Dear Ramah Family, Chag Sameach! As I step into my role as Camp President, I want to thank Richie Friedman for his leadership as President for the past four years and as long-standing member of the Executive Committee. I look forward to his continued service as Immediate Past President. I am proud and privileged to serve Ramah Berkshires, an organization with connections to my family that span generations through my parents, my sisters and me, as well as my children. I know how important Camp is; the impact of a positive summer experience is profound and lifelong. We know that you have been eager to hear from us with leadership updates and we felt it was important to communicate this as soon as possible, even as Chag approaches: - In May, Rabbi Linden and the Board agreed that it was in the best interest of Camp for him to go on administrative leave. In that same spirit, Rabbi Linden has informed us of his decision to resign. We wish him all the best and know that we will miss his many talents, his energy and spirit, his warmth, and his passion for Jewish camping.
- To provide leadership over the upcoming months, we are bringing on a new interim Director. We have an exciting candidate for the role and will share more information as soon as possible. The interim will partner closely with our Chief Operating Officer, Yoni Saposh, and the entire office team, to prepare us for next summer and for the many important events, programs, and communications that occur between now and then.
- To help us find our next full-time Director, we have established a Search Committee that will conduct a national search for our next Camp leader for Kayitz '23. Lynn Weitzman has agreed to serve as committee chair. She is a parent of Elie (Gesher '19), Sigal (Gesher '22), and Gabriel (Gesher '26), as well as a member of the Board's Governance committee. She is joined by:
- Yoni Saposh, Chief Operating Officer
- Adi Rabinowitz, Board Senior Vice President
- Gena Cobrin, James Rothman, and Eric Weinstein, members of the Board
- Joan Bucholtz from our Grandparents Society
- Emily Rebenstock of our Alumni Association
- Victoria Feder, Camp parent and supporter
- Rabbi Harry Pell, Associate Head of the Leffell School and past Board member
In addition, the Search Committee has engaged as advisors Amy Skopp Cooper of the National Ramah Commission, and Board member Rebecca Kahn from the Federation for Jewish Camps. You will be hearing from the committee as they advance the search by gathering community input and insights that will be used to refine our search priorities. We are optimistic that the committee will identify the candidate of choice in time for the upcoming summer program. The interim Director is also planning to be with us during the summer to facilitate a seamless handover to our new Director and ensure that we maximize the best of their talents to benefit the campers, staff, and specialists. It is a Jewish holiday tradition to recite the Shehecheyanu prayer, thanking G-d for giving us life, sustaining us, and enabling us to reach this season. We see Ramah Berkshires as a key component of our sustenance—as individuals, and as members of a warm, compassionate, and loving community. To be sure, these past few months were challenging; we continue to learn from each challenge and are committed to continually improving Camp's ability to nourish our children and community with care, respect, and trust. These are the values that drive us forward and guide us as we plan for the upcoming summer. We have a lot to be grateful for as an organization—and a lot to look forward to as we set our sights on Kayitz 2023 and beyond. Atara Jacobson
President, Ramah Berkshires |
