Camp Ramah in California provides entering high school seniors with an incredible opportunity to grow as leaders. Participants in the Mador program serve as madrichim in an edah and as moomchim in a specialty department. Through this training program participants gain invaluable skills that can be used in any future professional and volunteer setting. Some of these skills are important for leaders regardless of whether their work is Jewish, such as communication, problem solving, teamwork, creativity and public speaking. Other skills are specific to leadership in the Jewish community such as Hebrew language, Jewish education, t’fillah and Israel advocacy. The opportunity to both learn and engage in hands-on professional work distinguishes Ramah’s training programs from other camp leadership programs. Participation includes a commitment to participate in workshops specially designed to teach the many skills listed above, and to give participants the opportunity to further their own Jewish learning. In addition, each participant will be guided by a mentor (yoetzet) who will oversee an ongoing evaluation process aimed at continual self-reflection and improvement. Paricipants will also be directly supervised and supported both by the rosh of the training program and your area edah supervisor. Within the larger camp, participants are expected to be a positive role model at all times – from ,t’fillah, to meals, to late at night on shmira, and all of the time in between. In addition, this program comes with specific job expectations.

Young Leadership Program
For many who attended Ramah as chanichim, being a “Madornik” provides you with the opportunity to transform the fun you had into an incredible experience for the next generation of Ramah’niks on the bunk and edah level. As exciting and challenging as that sounds (and is), the Mador program is also demanding. If accepted, you will have a wide range of responsibilities within your bunk and edah, as well as within the larger camp program. In your own bunk, you will care for the health, safety, hygiene and general well-being of chanichim as young as eight and as old as twelve. In your edah you will plan and implement peulot erev and tzrif, ,t’fillot, and other activities.

Specialist-in-Training Program

This program allows you to grow a specific skill set as you learn to work with chanichim as an educator and bring camp to life in a fun, engaging manner throughout the day. Many of you look back on your time at the pool, sports, art or other areas as meaningful ways to have fun in a Jewish setting, and would excel at
passing these experiences on to our 2010 campers. In reflecting back on their favorite memories from 2009, 56% of our chanichim referenced a specific activity – an outstanding reflection on the strong quality of our specialty staff. This program is also both exciting and demanding. If accepted, you will have a wide
range of responsibilities within your ;bg (department), as well as within the larger camp program. In your specialty area you will work with a Rosh Anaf to set goals and design activities to enrich our campers’ summer experience. Furthermore, you may have the opportunity to live with older Israeli and American staff, forming lasting relationships as highlighted by past participants.