Camp Ramah in Wisconsin

Meet Rosh Solelim Daniel Kanter!

 

Solelim Presents "The Wizard of Oz"

Thursday night the Bet Am was transformed into the magical world of Oz as the campers in Solelim (entering 7th grade) presented their Hebrew production of "The Wizard of Oz." It was a colorful and energetic performance--the campers were having so much fun! This was their first time as campers to present a musical to the whole camp and they definitely wowed the crowd!

Sammy H. (Solelim): I thought that we did great on our play last night. It was a lot of fun. We wish you all could have been here to see it!

Talia B. (Solelim): I had so much fun at the play. It was a great experience.

Ellen B. (Solelim): The play was really fun and exciting.

Rebecca S. (Solelim): The play was a lot of fun. Everyone put so much effort into their parts.

Tobiah M. (Solelim): I liked the play because it was fun and we got ice cream afterward!

Jared Z. (Solelim): I thought the play went well because we were amazing!

Spotlight on Solelim

Solelim (entering 7th grade) is our youngest full-season division. During the course of the summer they have so many great opportunities to learn about living in a Jewish community. They also get to try out some new activities, like the every-popular nagarut (woodworking). A highlight of the Solelim summer is the aidah musical (this year, The Wizard of Oz, which will be presented on July 14). Every camper participates in the production of the musical, from acting and singing to painting sets and playing in the orchestra. It's a wonderful opportunity to share their great energy and show what they can do when they work together as an aidah.

 
Rebecca G. (Solelim): What I like best about being in Solelim is that I get to be at camp for eight weeks. It's nice to be here for the full summer and be able to see everything that happens at camp. We're some of the older campers now so we get more opportunities to do things. We get to do nagarut (woodworking) this year, and that's fun. I also really like omanut (art), shira (singing) and rikud (dance).

Sam (Solelim): My favorite part of Solelim is hanging out with my friends on the Kikar.

 
Josh (Solelim): My favorite part of being in Solelim is seeing my friends from all around the country.

Rebecca S. (Solelim): I like being in Solelim because it's really fun and all the people are nice. I like that we get to do so many activities during the day like omanut and nagarut. I'm also on the basketball team, which is fun. And I love going on the Blob (floating trampoline in the lake).

 

Meet Rosh Solelim Deena Cowans!

 

Sing It Loud

Remember the energy and excitement of the Zimriyah (song festival)? Remember singing your heart out with your eidah in front of the entire camp? Check out the video clip below of Solelim performing at the Zimriyah. You can visit the Ramah Wisconsin YouTube Channel by clicking here to see a video of your aidah from the Zimriyah this summer. 

Solelim Presents "Willy Wonka"

This might have been the first play that campers in Solelim have presented at camp, but they looked like old pros last night as they treated everyone to "Willy Wonka." Giant candies that looked good enough to eat decorated the Bet Am--thanks to the time and talent of drama and art staff. The Solelim campers were all smiles as they sang favorites like "Candy Man," "Pure Imagination," and the "Oompa Loompa" songs. Click here to see clips of some of the songs on our YouTube channel.

Stephanie (Solelim): I really enjoyed the play because I got to sing and dance and be onstage with all of my friends and that was really awesome.

Sarah (Solelim): It was so much fun to be part of a big camp thing because everyone came to watch and they were cheering us on. It was really fun.

Adina (Solelim): This is my first year at Ramah Wisconsin, so this was my first play and it was a lot of fun to be up there with my friends singing and dancing. It was so much fun.

Justin (Solelim): Our play was "Willy Wonka." I think it was a really good experience because I'm in Solelim and it was our first camp play. I played Charlie and it was really fun learning all the songs and dances and learning my lines. Just seeing it all put together was really cool. My favorite part was the end, when we sang the "Mega Mix." We all sang a bunch of different songs and I sang "Golden Ticket." It was really fun.

Spotlight on Solelim

Solelim is the third youngest eidah in camp, with campers who are entering seventh grade. The Solelim summer is the first full eight-week summer, so it presents campers with many opportunities that they did not have in Garinim or Halutzim. Campers get to have more of a choice in what activities they do, plus they get to try other activities not offered to Garinim and Halutzim. One of the things that many campers look forward to in Solelim is their first opportuinity to perform a full Hebrew musical. It’s a chance for them to show the whole camp what they can do.

 

Shayna Flink (Rosh Solelim): Solelim is such a wonderful age because they have so much energy and excitement for every activity we do. This group in particular is already such a caring, welcoming and unique eidah that I feel honored to be working with this summer.

Judah (Solelim): One of my favorite things about being in Solelim is the fun activities. One night for peulat erev (evening activity) we made our own music videos. It was really funny.

Jordan (Solelim): My favorite thing about being in Solelim is sports.

