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Ramah Outdoor Adventure at Ramah in the Rockies, the only Kosher Outdoor Adventure camp in North America with an intensive Jewish educational program, is launching a new initiative for campers with special needs called: The Tikvah Program. This two-week program will serve adolescents ages 11-15 with mild to moderate intellectual and developmental disabilities, including Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism Disorder.

Ramah Outdoor Adventure opened in 2010 with 120 campers from 17 states, Canada and Israel. In 2011, the camp had 205 campers from 23 states, Canada, and Israel. We have had two very successful summers, and we are thrilled to be able to launch a special needs program for the summer of 2012.

The mission of Ramah Outdoor Adventure, “to provide outstanding outdoor adventure experiences that teach Jewish values and leadership skills and influence the character development of Jewish youth,” will guide and be an integral part of this program.

While at base camp, Tikvah campers, will live in bunks with specially trained counselors and will participate in the typical activities Ramah Outdoor Adventure offers. These activities include, horseback riding, rock climbing, wilderness survival, arts and crafts, agriculture, dance and mining.

Campers will explore the backcountry on two different overnight excursions where they will hike to the outskirts of our property, cook, sing, and sleep under the stars. Campers will also go on a day trip to a nearby buffalo ranch during their time at camp.

Tikvah campers will be part of an intense Jewish community and will participate in daily prayer and learning. Campers will also partake in elements of the camp program such as meals, Kabbalat Shabbat, and evening program with their peers. Some campers will be integrated into other activities depending on individual capability.

Campers will leave camp with an increased self confidence, appreciation for nature, social and outdoor skills, Judaic knowledge, and a strong sense of Jewish identity.

In its inaugural summer, the Tikvah Program will run from August 2 to August 14, 2012. Registration opened on November 1, 2011 and is open to a maximum of 14 participants in its first year. All participants must be interviewed by the Tikvah Director, Elyssa Hammerman, to ascertain their suitability for the program. More information can be found on the Tikvah page of the Ramah Outdoor Adventure website.

Ramah Outdoor Adventure is located at the Ramah in the Rockies ranch, a 360-acre site surrounded by the 1.2 million acre Pike and San Isabel National Forests, 90 minutes from Denver.

Tikvah ROA is being launched in cooperation with all Ramah special needs programs throughout North America, providing a network of special needs programs for children, teens and young adults with a wide range of challenges and disabilities. For a complete listing of our offerings, visit www.CampRamah.org. ROA Tikvah will provide a new offering for adolescents ages 11-15 with mild to moderate intellectual and developmental disabilities, including Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism Disorder who are interested in a rigorous, outdoor adventure program in the context of a traditional Jewish camp environment. . .

Ramah Outdoor Adventure is run under the auspices of the National Ramah Commission and is funded by the Jim Joseph Foundation, in partnership with the Foundation for Jewish Camp.

Ramah Outdoor Adventure

Ramah Outdoor Adventure opened in 2010 with 120 campers entering grades 5-10.  In 2011, Ramah Outdoor Adventure will serve over 200 campers entering grades 3-10 and will also launch a leadership training experience, The Jewish Outdoor Leadership Institute (JOLI), for entering 11^th graders.  JOLI will empower entering high school juniors and seniors to become competent outdoor adventure leaders.  To date, over 165 campers have registered for the summer, with waitlists running in some of the more popular age groups.

Ramah Outdoor Adventure seeks to link the programming found in three different types of camps and bring them together in one place.  The adventure programming encourages campers to move beyond their comfort zones and take on new challenges.  The environmental programming seeks to foster a deeper appreciation of the world around us as campers engage with nature throughout the time at the ranch.  And the Jewish programming seeks to foster an open environment for religious exploration and questioning.

The base camp, called Ramah in the Rockies is located 110 miles southwest of Boulder on a 360 acre alpine ranch located at 8200 feet.  At the base camp, campers have the opportunity to choose among mountain biking, horseback riding, wilderness survival, orienteering, arts and crafts, gardening, rock climbing, archery, service projects, back country cooking, mining, sports and duathelon training.  Younger campers have a chance to experience all of the programs available at the camp, while older campers choose two or three activities on which to focus each week.  Throughout the summer, campers leave base camp for one to five night excursion in the backcountry.  These excursions offer campers the opportunity to gain additional skills in a specific program area

Campers who participated in the inaugural summer of Ramah Outdoor Adventure were overwhelmingly excited about their experience.  According to a poll conducted by an outside research firm, 88% percent of campers said that they would recommend the Ramah Outdoor Adventure camp to a friend.  Campers spoke about learning to overcome obstacles in the woods, and how these lessons can be applied to their lives back at home.  While most campers in 2010 came for two weeks, 75% percent of returning campers are returning for the one month session.

