basketball courts consistently see a ton of action all summer long. Situated right next to our aquatic complex, basketball is a favorite activity among our chanichim and tzevet alike. The basketball court was resurfaced last spring and the improvement was enjoyed by campers and staff.

The Arts: Individualism & Connection

Self expression and exploration abound at camp! Through the arts, our chanichim have many opportunities to make their imaginations come to life. Whether at omanut (arts & crafts), ceramica (ceramics), etz (woodworking) or ma’ayan (beading), the possibilities for fun and creativity are truly endless. This summer, the arts took center stage as we welcomed four artists to Ramah Nyack, and the results of their time at camp are filled with both beauty and meaning.

Our artist-in-residence, Hanoch Piven, worked with our chanichim and our tzevet during his amazing week with us in camp. Piven, an Israeli award-winning illustrator and educator, is known for reinventing the meaning and uses of everyday objects in his work. He taught our tzevet and chanichim the tenets of his style while working with them to support their own creativity. He taught our tzevet to look at life through a different lens, and encouraged them to question what they see and to explore their Israeli/Jewish identities. We are grateful to the Foundation for Jewish Camp for the support that made this experience possible.

Rabbi Michael Fel is no stranger to Ramah Nyack. For the past few summers, he has brought his passion for woodworking to camp, where he has helped create some of the most frequently used play-things in our midst! In fact, Rabbi Fel used his etz expertise to create the Rube Goldberg-inspired play-things that our chanichim play with every day in Park Mada. This summer, Rabbi Fel focused his efforts on creating a larger-than-life Adirondack style chair. The chair is BIG and our chanichim love it! It “sits” along our walkway into camp from the main entrance. This amazing addition to camp is a fun way to express hachnasat orchim – the Jewish value and tradition of welcoming guests – to our Ramah Nyack kehillah (community)!

Stained glass artists, Nancy Katz and Mark Liebowitz, spent a day with campers as they installed a stunning, newly commissioned stained glass piece as the ner tamid (eternal flame) in our camp beit knesset (synagogue). Over the past many decades, Nancy and Mark have designed and created many gorgeous stained glass art installations throughout the Northeast. While in camp, they explained their creative process to our chanichim, showed them examples from each step of their intricate work, and answered many questions from our eager and inquisitive bunch!

Last, but certainly not least, we commissioned artist Hannah Pearlman to paint a mural at the entrance of camp. It took a full week for Hannah to complete the mural, and we invited chanichim and tzevet to observe her process. What did she paint? If you are a Nyack Ramahnik (and even if you aren’t), you will understand. As you know, every Friday, during Shishi al HaMigrash, we end the week together dancing to the song “Amen,” made famous by Israeli musician Liora.

This powerful song evokes feelings of love, togetherness, holiness and simcha. We chose a poignant lyric from the song to include:

תן לנו ברכה האר פנינו
.פתח ליבנו שתמיד נשיר לך

“Bless us and shine upon our faces. Open our hearts so we will always sing for you.”

This line signifies what camp represents – a safe and happy place where our hearts are filled with song and joy. Now, any time someone enters or leaves camp, they will be reminded of this:

.ברוך אתה בבאך, וברוך אתה בצאתך

“May you be blessed when you enter and blessed when you leave.”

Known for academic excellence and for taking an individualized approach to education, Academies at Gerrard Berman Day School (GBDS) served hundreds of students and families in Northern New Jersey for 36 years. Due to rising costs, a shifting demographic, and decreased enrollment, GBDS closed its doors in 2022. Ramah Nyack is honored to have been awarded a substantial grant from the school leadership to help perpetuate the legacy of GBDS. We are privileged to share the history of GBDS through insights from members of its leadership who were deeply involved with the school and its community for many years.

What’s in a name?
Born in Patterson, New Jersey, Gerrard Berman (pictured above, with his wife, Ella) was passionate about Jewish education, music, the arts, and Conservative Judaism. “He was philanthropically-minded, and committed to supporting programs that would help strengthen Jewish identity and foster a love of Israel,” shared Beth Berman Wechsler, Gerrard’s proud granddaughter. Originally opened in 1986 as The Solomon Schechter Day School of North Jersey, in 1994 the name was changed to honor Gerrard a few years after he’d passed away, as he was a major benefactor of the school. Beth’s family had long been involved with GBDS; Beth served on its Board for 16 years, including for a time as Board President.

GBDS was small by design. The intention was never to be the biggest Jewish Day School, but rather to be sized-right to be able to provide individualized attention to the students, and play a meaningful role in the lives of the students’ families. Robert Smolen, a Jewish educator for 38 years, held many roles at GBDS, including as a teacher for 14 years, as the Middle School Director for 9 years, and Head of School for 5 years. “We took great pride in our familial approach, and in nurturing families along their Jewish journeys, from our dynamic pre-K classes all the way through the 8th grade,” Robert explained. A hallmark of the school was the personal connection that teachers would make with GBDS families. Bonds made among teachers, parents and students in the preschool would most often lead to enrollment in their K-8 program. Robert recalled fondly the joy that the teachers and all of the GBDS staff experienced when watching their students matriculate, and ultimately graduate, “ready – with a strong Jewish identity – to move on to the next chapter in their young lives.”

Why Ramah Nyack?
After it closed, GBDS leadership and advisors met regularly to determine what to do with its remaining resources. “We wanted to give the funds to an organization that would have a lasting impact as an ongoing tribute to GBDS,” Beth explained. “We also wanted to serve a similar catchment area, similar age group and of course, support an organization that holds similar values. My grandparents were also firm believers in the Jewish camping experience, and Ramah does it best.” A longtime Ramahnik, Beth knows firsthand the positive impact that camp has on Jewish identity. Beth currently serves as a member of the Ramah Nyack Advisory Committee, is an alumni tzevet (staff) member, and her three children were also chanichim (campers) and tzevet at Ramah Nyack.

