Blog
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Coming Together
January 18, 2018
On Wednesday, January 10, 2018, close to 300 Ramah Darom campers, parents, and current and former staff members gathered together at Congregation B’nai Israel in St. Petersburg, Florida to grieve alongside hundreds of other family and friends, to honor the memory of Leslie, Mitchell, Hannah and Ari Weiss, and to provide support to their families. […]
Fred Levick
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Remembering The Weiss Family
January 18, 2018
I am here today representing friends, parents, alumni, staff, and lay leaders from Camp Ramah Darom who have traveled from across the region to be able to show love and support to the family members of Mitchell, Leslie, Hannah, and Ari. And to convey heartfelt condolences on behalf of thousands in our Camp community, across […]
Geoff Menkowitz
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My Best Friend Ari
January 18, 2018
My Name is Ethan Fine, from Dallas Texas. I was fortunate to know the whole Weiss family. From my visits to Tampa and many FaceTime calls, Mitch and Leslie became almost like second parents to me and through my best friend Ari, I got to know Hannah too. I first met Ari when we were […]
Ethan Fine
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Where Was G-d?
January 18, 2018
“G-d was the outpouring of love and consolation that occurred in the Synagogue and the Church social hall after the service. G-d was all the Campers, parents and current and former staff that came together to show their devotion. G-d was the commitments to continue the work that Hannah and Ari had only just started”. […]
Howard Zandman
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Winter Break Family Camp
January 16, 2018
A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of attending Winter Break Family Camp (WBFC) at Ramah Darom in Clayton, GA (about 2.5 hours North of Atlanta) for the second year in a row. When I have vacation time, I like to travel, and travel days are filled with a morning activity, an afternoon activity, […]
Erica Sue
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The First Time
December 31, 2017
I remember driving to Camp for the first time. Persimmon Road was only paved a small amount of the way, so the ride to Camp was quite a bit different than it is today. The softball field was then a soccer field, and there was no climbing tower, swing, or Odyssey high ropes course. The present-day dining […]
Rachel Dobbs Schwartz
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Tu B’Shevat Together
December 20, 2017
When people ask me what allows for Jewish culture to thrive, generation after generation, despite any of our past or present challenges, there is one clear asset which manifests consistently: adaptability. Our ability to adapt our ancient wisdom to new scenarios, to adapt our lifestyles to new environments, to adapt our historic customs to contemporary […]
Rabbi Goldstein
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Why Inclusion Matters
December 19, 2017
A Reflection on the Ruderman Inclusion Summit by Aimee Halstuk, Ramah Darom Inclusion Support Counselor Tenacious, strong-willed, empathetic and free-spirited are four words I use when describing myself. From skiing down a mountain, graduating from university and traveling abroad I have never let having a physical disability hinder me from enjoying life, or so it […]
Aimee Halstuk
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Hanukkah: The Full Story
December 11, 2017
Here’s a great video to share with your friends who don’t quite understand what these eight days are all about. It’s a little long but it’s a lot of fun and simply informative! Thank you, Mayim Bialik, for keeping it light! May your Hanukkah be filled with light, love, and laughter (whichever way you choose […]
Robyn Diamond
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To Push or Not to Push?
December 8, 2017
I spent every summer since age 14 at Camp Moshava- a sleep-away camp in Honesdale, Pennsylvania where the smell of mildew, grass and a hint of ashes from a seemingly eternal campfire permeated the air. That smell brings back some of the best memories of my life. The last days of camp always brought many […]
Pamela Brill