Camp Ramah in Wisconsin

Staged Photography Exhibition

A special art gallery exhibit opened on Sunday afternoon--a collection of staged photography based on iconic Israeli photographs. Visiting artist Sima Sayag, who works at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, designed the project which combines history and art. In order to create their photographs, campers studied famous Israeli photos, learned the history behind them, and then used the people and places of camp to make their own works of art. Some of the new photos look exactly like the originals and others inspired creative interpretation. For example, the campers learned about this famous photo of David Ben-Gurion  and then recreated the photo with camp yoga teacher Donna Rudolph.

We hope to share other photos from the exhibit with you in the weeks following the camp season. Enjoy!

Tikvah Arts Festival

This weekend Camp Ramah is hosting the Northwoods Ramah Theatre Festival, a weekend of creativity inspired by the two-week residency of the Northwoods Ramah Theatre Company (more on that in another post). One of the components is the Tikvah Arts Festival, which took place on Friday. For many years, Tikvah and Machon have worked together to create the Tikvah Lunch Theatre, a series of short plays written by the campers based on a theme that they would then present at lunch. This year, they expanded the project to include visual art and dance in addition to the theatre component. Entitled "It Could Always Be Worse: Three Artistic Interpretations," campers explored Jewish folktales highlighting the values of tzedakah and gratitude. The campers in Tikvah and the Machon campers who chose to participate spent the last several weeks studying these Jewish texts and then chose visual art, dance, or drama to express their own creative interpretations. The dance and the plays were presented on Friday during lunch for Bogrim, Machon, Nivonim and staff, and an art gallery was set up for everyone to view throughout the day on Friday.

  Before and after the performances, campers who participated in the visual arts component stood  proudly by their creations and explained their pieces of art. The dancers danced with smiles on their faces and lots of enthusiasm. The actors delivered their lines with confidence and excitement. It was easy to see how much fun everyone was having and how proud they were at what they had accomplished.

Kol HaKavod to Tikvah and Machon, and all the staff that made the Tikvah Arts Festival possible! Click below to see the dance.

 

 

 

 

Kesher Tefillin

A group of campers in Shoafim (entering 8th grade) had the opportunity to participate in a unique and amazing program this past week called Kesher Tefillin, led by visiting artist Noah Greenberg. During the week-long intensive program, the campers learned about the mitzvah of wearing tefillin.  Then they took a raw piece of parchment and cut, molded, folded, embossed and colored it to create their very own tefillin. They selected and inserted the parchment scrolls,  then attached and tied the straps. The boys and girls studied the sources reviewing the holiness of the tefillin and the Halacha of making and using them. When completed, the campers proudly wore their own tefillin.

 

 This is the second time that we've welcomed Noah and the Kesher Tefillin to Ramah Wisco nsin and nearly 20 enthusiastic Shoafim campers participated this summer!

 

 

 

Jacob L. (Shoafim): We learned that tefillin can actually take years to make, but the way we did it we were able to do it in a week using a special method. We sewed everything together, cut and wrapped the parchment and filled in all the little details. It was an intense process, but at the end it was so cool to have my own set of tefillin that I had actually made.

Meet Rosh Omanut Talia Hillman!

Hi there! My name is Talia Hillman and at camp you'll most likely find me painting in Omanut or running around the Garbage Trail. As a camper, Omanut was always one of my favorite places and that's why I have been a part the arts staff for three summers. When I am not at camp I love to travel. I have spent a few summers traveling through Denmark, Italy, Switzerland, France and Germany. Most most recent accomplishments are graduating from college and running a half marathon (wahoo!!). My favorite food is, hands down, dark chocolate.

Meet Rosh Visual Arts

Sooner or later, almost everyone in camp has some interaction with the Visual Arts department--whether you take omanut (art) or nagarut (woodworking) as one of your activities, tie dye t-shirts as part of a peulat tzrif (cabin activity), paint benches for a campwide project, or help paint scenery for a play. There are so many ways to get involved with art at camp!