Noah (Solelim): My favorite thing about being in Solelim is the people. The people in Solelim are awesome.

Abby (Solelim): My favorite thing about being in Solelim is that being in Garinim and Halutzim is just about trying out camp—but when you’re in Solelim it’s the real deal. It’s so much fun because we’re here for eight weeks and we have more privileges. Plus, we do a lot of fun activities, like our peulot erev and Yom M’yuchad (special days).  It’s really cool to be in Solelim.

Zimriya

   
Sunday night the Bet Am was filled with ruach as the whole camp participated in the Zimriya--camp's singing festival. From the first day of camp, each eidah has been working hard to prepare their songs. This year's theme was the siddur, with each eidah singing a modernized version of a well-known prayer. The Zimriya is about more than just singing, though--it's the first campwide event of the summer (aside from Kabbalat Shabbat services) and a chance for everyone to show eidah pride and ruach.

Every year the eidot are divided by color, and this year was no exception, but this year was special. This year, all the campers got special Zimriya t-shirts in their eidah colors that said in Hebrew "Ani (heart) Ramah." ("I (heart) Ramah") Garinim wore yellow, Solelim wore green, Shoafim wore red, Bogrim wore light blue, Machon and Tikvah wore white, and Nivonim wore black. The staff and Atzmayim all wore their blue staff t-shirts that had the same phrase on them. It was a fun night, with everyone singing and cheering, smiling and dancing. Thank you to the music and performing arts staff for organizing a great event!

 
Aviva (Solelim): The Zimriya was really fun because we were all crazy and were all singing songs and it was so much fun.

Sarah (Solelim): The Zimriya was the best peulat erev (evening activity) that we've had at camp so far because it was really fun and we all got to show our eidah spirit.

Rena (Solelim): The Zimriya was awesome. I had a blast.

Raquel (Solelim): The Zimriya was so fun. We were all really loud.

Zoe (Garinim): The Zimriya was so fun and loud. I liked singing my song and cheering with other people. It was really fun.

Rena (Garinim): The Zimriya was really fun because at the end everyone was singing and dancing and it was really fun.

Davida (Garinim): The Zimriya was so fun. I loved hearing everyone singing with all their heart. I also loved how at the end everybody was dancing and singing and just having fun.

Molly (Garinim): The Zimriya was so fun because the whole camp came together for one event. It was all really happy and loud and at the end everyone was dancing. It was so fun.

Nathan (Nivonim): The Zimriya was really energetic and it really showed our true spirit and how we care for all the eidot...including Nivo.

Check back tomorrow for video clips of the Zimriya!

Getting Ready for the First Shabbat

Shabbat is a special time at Camp Ramah when everyone can take a step back from the busy schedule and have time for reflection and relaxation. At camp, Shabbat starts a little early as everyone gathers on the Kikar before lunch on Friday for Kikar Dancing. Some of the songs have been around forever, while others are brand new for this summer, and it is so much fun to watch as veteran Ramahniks help the newer campers and staff learn the dances. It is a joyful time as the Shabbat mood begins to settle over camp.

In the evening, everyone in camp gathers by the lake for Kabbalat Shabbat. It is a memorable experience, and there's nothing like welcoming Shabbat as the sun sets over beautiful Lake Buckatabon.

Tessa (Shoafim): The best thing I love about Shabbat is connecting and bonding with everyone--not just people in my cabin, but people in my whole eidah. I also love looking at the beautiful nature and connecting with my inner Jewish soul.

Dina (Shoafim): My favorite thing about Shabbat is hanging out with my friends and having lots of free time.

Austin (Machon): What I like most about Shabbat is probably the sunset by the water while we pray with friends and relatives of all sorts.

Sadie (Solelim): My favorite thing about Shabbat is everyone getting all dressed up.

Rebecca (Solelim): My favorite thing about Shabbat is the services by the lake.

Amanda (Solelim): I like the services by the lake and having lots of time to rest.

Alyssa (Solelim): My favorite part of Shabbat is Kikar Dancing.

Jacob (Machon): I love all the free time on Shabbat.

Hillel (Bogrim): I love spending time with friends on Shabbat.

Olivia (Machon):  I love sitting around and chillin' on Shabbat.

Mark (Machon):  I love to dance.

Camp Ramah in Wisconsin is thrilled to announce its 2010 Theater Season!! (Drumroll please.)

The season will kick off on July 8 with Shoafim's performance of Aladdin; and will be followed on July 15 by Solelim's performance of Willy Wonka; Machon and Tikvah's performance on July 22 of South Pacific (currently in revival on Broadway - check it out here); Bogrim's performance on July 29 of Fiddler on the Roof; and will conclude on August 2 with Nivonim's performance of Chicago.