CRDAA interviewed Ramah Darom alum, Eliana Planer, who has been a Dining Services Steward (Stewie) with the U.S. Antarctic Program in Antarctica since August 2024.
How many summers were you at Ramah Darom and what Gesher were you in?
I was a camper for 5 summers and a counselor for two! I was Gesher 2016!
Which camp meal are you missing most in Antarctica right now?
I’d really love some soysauges right now, and of course some shabbos brownies.
What are you doing in Antarctica?
I’ve been here for 6 months and I’ve loved every minute of it. I work in the galley as a stewie (dining steward) and we’ve been super busy with over 1,000 people on station for vessel operations. I’ve been running our climbing wall all season, and I’ve been hosting lots of climbing nights and teaching people how to belay! There have been lots of great parties, the most recent being stewie prom! A few weeks ago, I helped host a Renaissance Fair, and a few weeks before that I played in a band at our New Year’s music festival, Icestock, the world’s southernmost music fest! We’ve had lots of movie nights, game nights, and hikes, and have been seeing whales, seals, penguins, and skuas!
What is the coolest thing you’ve seen during your time there so far?
The coolest thing I’ve seen down here has probably been the auroras. I got here in August during what we call Winfly, the transitional period between winter and summer, so it was still pretty dark when I arrived, I didn’t see the sun clear the horizon for a few weeks! The auroras were so beautiful and, though they’re not as vibrant in real life as they are in photos, it was so special going aurora hunting with my friends. I also work at our airfield galley part of the week out on the ice shelf, and we work below Mt. Erebus, the world’s southernmost active volcano! We have a stellar view from our back deck.
What did the trip to Antarctica entail?
Getting down here consisted of applying, interviewing, and going through a very thorough background check and the physical qualification (PQ) process to make sure you’re physically qualified to be somewhere so remote and extreme. After I PQ’d, I flew to Christchurch, New Zealand. I spent a few days in Christchurch before getting on a military plane to fly down to McMurdo! It also involved an element of biosecurity measures to make sure we don’t contaminate the flourishing ecosystem with outside contaminants and pollutants that will harm it.
What advice do you have for people looking to learn more about Antarctica and visit one day?
A lot of people don’t realize Antarctica also has a tourism industry. It’s expensive but you can visit on a boat or fly down. Most of the time that’s how people come down here. There’s an organization that monitors tour companies to ensure they’re following the treaty and trying to reduce the negative environmental impacts as much as possible from groups coming down. Antarctica is vulnerable to climate change from activities happening off the continent, but we can protect it from anywhere in the world by making environmentally conscious decisions! It’s not as inaccessible and alien as it seems; it’s a thriving place with impressive wildlife and incredible geological features. Also, for many of us, it’s home.