 

Overseeing Visual Arts this summer is Donielle Lavintman, otherwise known as Doni (a nickname she picked up in Halutzim). She graduated from Brandeis University in 2009 with a dual degree in anthropology and studio art, and has most recently been working on her master's in art therapy at New York University. (She's actually graduating this week, so a big Mazel Tov to Doni!)

 

Doni says, "I am very excited to be returning to camp, and I am thrilled to be working so closely with such a wonderful staff this summer. See you all soon!"

With Vibrant Elegance, Schechter and Ramah Graduate Yali Derman Debuts Her New "Yali Carry-On"

(reprinted from a Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago publication)

On Sunday morning, surrounded by a beaming crowd of friends and family at Saks Fifth Avenue in Highland Park, Yali Derman (pictured at left with Rabbi Sykes), Schechter Class of 2005, debuted her new "Yali Carry On" handbag. Proceeds from the sale of Yali's  handbag, featuring a magnificent 18-color peacock, will be used to help Children Memorial Hospital's Foundation K.I.D.S.S. for KIDS fund the new playroom on the hematology-oncology floor at Children's new hospital, which is due to open in 2012.   

Click Here to see a news story about the event. 

With poise and passion, this two-time cancer survivor credited Children's Memorial Hospital's art therapy program with helping her to develop her artistic talent and creative flair. Her medical team, many of whom are the proud owners of some of Yali's original "handbags" created from the bandanas she was given as a cancer patient to cover her head, attended the debut at Saks. With tears and pride, they graciously accepted the first of the new Yali Carry Ons.

"We are all created as beings who are faced with unique challenges, disappointments, successes and victories. But we are also designers of our own lives, and can shape the way these experiences affect us," said Yali. Clearly Yali lives each day by her principle of "vibrant elegance, vast purpose, and a meaningful voice for not only the cancer experience but also for any challenging experience." 

Dr. Carol Rosenberg Derman, Yali's proud mother, recalls the support Yali and the family received from the Schechter community while Yali was undergoing cancer treatment. "At a time of success, it is always important to acknowledge the support and advocacy of Yali and our family that has always been present from the Solomon Schechter community." That same support was evident as many of Yali's Schechter teachers and friends attended the event, as did many friends and members of the administration of Chicagoland Jewish High School and Camp Ramah.     

"The Yali Carry On message is also appropriate for the Jewish people, and I credit my Jewish day school education at Solomon Schechter Day School and Chicagoland Jewish High School for making it clear that survival in the face of adversity is a life-long challenge," said Yali in an article which appeared in 2008 in Schechter's Kol Schechter newsletter. "The Jewish people thrive in the face of all of our challenges throughout the ages by attempting to turn unfavorable circumstances into opportunities that push our goals and dreams forward." 

"We are so proud of Yali's triumphant spirit and her ability to turn her experience into an opportunity to help others overcome adversity," said Linda P. Foster, Schechter CEO/Head of School. "Yali is truly a shining example of the values we teach and live by at Solomon Schechter. Our Schechter community and beyond is kvelling right along with Yali's family."  

For more information, visit http://www.kidssforkids.org or http://www.yaliscarryon.com.

 

More on Yali:

Yali Derman (Class of 2005) attended Chicagoland Jewish High School (CJHS) following Solomon Schechter. Always interested in fashion, art and design, Yali founded the "Vaad Vogue" society at CJHS, a club that created beautiful accessories for seriously ill children. Va'ad Vogue's mission was to perform acts of "Hiddur Mitzvah" (beautifying the commandments). After designing and marketing a handbag with Kate Spade and company to benefit the Make A Wish Foundation, Yali continued to design handbags and raise money through her alliance with Children's Memorial Hospital's foundation KIDSS for KIDS under her own trademark  "Yali's Carry On"tm.  

