Hit the road for a good cause

Eric Parkes (center) at Camp Ramah with his Tikvah program counselors, Josh Sowalsky (left) and Nadav Slovin.

WEST HARTFORD The Second Annual Tour de Shuls bike (or walk or run!) ride to benefit the Tikvah Program for developmentally challenged adolescents at Camp Ramah will pedal off from Beth El Temple at 2626 Albany Ave. in West Hartford, on Sunday, June 19. Beth El’s Rabbi James Rosen will lead the pack of community members representing more than 20 participating synagogues, day schools and youth groups throughout Connecticut and parts of Massachusetts.

Launched in 1970, the Tikvah Program provides campers with a full camp experience.

Among those participating will be 19-year old Eric Parkes of Fairfield and his family. A veteran camper at the Palmer, Mass. overnight camp, Eric was born with Tuberous Sclerosis, Seizure Disorder and Autism.

Eric began Camp Ramah when he was thirteen years old and he will be attending for his sixth summer this June, says his mother Penney Parkes. At Camp Ramah, my son is treated like a typical kid¦sure he has more staff and some modified activities, but he feels part of a large and welcoming camp community. The staff is phenomenal; supportive, warm, caring and fun.

An expert at the ropes course and climbing tower, Eric has learned independent living skills through the Tikvah Program including learning to cook, dress himself, take directions and get along with peers.

Tour de Shuls offers five different distances to choose from for the ride, walk or run. Lunch and entertainment by The Klezmen will be provided.

To register or for more information visit www.tdsct.com.

Bike, walk, run for a cause.

Read more

Last Motzei Shabbat, at the C Hacienda Forestview Hotel in Maalot, Israel, 40 plus Ramah Galil bikeriders celebrated Lag B’Omer with a bonfire and performance by the Shuk, featuring former Amitzim rosh edah and voc ed advisor, Ami Yares. This allowed me to spend ever more time with my mentors, Herb and Barbara Greenberg, founders and directors for 29 years of the TIkvah Program at Camp Ramah in New England. I was privileged to work with and learn from the for 6 years prior to their making aliyah. Since taking over as director 11 years ago, I continue to be in regular contact.

Last Shabbat, the Greenbergs and I had an opportunity to lead two session for the riders on the history of Tikvah. The 40 riders and various guests were amazed to hear about the early years–trying to get camps to agree to “take” Tikvah, trying to recruit campers and staff, etc. And they were treated to stories illustrating how far we have come–Tikvah Israel trips, an inclusion program, extensive vocational training opportunities, and special needs programs in many Ramah camps in the US and Canada.

The riders, who raised more than $205,000, which will be distributed to the various Ramah camps and National Ramah to support special needs camping, left with a strong connection to the cause they are riding for!

Read more

Read Tikvah Director Howard Blas’ thoughts on how bringing the Ramah special needs program directors together on a regular basis (via video conferencing and google groups) has lead to more collaboration on many levels between the Ramah camps in the US and Canada. Most recently, a group of “star” special needs counselors came together, under the able leadership of former amitzim counselor and voc ed advisor Shayna (Hersh) Fel, at Camp Ramah in New England, to share program ideas, offer support, etc. http://jjffeducators.blogspot.com

Read more

Five days on a bike, riding with 40 riders through the Golan Heights and the Galilee to raise more than $200,000 for Camp Ramah special needs camping programs, gave me new perspective on my Ramah Special Needs Program

Directors CoP (read “Nurturing an Online Community of Practice:http://www.lookstein.org).

In the past few weeks, I have been wondering if our small, “closed,” directors CoP has reached an impasse and is in need of some “new life.” Perhaps the recent fall off in participation is seasonal. As the camp season approaches, camp directors are very busy–maybe even too busy to actively participate in monthly CoP video conferences and google group discussions. . When participation wanes, I sometimes wonder if we have reached an impasse and need to breathe new life.

Now I think we simply need to measure success differently. While in Israel, there were two wonderful developments very much connected to (and more likely an outgrowth of) the CoP. In fact, both developments occurred precisely because the Ramah special needs directors are in regular contact.

The CoP has demonstrated to the National Ramah director and the National Ramah Commission that there is great benefit in having all Ramah special needs programs working more closely together. The seven programs—spread out across the United States and Canada—are part of a larger whole, and we special needs program directors have a lot to share with each other.

The first successful outgrowth of our CoP was the Ramah Galil Bike ride itself! http://www.ramahbikeride.org Riders connected to all seven Ramah camps came out in support of the various Ramah special needs programs. Two special Shabbat panel discussion with Tikvah Program founders, Herb and Barbara Greenberg, and me, taught the riders about the 41 year history of the Tikvah Program at Camp Ramah in New England–Ramah’s first program for campers with special needs. They also learned about challenges, successes and the many Ramah overnight and family camp programs for campers and their families. The riders became more aware and therefore more connected to the cause.

Second, while the riders were enjoying Israel, raising money, and learning about the Ramah special needs programs, a special group of experienced Ramah counselors—from the various special needs programs across the US and Canada—were meeting together (at Camp Ramah in New England) for the first ever joint training program—and it was underwritten from the proceeds of the ride. The riders enjoyed the phone call on our last evening with the dozen or so star counselors—they took a break from their learning and sharing to thank us.

I was smiling for an additional reason. They didn’t know it yet, but their desire to stay in contact, share programs, offer support and start a google group, was leading them to…the formation of a Ramah special needs counselors CoP!! The wheels on the CoP truly go round and round!

Read more