“We were always supportive of the Ramah Nyack experience,” Robert explained. “Many of our teachers worked at camp during their summers, and our students were campers at Ramah Nyack as well. We viewed camp at Ramah Nyack as an extension of our program, in a way, as the continuity, repetitive opportunity to engage with Hebrew language, and the ruach (spirit) allowed our students to grow during our off-season. Being at Ramah Nyack during the summer ultimately made returning to school seamless.”

Robert shared that he too has a personal connection to camp as his children were tzevet, and he’s now the proud grandfather of two Ramah Nyack campers. “Camp allows kids to live joyously and Jewishly outside of the school walls, and we are pleased to support Ramah Nyack in their ongoing effort to do this important work.”

Ramah Nyack strives to imbue children and young adults with core Jewish values at a pivotal juncture in their lives, so that their time at Ramah will have a lasting impact on their future choices as Jewish adults. “We are incredibly proud to be given the opportunity to continue the legacy of GBDS, and to honor the memory and vision of Gerrard Berman, z”l, and his family, through our shared values, intentional approach to creating meaningful relationships, and building kehillah (community),” commented Rabbi Ami Hersh, Director, Ramah Day Camp in Nyack.

The energy and love in the room at our Annual Dinner on July 25th was palpable. We celebrated Our Enduring Love of Israel (Ahavat Yisrael B’Neshama) and honored beloved tzevet (staff) member, Kim Lori Sokol for her 25 summers at Ramah Nyack. It was a beautiful evening of heartfelt tributes to the meaningful relationships that are created at camp, and their impact on our connection to Israel, our Jewish identity, and our sense of self. We are grateful to event co-chairs Jane Berkowitz and Emily Isak for all of their efforts to make the event a great success. We are also thankful to all of our presenters and those who participated in the video tributes for sharing their experiences with us.

Our Enduring Love of Israel (Ahavat Yisrael B’Neshama)

Ahavat Yisrael (love of Israel) has been a core value of Ramah Nyack from the very beginning. Since we opened our gates during the kayitz (summer) of 1961, Israel – her people, culture, and history – has been an important part of the Ramah Nyack experience for both our chanichim (campers) and tzevet (staff). We take a thoughtful and multifaceted approach to Israel education. Each year we find new and improved age-appropriate ways to explore text, daven (pray), have fun with performing, fine and culinary arts, and access Hebrew language, all with the goal of deepening Jewish identity and connecting to the land and people of Israel. One of the most important aspects of our program is the presence and involvement of our shlichim – young adult emissaries from Israel whose energy and dynamism bring Israeli culture to life at camp. It is through meaningful discussions and relationship building with our shlichim that we develop even stronger connections to Israel.

It all starts with our chanichim (campers). Enrollment season is an exciting time: we offer in-person tours, online info-sessions, and are busy fielding inquiries from prospective families who have heard amazing reviews about camp from other very happy Ramahniks. This all results in very strong camper enrollment for both our traditional camp program, and our Sha’ar Hebrew Immersion program, which just successfully concluded its 11th summer. We also give careful thought to the programming we offer our tzevet (staff). Our goals are to ensure our tzevet receive the training they need to be the best possible dugmaot (role models), and acquire the life-skills they need to become the next generation of Jewish leaders.

Maintaining our beautiful grounds and large facility is also among our main priorities. Before each summer, and then again soon after we close for the season, we assess our 100+ year old facility and determine the areas which require investment in the short, and long-term. During the 2024 fiscal year, we invested over $700,000 in facility improvements. This year we completed many notable projects including the demolition and renovation of the White House porch – one of the most iconic and important gathering spaces in camp – which is home to our mirpa’ah (medical office), programmatic office, residential living spaces and is where edot (divisions) often congregate to socialize and learn together. We expanded our rear parking lot to allow for a smoother dismissal process for our buses, we replaced our “bankshot basketball system” on the blacktop near Beit Kochavim, and we resurfaced the basketball court on the poolside of camp. We have also made significant progress towards our Livnot Atid Capital Campaign, both in terms of fundraising and construction.

Our financial stability is critical to our mission of bringing joyful, spirited Jewish life and connection to hundreds of children and young adults every year. Fundraising is a keystone of our organization and we are proud that our kehillah continues to be inspired to invest in Ramah Nyack. Giving Tuesday 2024 was a huge success, raising more than $23,000 for the Ramah Nyack Scholarship Fund. We have seen a surge in support from new donors, as well as increasing support from returning donors, and we look forward to building on this momentum.

We are excited about our very bright future. Todah Rabah, thank you, for your continued support and for believing so deeply in the magic of Ramah Nyack.

We are grateful to the many donors whose ongoing and meaningful support sustains our summer home. Giving back to Ramah Nyack is an investment in the future of our people and the next generation of Jewish leaders. We are proud that our community continues to feel a strong connection to Ramah Nyack, and is inspired to give back so others are able to have a meaningful camp experience.

As 2024 comes to a close, please consider Ramah Nyack among your charitable year-end giving. There are many ways to give and we welcome the opportunity to discuss what works best for you and your family. For assistance with planning a gift which will benefit Ramah Nyack now, or in the future, please contact Rabbi Ami Hersh. We appreciate your consideration and wish you a happy, healthy, and safe year ahead. Todah Rabah! Thank you!