For more information about Ramah Outdoor Adventure please visit our website or call 303 261 8214 to speak with a camp representative about camp.

Rock Climbing at Ramah Outdoor Adventure

Ramah Outdoor Adventure, the only Kosher outdoor adventure camp in North America with an intensive Jewish educational program is launching a new initiative: The Jewish Outdoor Leadership Institute, or JOLI for short. Focusing mainly on wilderness adventure activities, JOLI will be a new training center to empower rising 11th and 12th graders to become inspiring Jewish outdoor leaders. JOLI participants will split their time between the Ramah in the Rockies base camp and on hiking trips to Western national forests and national parks.

JOLI is an outgrowth of Ramah Outdoor Adventure, the newest camp in the Ramah camping system. Opened in 2010, Ramah Outdoor Adventure has created a community for campers to benefit from intense outdoor adventure activities and meaningful environmental educational while living in an inspirational Jewish community.

In the long term, if Jewish outdoor adventure camps like ours are to be successful, we need to educate our future leaders in how to combine outdoor living with Jewish education” says Rabbi Eliav Bock, camp director. “JOLI emerged from our desire to train the next generation of outdoor leaders who will go out to camps throughout North America and make a meaningful impact in summer camp programs.”

While at the Ramah base camp, JOLI participants will apprentice alongside one of the outdoor specialists in an area of their choosing and participate in leadership training sessions. After a few days at base camp, the JOLI participants will leave the Ramah ranch for a thirteen day wilderness excursion. This excursion will be lead by two highly trained wilderness guides who will challenge the participants to take on new leadership roles and stretch themselves to go beyond their comfort zones to reach new personal potentials. Participants will return to base camp ready to take on new leadership opportunities in the Ramah community and to seek out new challenges throughout their lives.

Ramah Outdoor Adventure is located at the Ramah in the Rockies ranch, a 360-acre site surrounded by the 1.2 million acre Pike and San Isabel National Forests, 90 minutes from Denver.

Like everyone at Ramah Outdoor Adventure “JOLI participants will face challenges,” Rabbi Bock said. “The challenge might be how to wake up when it is still cold outside, or how to climb to the top of a cliff attached to a rope and harness or how to stay on a horse as it canters up a mountain.”

As a JOLI participant, you will see these challenges as a metaphor for life in general. If you can push yourself to go just a little beyond when you are riding a horse, climbing a cliff, or getting out of your tent in the morning, you can go above and beyond when you go back to school and back to your family and friends.”

Ramah Outdoor Adventure is the eighth overnight camp within the Ramah network, which also includes three day camps and programs in Israel. Ramah is the camping arm of the Conservative Movement, operating under the educational and religious guidance of the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS). Ramah Outdoor Adventure opened in 2010 with 120 campers hailing from 17 states, Canada and Israel. Counselors and specialists came from across the country to help found a new Jewish summer camp. In 2011, Ramah Outdoor Adventure plans to enroll over 200 campers in its program

Finding inspiration in the outdoors

“I am so happy that above all else, we now have more Ramah,” said Rabbi Mitch Cohen, Director of the National Ramah Commission. “As our eighth overnight camp, Ramah Outdoor Adventure is already meeting our lofty expectations for a Ramah experience, and more families and future leaders will benefit for years to come from JOLI.”

Ramah Outdoor Adventure receives generous funding from the Foundation for Jewish Camp and the Jim Joseph Foundation. For more information please contact Rabbi Eliav Bock, camp director at info@ramahoutdoors.org. Photos available.

Ramah Outdoor Adventure,

Ramah Outdoor Adventure opened in 2010 with 120 campers entering grades 5-10. In 2011, Ramah Outdoor Adventure will serve over 200 campers entering grades 3-10 and will also launch a leadership training experience, The Jewish Outdoor Leadership Institute (JOLI), for entereing 11th graders. JOLI will empower high school juniors to become competent outdoor adventure leaders. To date, over 130 campers have registered for the summer, with waitlists running in some of the more popular age groups.

