Camp Ramah (Wisconsin)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Camp Ramah in Wisconsin is a Jewish summer camp based in Conover, Wisconsin on Lake Buckatabon. Campers stay at the camp for either 4 or eight weeks, depending on their age group, or "eidah". Following Nivonim, the last possible year as a camper, campers take the next summer off, or go to Israel via the Ramah Israel Seminar. The summer following the trip to Israel, they return to be a counselor. The current Director is Rabbi David Soloff, and the Assistant Director is Rabbi Joshua Cohen. Benji Bearman, a five time Rosh Aidah (Unit Head), was hired in the Fall of 2006 as the Business Manager. The camp is the original Ramah camp, meaning that is was the first one, opening in 1947. The camp is also host to a winter camp, as well as other Jewish organization's meetings, such as USY.

Contents 1 List of Eidot 2 Activities 2.1 Tarbut 2.2 Sport 2.3 Swimming 3 Yearly Events 3.1 Zimriah (Song Festival) 3.2 Rikudiah (Dance Festival) 3.3 Yom Sport 3.4 No Smoking 3.5 Musicals 4 External links

[edit] List of Eidot

• Garinim (Entering 5th grade, 3.5 weeks long)
• Halutzim (Entering 6th grade, 4 weeks long)
• Solelim (Entering 7th grade, 8 weeks long)
• Shoafim (Entering 8th grade, 8 weeks long)
• Bogrim (Entering 9th grade, 8 weeks long)
• Machon (Entering 10th grade, 8 weeks long)
• Tikvah (Program for campers with learning and social disabilities, 4 week and 8 week sessions offered)
• Nivonim (Entering 11th grade, 8 weeks long)

vocational is a 8 week program it is after your high school years. and u must be picked by the head of tikvah whict is rose sharon. the program is for 2 years if u met the requerments. and then there is staff and u must be picked by them and by a showal worker but it is a special one. then if u get picked then it will be good. and rabbi solff has to give the ok. *

[edit] Activities

[edit] Tarbut

Camp Ramah In Wisconsin offers a number of activities for the campers. The main "Tarbut" (Hebrew for "culture") activities are:

• Amanut (art)
• Nagarut (woodworking)
• Tzilum (photography)
• Radio
• Music
• Rikud (dance)
• Drama
• Singing

[edit] Sport

There are many options for sports that the campers can participate in, with the most popular two being basketball and softball, as there are inter-eidah games in these two sports. This year was the first time that ultimate frisbee was offered as an inter-eidah sport. There was only 1 game, Machon vs. Nivonim, with both genders playing in the same game. Other sports offered at camp include:

• Boating
• Lacrosse
• Tennis
• Soccer
• Gymnastics
• some years a self-defense or martial arts class is offered.
• Field Hockey

[edit] Swimming

Every eidah has a swim class once a day. At the beginning of the summer, campers are tested and are placed into a class depending on how strong a swimmer they are. However, when a camper is in Machon there is more choice involved, and campers get to pick what sort of class they are in, with the most important being the lifeguard training class, whose participants are certified lifeguards by the end of the summer.

[edit] Yearly Events

Tradition at camp states that there are always certain yearly events that take place.

[edit] Zimriah (Song Festival)

Early in the summer, usually the second week, the Zimriah or song festival takes place. Every Eidah learns a song that follows a theme for the summer, for example the year after Naomi Shemer died the theme was Naomi Shemer songs. Every eidah wears a color, and that color remains the same every year. This is then the first time that Nivonim wear their traditional over the top black costumes, more or less with the intent to scare the young campers. Also, the Nivonim line up in two rows by the entrance and cheer for the younger eidot as they enter, then come in last in single lines with their left hands formed into the shape of the Hebrew letter Nun. This hand symbol holds great importance to campers in Nivonim, and is a sign of eidah pride. After all eidot have sang their songs, each eidah stands up again and sings their own eidah song. Traditionally, the older eidot join in with the songs for the younger eidot. After all songs have been sung, the entire camp stands up and sings the Himnon Ramah, the camp song, which is traditionally sung after all campwide gatherings.