Yali is also a seven-year veteran of Camp Ramah in Wisconsin. She served on staff as an art educator where she brought to the Northwoods the "Yali's Carry On with Creatvity Workshop," which involved participants in the interpretative task of creating their own personalized tote bags. Said her proud mother Dr. Carol Rosenberg: "Yali's pedagogic technique involves teaching others how to express their "autobiographical voice" onto the tote by "meaningfully and creatively honoring who we are as both creations in God's image and also designers of our own lives."

Yali is a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania where she is in the School of Nursing. In addition to her latest endeavor with the Yali's Carry On for KIDSS -- SAKS project, she facilitates her tote-making workshop on the oncology ward at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Canoe Art

The huge variety of activities offered at camp allows for a lot of flexibility and creativity when it comes to programming. On Tuesday, Bogrim campers came to their open amanut (art) class, not sure what they were going to be working on. Without telling them anything, the art staff blindfolded them and led them on a trust walk down to the waterfront.

At the waterfront, they met JAR who led them in an activity based on the phrase, "Mah rabu ma'asecha"--"how great are Your works." He asked them to look around at the natural world and share the things they saw that they found amazing. Before sharing, each camper said, "Wow!" and then shared what he or she saw--things such as the lake, the trees, people--all things that G-d created that are truly amazing. Then he had them cup their hands over their ears to amplify their hearing and they listened to the world around them in a new way.

After looking and listening, the campers then got into canoes with bags of art supplies and were sent off into the lake to create art based on the nature they saw and heard around them. Some of the canoes stayed close to the shore, while others ventured further out. After a few minutes of paddling, the campers picked up their art supplies.

The campers spent some time creating out on the water before coming back to shore to share their projects. Below are some of the pieces of art they created.

 

 

Free Gilad Shalit

On June 25, 2006, Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was captured by Hamas and is now being held captive in Gaza. Today, in an attempt to show support for Shalit and his family, Machon campers and staff have created a tent on the porch of the art complex. The outside of the tent is eye-catching, with a large photo of Shalit and many colorful cloths that wave in the wind. The inside of the tent is beautiful--multicolored post-it notes are scattered across the walls with messages of peace and hope written by campers and staff; posters with quotations from the Torah inspire everyone who visits; Israeli flags fly with pride. (Check back on the Bunk 1 site tomorrow for more photos of the tent, inside and out).

For 24 hours, starting Thursday morning and going through Friday morning, Machon campers and staff will be sitting in the tent giving out information on Shalit and encouraging the rest of the camp community to think about Shalit and his family and to write letters to the Shalit family and to United States Congresspeople.

Machon chose a tent because Shalit's family set up a tent outside the Prime Minister's home in Jerusalem. They hope that by having their tent open for 24 hours, they will help create awareness throughout camp and help everyone to understand the situation.

Abby K. and Sam B. of Machon shared one of the shifts in the tent.  Abby said this project is important to her because "Israel is important to me. It's our Jewish homeland. Gilad Shalit was a member of the Israeli army and it is important to support him." Sam was glad they were doing the project because "many people have never heard of Gilad Shalit and education is the most important thing."

Machon counselor Katie Minkus summed up the experience: "It has been an amazing experience to see campers step up and take it upon themselves to honor Gilad Shalit. They've done an amazing job and I'm so excited for camp to be part of the experience as well."

Good luck to Machon as they continue their project through tonight and tomorrow morning. Good luck to Gilad Shalit and his family--the Camp Ramah community is thinking of you.

Physical Improvements

Submitted by Benji Bearman

Even though there are no campers during the winter, camp is still busy year-round.  Our maintenance staff, led by Tom Merkel, spent the off-season getting the camp ready for this summer.  What's new this summer?

1.  New roofs and siding - a number of buildings were reroofed and sided.  Look for them this summer!
2.  Machon Point Improvements - we upgraded the point, adding a new area for Machon to hang out.
3.  A renovated bathroom in Cabin 1 - over the winter the bathroom was completely gutted and redone. 
4.  Ropes Course - a gazebo was added at the high ropes course, creating a shady place to gather at the course.
5.  Amanut porch - the porch facing the lake is now covered, providing needed shade for visual arts activities

Look for all of this and much more in just under two weeks!