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L’HITRAOT

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Wally Levitt1.22.25
I first drove through the front gates of 70 Darom Lane in 2018 during Camp Yofi and knew instantly that Ramah Darom was a magical place.

I’ve driven through those same gates hundreds of times since and on every visit, I feel that same Ramah Darom magic: a deep sense of excitement and wonder knowing I’m entering a place where joyful Judaism abounds.

Over the last 6+ years, I’ve learned that the magic of Ramah Darom is thanks to the combination of several factors. It starts with a clear and ambitious vision and mission, captured perfectly in our North Star. Our incredible campers and retreat guests support that vision and mission, and choose to spend time with us for all the right reasons. We are blessed with a hard-working staff who genuinely believe in the work we do. We have an amazingly committed group of volunteer leaders who serve the organization out of a deep love and without ego. And of course, central to the Ramah Darom magic is our breathtaking mountain home in Clayton. As Uncle Anthony likes to say, it’s a holy place that Hashem is clearly watching over.

The magic of Ramah Darom can be directly traced back to the original vision of our founders. Almost 30 years later, the DNA of our organization still reflects their deep personal commitment to building a special place where Jews from across the southeast and around the country can gather year-round. Ramah Darom is blessed to have the continued active involvement of many of our founders who remind us to honor our history even as we build for the future. And the legacy of active and engaged volunteerism continues to this day with our current incredible Board of Directors.

I believe our North Star’s guiding vision – to inspire a lifelong love of Jewish values, tradition and community – is precisely what the Jewish world needs, and particularly what we need in these very scary and challenging times. And I genuinely believe Ramah Darom, through summer camp and our many retreat programs, does this work better than almost anyone else.

As I prepare to pass the torch to Scott Topal at the end of this week, I am incredibly grateful to have been part of the special Ramah Darom community. I’m heading back to Toronto but will always be a Daromnik at heart, and will be cheering Scott and the team on as they take Ramah Darom to new heights in the months and years to come.

Thank you all for making these last 6+ years an incredible, magical experience.

L’hitraot,

Wally

Camp Yofi is clearly very close to my heart, and I’d be honored if you would support this special program. Please click here and select “Wally Levitt Camp Yofi Fund” in the dropdown.