Camp Rahmah Tikvah

Many years ago, Marcy Yellin, mother long time Amitzim camper and Voc Eder, Jacob Yellin, raised an interesting observation. I suspect her comment is no different from ones we hear from Ramah parents in all Ramah camps. The Yellin Family has LOVED Ramah and Tikvah. “Our only regret is that Tikvah is only two months and that we have to wait ten months for camp to start again. Why can’t it be ten months with only two months off?

We in Tikvah have been brainstorming ways to allow members of the community – campers, family members, staff members and numerous “friends of Tikvah” to be connected – both in person and virtually. I would like to introduce some of our “off season” projects. I plan to share details of each in future blog postings. I will strive to post entries an average of once a week.

For the past month or so, several Amitzim campers and counselors have been “piloting” a weekly “Shabbos is Coming” conference call where participants sing “Shabbos is Coming,” discuss the parsha, and shmooze. Voc Eders have been having a similar call with their advisors. How nice to share Shabbat all year round with camp friends!

Voc Ed and Post Voc Ed Staff, along with several Washington, DC – area Friends of Tikvah, had an idea – how about a reunion/Shabbaton in Washington! Stay tuned for details of our January 15-17th reunion – and wait until you hear about the “Tikvah Express,” magically transporting us to DC!

Speaking of reunions – did you know this is the 40th Anniversary of Tikvah? Our Tikvah Program was the first of the Ramah programs for campers with special needs and we are celebrating! Details of our July 11th in camp reunion – for former Tikvah campers and staff an families – will follow shortly. For now, send me anecdotes, stories and reflections (howardb@campramahne.org).

And a different type of Tikvah Reunion – Amitzim staff members and their dear friends from Teva Staff are planning a Shabbat get together in New York in early December. They just might be planning to connect with New York area campers…

Please stay tuned for news of the many ways staff, campers and families are staying connected all year round. I wish we COULD make Marcy Yellin’s suggestion of 12 month camping a reality. Short of that, let’s stay connected in person and virtually!


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It is always difficult to pinpoint the highlight of any visit to Israel. For ten Tikvah Program participants and alumni, who participated with Tikvah Director Howard Blas and two madrichim on a recent ten-day Tikvah Ramah Israel Program, all would likely agree that seeing camp friends ranks near the top of the list! Of course, picking red hot chili peppers for the poor in Renana, riding a 17 passenger golf cart through the rain at Agmon Hahuleh, playing with kangaroos at GanGaroo, joining thousands for Friday night davening at the Kotel, and covering ourselves in Dead Sea mud were also special — but seeing our camp friends was extraordinary.

We appreciated Yedida and Uri Tzivoni’s offer to have our farewell dinner at their home, as we have on our previous three trips. However, the situation in Gaza forced us to reroute from Emunin to Tel Aviv. Our Amitzim “Brave Ones” were truly brave during the first days of the Gaza Conflict. The Tzivonis (including Yoav), Ron Im HaZakan from Nagarut, Shani Lachmish, and many other mishlachat friends came to see us off at a very lovely Tel Aviv restaurant.

Israel is truly an amazing place. But nothing beats our very special Ramah New England friends!

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PALMER, MA — Finding a four course gourmet kosher meal in Palmer, Mass. is nearly impossible — unless Chef Paula Shoyer is in town. This summer, Chef Shoyer has returned to Camp Ramah in New England where she teaches a “select” group of campers about healthy, mouth-watering, kosher menu planning and cooking.

Shoyer comes to town as part of the “kishroniya” (expertise) program that combines specialty camping and Jewish experiential education. Choosing from a menu of sports, arts, and outdoor adventure, campers spend four hours a day learning from experts in their fields.

Prior to this years’ five day kishroniya, Shoyer spent two days cooking with Ramah’s Tikvah Program, an overnight camping experience for children with developmental disabilities such as mental retardation, autism, and cerebral palsy. Members of the Tikvah Vocational Training Program met with Shoyer to plan the Tex-Mex menu, discuss healthy, kosher eating, and come up with a shopping list. The group members carefully walked the aisles of the local Wal-Mart selecting fresh produce, spices, measuring spoons, muffin tins, etc. When they returned, they were greeted by Shoyer, who had set up cutting stations for the group in the newly renovated, handicapped accessible kitchen of the vocational training building.

