Camp Ramah in Wisconsin

Meet Rosh Omanut Vered Lanes and Rosh Nagarut Barak Lanes

We always hear lots of stories about people who met their soul mates at Camp Ramah (there's even a National Ramah website with their stories!). Vered and Barak Lanes met when they first came to camp five years ago as part of the Mishlachat (Israeli delegation). This year we are very happy to welcome them back as Rosh Omanut (Studio Arts) and Rosh Nagarut (Woodworking). Vered also returns as Rosh Mishlachat this summer.
 

We had to come all the way from Israel to Camp Ramah in Wisconsin to meet each other! In our first year Vered was on camping staff living in a cabin with campers in the Tikvah program, while Barak was a Tikvah madrich (counselor).  Last year we were both Atzmayim (Tikvah Vocational) madrichim. Vered was also Rosh Mishlachat last summer.

 

At Camp Ramah in Wisconsin we have learned the meaning of friendship and how to be creative educators. Camp in general gives us inspiration and energy for the rest of the year in Israel.

This summer Barak is going to be Rosh Nagarut, after a long year of working as a horseback riding instructor on the Carmel Mountain in Kibbutz Beit Oren, and as a counselor for a special needs group in Haifa.

Vered is going to be Rosh Omanut this summer and Rosh Mishlachat for a second year.  Vered graduated fine arts school at Haifa University, and is working as a teacher in The Hebrew Reali School in Haifa.

We have a lot of excitement for this upcoming summer, and we wish everyone a summer of fun, filled with surprises and creativity!

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!"

Meet Rosh Nagarut

Rosh Nagarut (woodworking) Menachem Portnoe has a long history with Ramah. He spent four summers in Rishonim, six summers as a camper, one summer on Ramah Seminar in Israel, and then several summers as Nagarut staff. He recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and is looking forward to attending medical school soon. The best part about working in Nagarut, according to Menachem, is being able to help campers through the process of developing an idea into a physical work of art. He loves working in Nagarut because he finds it "relaxing and joyful," and he likes being able to pass that joy on to campers each summer.

Throwback Thursdays: In the Woodshop

Woodworking is always a favorite activity of many campers. How cool is it to make your very own clock, chessboard, challah board or jewelry box? Check out the pictures below - the top one from 1961 and the bottom one from this summer. Everyone looks hard at work on their projects.