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On Colorado Trails

Ramah Outdoor Adventure seeks to link the programming found in three different types of camps and bring them together in one place. The adventure programming encourages campers to move beyond their comfort zones and take on new challenges. The environmental programming seeks to foster a deeper appreciation of the world around us as campers engage with nature throughout the time at the ranch. And the Jewish programming seeks to foster an open environment for religious exploration and questioning.

Base camp offers campers the opportunity to choose between: mountain biking, horseback riding, wilderness survival, orienteering, arts and crafts, gardening, rock climbing, archery, service projects, back country cooking, mining, sports and duathelon training. Younger campers have a chance to experience all of the programs available at the camp, while older campers choose two or three activities on which to focus each week. Throughout the summer, campers leave base camp for one to five night excursion in the backcountry. These excursions offer campers the opportunity to gain additional skills in a specific program area

Click here to read an interview with Rabbi Eliav Bock in the New York Jewish Week”>

Alison after climbing

Campers who participated in the inaugural summer of Ramah Outdoor Adventure were overwhelmingly excited about their experience. According to a poll conducted by an outside research firm, 88% percent of campers said that they would recommend the Ramah Outdoor Adventure camp to a friend. Campers spoke about learning to overcome obstacles in the woods, and how these lessons can be applied to their lives back at home. While most campers in 2010 came for two weeks, 75% percent of returning campers are returning for the one month session.

For more information about the Boulder information session including an exact location or to speak with a camp representative about camp please email info@ramahoutdoors.org or call 303 261 8214.

Click here to read an interview with Rabbi Eliav Bock in the New York Jewish Week

Deckers, CO – July 13, 2010 – Young Jewish campers – 121 of them from 17 states and all regions of the country – are in the Colorado Rockies launching the opening season of Ramah Outdoor Adventure, the first-ever overnight, Kosher, shomer Shabbat camp incorporating an intense wilderness experience.

The newest branch of the Ramah network of Jewish summer camps is unique in mission and scope, combining frameworks of wilderness adventure, environmentalism and Jewish learning to build youth leadership, strengthen Jewish identity and connect young Jews to each other and the earth.

Rabbi Eliav Bock

In the universe of Jewish camps, most are generalist in approach,” said Rabbi Eliav Bock, Director of Ramah Outdoor Adventure. “Here, we are returning to basics, being more primitive and living across the cycles of the day and the week.  We are putting camp back into Jewish camping.”

Ramah Outdoor Adventure is located at Ramah in the Rockies, a 360-acre ranch in the Pike and San Isabel National Forests, 90 minutes from Denver.

Our location provokes awe,” said Tammy Dollin, Project Director for Ramah in the Rockies.  “The grandeur reminds us that life is not all about us, and so we use our surroundings to teach and learn and challenge. In Genesis we learn about working and guarding the land, and not using it for our own personal benefit.  So there is a great deal to be derived from where we are, which could not be anywhere else.”

The entering sixth- through tenth graders attending Ramah Outdoor Adventure this summer are given full advantage of its unique location in multiple ways.

Activities at base camp include horseback riding, mountain biking, wilderness survival, orienteering, wilderness arts and crafts, bouldering and alpine field sports. And regular, extended excursions into the surrounding wilderness areas give campers an even greater perspective and experiences beyond the camp property.

Each day our campers face challenges,” Rabbi Bock said. “The challenge might be how to wake up when it is still cold outside, or how to climb to the top of a cliff attached to a rope and harness or how to stay on a horse as it cantors up a mountain.

“At Ramah Outdoors, we see these challenges as a metaphor for life in general. If you can push yourself to go just a little beyond when you are riding a horse, climbing a cliff, or getting out of your tent in the morning, you can go above and beyond when you go back to school and back to your family and friends.”

At its core, Ramah Outdoor Adventure enriches the lives of Jewish youth by introducing Jewish learning and values in every aspect of campers’ daily lives.

Every Shabbat is spent at base camp as campers reflect on challenges and accomplishments of the week, pray together as a community, and relax and prepare for what comes next. And Jewish values such as tikkun olam and bal tashhit are reflected and taught through environmental lessons and text study drawn from the surroundings and from community service projects that benefit the land.

During the first week of camp, participants planted more than 500 trees on land decimated by the 2002 Hayman Fire that burned through 138,000 acres, most of it in the Pike National Forest and adjoining lands.  Eighty acres of the affected land is on what is now camp property.

Campers have told me of experiencing God for the first time during the quiet and peacefulness of davening alone in the woods during Shabbat,” Rabbi Bock said. “The spiritual nourishment and renewed commitment to Judaism are key ingredients that go into molding passionate and sensitive young Jewish adults.”