[edit] Rikudiah (Dance Festival)

Near the end of the summer, usually in the last few days of camp, the dance counterpart to the Zimriah takes place. However, instead of the entire eidah learning a dance it is only a small portion of the eidah (usually 5-10 girls, although this is not always the case, and boys do sometimes participate and sometimes there are large groups who participate) who actually dance. The Rikudiah is not treated as such a big deal as the Zimriah, although there are more dances: the Mishlachat (Israeli staff), the specialty staff (such as sports staff, dance staff, art staff, etc.) the kitchen staff and the administrative staff all perform a dance.

[edit] Yom Sport

Every year on the fourth of July, if weather permits, Yom Sport occurs. Yom Sport literally means "Sport Day". This day is very similar to the traditional "color wars" found at many other summer camps around the world. Campers are divided up into 4 teams, traditionally having Red, White, Blue, and some other color. Campers from Nivonim are chosen to be team captains, two for each team. Other Nivonim campers are chosen to be part of the black team, or "Team Uber", who are simply vice-administrators, and some would say "figureheads". Each team within each eidah compete with the other teams in the eidah all day long, while the day ends with a giant, campwide relay race called The Apache. The Apache changes every year, but usually has the traditional elements of a mummy wrap, a racer around the tennis courts, and building a tent. Not only those, but the end of the Apache is always the same; a representative of each team must kayak out to the island in the middle of the lake, then another representative must swim from the island back to shore, where the team captains from Nivonim must build a fire on the beach. The Apache ends when one team burns all the way through the rope that hangs above their fire. After dinner there is a campwide talent show with two acts from each eidah and then an act with all the boys from Nivonim and another act with all the girls.

There is much debate surrounding Yom Sport. Many claim that the outrageous point system is "rigged", and that the point totals at the end are simply based on teams overall performance, while the statistics are made up. Also, some campers have become lethargic in reference to Yom Sport, and skip all of its events by hiding in their cabins and eluding their proactive counselors. In some cases, counselors assist in the campers efforts to evade Yom Sport. In rare cases, such as that of the summer of 2003, Nivonim campers make their own small team for whatever reason, and attempt to fend for themselves. While they gain recognition, they are always far behind the regular teams.

Furthermore, in the summer of 2006 two Nivonim campers attempted the (arguably) greatest break off team in the history of Yom Sport. They attempted and succeeded the copying of team Uber and gave out bootleg points and recieved the traditional pop and food bribes including homemade cookies that were delicious. They were later condemned by the real Ubers and Yom Sport went on. But their memories will be ever engraved and remembered in our minds.

[edit] No Smoking

It is a tradition that on the last night of camp all the campers stay awake because they cannot return to their cabins. Late that night there is a program called "No Smoking" in which the entire camp gathers to listen to members of Nivonim reminisce about their camp experience and watch a slideshow of pictures taken that year. It is unclear exactly how No Smoking got its unusual name, at the program in 2006 the assistant director spoke saying that No Smoking is the name of a song written for the program, although there are many other stories of its origin.

At Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, the song is still sung on the last night of camp (as of the mid-1990's). It's words are "No smoking! Absolutely no smoking! Positively no smoking! Shavua Tov. Yai lai lai lai lai lai lai Shavua Tov (x3), Shavua Tov!" One story as to its origin is that after the Saturday night service ending Shabbat, called Havdalah, staff used to use the Havdalah candle to light their cigarettes. Hence the words "Shavua Tov," or "Good Week," in the song.

[edit] Musicals

Each eidah from Sollelim through Nivonim puts on a Broadway musical entirely in Hebrew. The plays more or less cycle through every 6 years or so, although this is not always the case. However, there are certain plays delegated to different eidot (plural of eidah), such as "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown"(2006) and Free to be You and Me" (2001) are always a Sollelim play due to its simple nature while more complex plays like "Chicago" (2004)and "Les Misarables" (2000,2006) are usually reserved for Nivonim because of its complex, mature subject matter.

[edit] External links

Official Site