Program member Leah quickly mastered the art of chopping lettuce for the salad. Benji was busy learning how to use the salad spinner to dry the lettuce.

Shoyer moved quickly among group members, highlighting their strengths and abilities.

“I didn’t know what everyone’s skill level would be. But it became clear pretty quickly that there was something everyone could do,” reports Shoyer. “They clearly felt good about what they were doing. Everyone was busy, and the kids were so warm, excited and enthusiastic about it — and they were so respectful of each other and me.”

After almost five hours in the kitchen, Shoyer and group members, including their advisors, Shayna Hersh and Marcia Glickman, sat down around a long table for a quiet, relaxed dinner.

“[Group members] challenged themselves, moved quickly, and really kept up,” notes Hersh. “And Paula did it in a way that was supportive — and it worked.”

The next day it was back to work for Shoyer, who spent several hours cooking with campers ages 13 to 18 in the Tikvah Program. Their menu consisted of cheese bourekas and chocolate cupcakes.

A lawyer by training, Shoyer received her pastry diploma from the Ritz Escoffier Ecole de Gastronomie Francaise in Paris, France in 1996. and operated a dessert catering business in Geneva, Switzerland for two years. She was also the recipe tester and editor of two popular Kosher cookbooks: Kosher by Design Entertains and Kosher by Design Kids in the Kitchen, both written by Susie Fishbein.

The mother of four, Shoyer runs Paula’s Parisian Pastries Cooking School form her home in Chevy Chase, MD. In addition to teaching classes to aspiring cooks ages 3 on up, she is currently at work on her own cookbook of non-dairy desserts and is preparing to launch a new “Kosher Baker’s Blog.” Shoyer is also in the midst of filming a pilot TV show on kosher baking.

Despite her busy schedule, Shoyer knows just where she’ll be next summer: back at Ramah, teaching kids to cook.

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Thirty-eight years ago, many people worried that having campers with special needs in a normal Jewish summer camp would be a disaster. Would those campers bring down the level of Hebrew and Jewish knowledge? Would the speciality staff know how to work with them? Would the regular campers not return in the future? Fortunately, the Tikvah Program Director and the camp director moved forward, invited a small group of children with disabilities to camp, and never looked back. The Tikvah Program continues to grow and evolve, offering an overnight camping experience for campers with various special needs at several locations in the U.S. and Canada.

In Palmer, Massachusetts, Tikvah campers follow a very busy daily schedule consisting of davening (morning prayers), breakfast, bunk clean up, three periods of morning activities, lunch, four afternoon periods, dinner, an evening activity, and finally, showering and bedtime. At the end of eight weeks, Tikvah parents have expressed their appreciation for the language, social and Jewish growth and the independence displayed by their children. Some of these campers with intellectual disabilities, autism and neurological impairments travel as much as a thousand miles to attend the program.

Tikvah campers, like their typical peers ages 9 through 16 years old, enjoy Israeli singing and dancing, swimming, boating, sports, arts and crafts, and electives such as the ropes course, drama, video production and web design. Tikvah campers also participate in vocational training, a buddy program with typical campers and various service projects within the camp. For example, we sold baked goods for soldiers in Israel, and we bake and sell challah each week. The money is being used to build a new water fountain near our baseball field in memory of a dear friend/camper who died of a heart problem a few years ago.

Tikvah campers are constantly interacting with their typical peers in activities, shared mealtime, camp programs and incidental walks along the same road from activity to activity. There are field trips for bowling, chocolate factory visits and blueberry picking as well as the annual camping and canoeing trip. At the end of the camp session, Tikvah campers put on a play (in Hebrew and English) for the entire camp community.

Tikvah campers clearly benefit from the overnight camping experience the various Tikvah Programs offer but it is the rest of camp which is being given the real gift: a four week or eight week opportunity to interact and form meaningful, genuine relationships with people similar and different from themselves. It is our hope and dream that all Jewish children will be able to attend a Jewish summer camp!

This article featured in the American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) Religion and Spirituality Division Newsletter, Summer 2007.

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