Happy Marcheshvan! I have two important updates to share - both represent positive steps forward for this institution and for our community. I. The Lawsuit. We know that many of you have been waiting for an update on the recent lawsuit against Camp. We committed to updating you as soon as we were able; this week we took a positive step forward for our community by executing a settlement agreement that officially concludes the lawsuit. We are glad that we were able to come to an agreement for all parties involved. Although we are not able to discuss the terms of the settlement, nor can we share the underlying details of the lawsuit, we want to let you know that we closely examined the events from that summer and learned—and will continue learning—from this experience. Since 2018, we have been taking consistent steps to strengthen our child-safety protocols, which includes staff training, a camper-support model, and governance. In 2020, we formed a Child Safety Committee. This past spring, our board adopted Shomrei Yeladim (Guarding our Children), a child safety policy which was long in the making and which codified many policies and practices that were already in place at Camp. Shomrei Yeladim is a living document that we will continually review with an eye toward improving our practices. We also intend to continue working with the many best-in-class professionals who have been providing consent training to our campers and staff, child-abuse prevention and detection training to our staff, and regular child-safety advice and consulting to our senior staff. We heard the concerns many of you have voiced over recent months and want to assure you that we are working tirelessly to make Ramah Berkshires a leading institution in camper safety and care, as well as a joyous place for children to spend their summers and flourish. II. Our Interim Director. We are excited to share that Susie Charendoff will serve as our new Interim Camp Director beginning November 1. The search for a permanent camp leader has been launched and you will be hearing from the search committee soon. Susie joins the Ramah Berkshires family with an invaluable blend of 25 years of organizational leadership experience, entrepreneurial vision, and a passion for the power of Jewish camping to nurture and transform children’s lives. Not to be overshadowed by her corporate experience, Susie's lifelong connection to Jewish camping began as a seven-year-old camper, continuing on as staff in the same Jewish overnight camp. When her children were younger, Susie spent five summers serving in a variety of roles at Camp Ramah Nyack (2003-2008), ultimately joining the leadership team as Program Director where she was responsible for the planning and execution of programming for hundreds of campers. This past summer, Susie was responsible for camper care and staff development for the oldest edot at Camp Ramah Darom. In addition to her camp experiences, Susie’s deep experience growing startups and transforming businesses, coupled with her expertise in consulting, strategy, and human resources, will be a tremendous asset to help move Ramah Berkshires forward to next summer. Susie shared: “I am excited to work with the Berkshires community helping to deliver camp experiences that inspire a lifelong love of Jewish values and community.” Susie 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. And while we are optimistic that our search committee will identify the Director candidate of choice in time for Kayitz ‘23, Susie is also planning to be with us into the summer to facilitate a seamless handover to benefit the campers, staff, and specialists. Please join me in getting to know Susie on November 9 at 7:30pm at a community Town Hall. Register HERE for the meeting. Before closing, I must thank the entire team of dedicated, caring professionals who have been working tirelessly in service to Camp. We are lucky to have their skills and talents, and we look forward to showcasing their efforts over the upcoming months. Kol tuv, Atara Jacobson
President, Ramah Berkshires
www.ramahberkshires.org | 