Ramah Outdoor Adventure is run under the auspices of the National Ramah Commission and is funded by the Jim Joseph Foundation, in partnership with the Foundation for Jewish Camp.

It is the eighth overnight camp within the Ramah network, which also includes three day camps. Ramah is the camping arm of the Conservative Movement, operating under the educational and religious guidance of the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS).

I am so happy that above all else, we now have more Ramah,” said Rabbi Mitch Cohen, Director of the National Ramah Commission. “As our eighth overnight camp, Ramah Outdoor Adventure is already meeting our lofty expectations for a Ramah experience, and more families and future leaders will benefit for years to come.”

JTS Chancellor Arnold Eisen agreed, and described the establishment and opening of the new camp as reflective of the dynamism within the Conservative Movement, American Jewry and Jewish camping.

I’m a historian of Judaism and especially American Judaism,” Eisen says, “so I try to see these things in perspective. For me, this is not just building another camp somewhere, this is a sign of where this community of American Jews is going and where the Conservative movement is going.”

Rabbi Bock grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, where he attended an Orthodox day school for twelve years.  While most of his friends went to Jewish sleep away camps in the summer, Rabbi Bock spent his summers with the Boy Scouts.

In middle school, our troop drove five hours each summer so that we could attend boy scout camp in upstate New York, the only kosher Boy Scout camp in the country,” Rabbi Bock explained.  “In high school, when I began working at Camp Ramah, I often thought about how amazing it would be to take the intense community feeling and sense of belonging found at Jewish camp, and combine it with the magic of living in a rustic Boy Scout camp.”

“>After graduating from college, Rabbi Bock put his camp ambitions on hold and went to work on Wall Street.  But despite the more luxurious lifestyle, he missed camp and after his second year on the trading floor, Rabbi Bock was granted a leave of absence to work in camp for the summer, something he did during three more summers during his time as a trader.  “I came alive in a new way at camp that I did not on the trading floor.  I realized that my calling in life was to become an educator” says Rabbi Bock.   After five years of trading, Rabbi Bock moved to California to teach at a Jewish day school before returning to New York to pursue rabbinical training fulltime.

Two years ago, the dream of combining the rustic and environmental lessons of the boy scouts with the magic of Jewish summer camp began to take shape.  The Foundation for Jewish Camp, in partnership with the Jim Joseph Foundation, announced that they wanted to support five new Jewish specialty camps in the United States.  Bock, along with a team of professionals from the National Ramah Commission, submitted a proposal to start a new outdoor adventure camp in the Rockies.

After winning a grant from the Foundation for Jewish Camp, Rabbi Bock set out to create the camp, searching through his rolodex of Jewish educators who were passionate about the outdoors.  Although he had not been in touch with her in three years, he called Shulman, whom he had met while spending a year working at the Gideon Hausner Day School in Palo Alto.

Shulman, a middle school teacher and service learning coordinator, was about to begin rabbinical school in the fall and was looking for a new project.  She had since retired from the Ironman circuit where she came in first in her age group in 2004.  No stranger to the outdoors, and a passionate Jewish educator, she jumped at the opportunity to create a new Jewish institution dedicated to outdoor adventure and environmental ethics, all within a Jewish context.

I had led many trips before in the outdoors and abroad for the American Jewish World Service” says Shulman.  “I thought that this camp would be the perfect place to bring together my passion for the outdoors, my desire to help build community, and my love of Judaism.”

In the opening summer, Ramah Outdoor Adventure will have beds for up to sixty campers each session. By 2012, the camp plans to be able to serve 140 campers each session. Enrollment for the opening summer has already reached its half-way point of camper capacity.

We do not want to turn away eligible campers in our inaugural summer, but we also must ensure that we will be able to provide outstanding programming for those who do come. It is truly gratifying to see the enormous amount of interest among this age group” says Rabbi Bock. “I hope that our success will lead other Jewish camps to revamp their environmental and adventure programs to ensure that today’s youth develop a love and passion for the outdoors and all that the natural world has to offer.”

The Ramah in the Rockies ranch, , which is surrounded by a 1.2 million acre national forest, is a rustic facility complete with electricity, running water and canvas wall tents.   Ramah in the Rockies is raising funds to improve the site for the outdoor adventure program.   The camp’s vision will incorporate sustainable practices in every area of the camp.  Starting this summer, activities at base camp include horseback riding, biking, wilderness survival, orienteering, wilderness arts and crafts, bouldering, alpine field sports and service projects.

Every other week, campers will leave the comfort of base camp for four or five days to more deeply experience the treasures of nature on extended excursions in the surrounding national parks and forests. Each night, staff and campers will pitch their own tents, cook their own meals and hang out together around a campfire.

Visit Ramah Outdoors Adventure’s new website, www.ramahoutdoors.org, to learn more about the program and to register for the summer 2010 session, or contact Rabbi Eliav Bock directly at 303.261.8214 or eliavb@ramahoutdoors.org.

Ramah Outdoor Adventure runs under the auspices of the National Ramah Commission and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and is funded by the Jim Joseph Foundation, in partnership with the Foundation for Jewish Camp. It is the inaugural program hosted by Ramah in the Rockies.

Ramah Outdoor Adventure is part of the Ramah Network, the camping arm of Conservative Judaism. Ramah Outdoor Adventure will be running seven weeks of program for entering 6th-10th graders in 2010. Camp opens on June 16th with one, two and four week sessions.

Referred to as “Ramah Outdoors” this one-of-a-kind adventure camp will run programming both at the base camp of Ramah in the Rockies as well as in the surrounding national forests & national parks. The Ramah in the Rockies base camp is a 360 acre ranch in the heart of the 1.2 million acre Pike National Forest. Activities at base camp include horseback riding, mountain biking, wilderness survival, orienteering, wilderness arts and crafts, bouldering and alpine field sports. Campers spend their day engaged with the natural world without many of the technological amenities that they are used to in their regular lives. From waking up with the sun to cooking many of their own meals over camp stoves to learning how to start a fire with a bow drill, campers at Ramah Outdoors will gain valuable wilderness skills that will enable them to feel more comfortable engaging in the natural world and have a greater sensitivity to the natural environment around them. They will return to their technology-filled lives with a greater appreciation for what is a necessity in the world and what is a luxury. Learning to appreciate what one has is one of the core values that campers will gain from spending time at Ramah Outdoors. (more info below photo)

“Each day our campers will face challenges,” said Rabbi Eliav Bock, Director of Ramah Outdoor Adventure. “The challenge might be how to wake up when it is still cold outside, or how to climb to the top of a cliff attached to a rope and harness or how to stay on a horse as it cantors up a mountain. At Ramah Outdoors we see these challenges as a metaphor for life in general: If you can push yourself to go just a little beyond when you are riding a horse, climbing a cliff or getting out of your tent in the morning, you can go above and beyond when you go back to school, your family and your friends.”

A unique aspect of Ramah Outdoors is the extended excursions into the surrounding wilderness areas. Every other week, campers leave the comfort of their tents for several days and truly experience the treasures of nature. Each night, staff and campers pitch their own tents, cook their own meals and hang out together around a campfire. This is team and friendship building at its best. The memories and experiences each camper packs and brings home will last a lifetime.

At its core, Ramah Outdoor is a camping experience that will enrich the lives of Jewish youth and instill a deep sense of joy and comfort in Jewish learning. A highlight of their experience is the magic of Shabbat. Every Shabbat is spent at base camp as part of the larger camp community. Shabbat is a time for campers to reflect on the challenges and accomplishments of their week , pray together as one community and have time to relax and prepare for the coming adventures that await them at camp and beyond.

“Campers have told me of experiencing God for the first time during the quiet and peacefulness of davening alone in the woods during Shabbat,” Rabbi Bock said. “The spiritual nourishment and renewed commitment to Judaism are key ingredients that go into molding passionate and sensitive young Jewish adults. Imagine the power one month in this exceptional place will have on these kids.”

Although Ramah Outdoors opens for campers in 2010, the staff began training for the opening season in 2009 when 17 future staff members came to the Ramah ranch for 10 days of wilderness first aid training, leadership development and community building.

Families can visit Ramah Outdoor’s new website, www.ramahoutdoors.org, to learn more about the camp and to register for the summer 2010 session or call the camp office 303-261-8214.

Numerous incentive programs are available for first time campers at Ramah Outdoors through a cooperative relationship with The Foundation for Jewish Camp and local Federations. Campers living in the Western states are eligible for up to $1,800 in tuition incentive through the JWEST program. In addition, need-based financial aid is available.  Find out more at www.onehappycamper.org or call the camp office for more information.

Ramah Outdoor Adventure is run under the auspices of the National Ramah Commission and is funded by the Jim Joseph Foundation, in partnership with the Foundation for Jewish Camp.