WELCOME TO PASSOVER

Transcription

WELCOME TO PASSOVER
3
7
7
5
WELCOME TO
PASSOVER at
RAMAH
DAROM
WELCOME!
Dear Guests,
Welcome to Passover 5773 at Ramah Darom! We’re so glad you’re here.
This program book includes all of the information you need to ensure a relaxing
and meaningful stay.
If you are joining us for the first time, we hope this book answers many of your
questions. While it’s difficult to capture the warm, engaging spirit of our
community on paper, these pages will give you a sense of what’s in store.
We thank the entire Ramah Darom community for building such an inspirational,
creative and diverse program. This special annual retreat demonstrates the vision
our founders and board members had of offering year-round Jewish experiential
living and learning programs.
Let us know if there is anything we can do to help you enjoy your stay on our
122-acre playground. If you need assistance, please visit our reception desk in the
Welcome Center or locate one of the Ramah Darom staff members.
We hope you have a wonderful holiday!
Chag Sameach!
CONTENTS
Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Directions. . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Daily Schedule . . . . . 10
Bios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Guest Directory . . . . . 47
2013 Calendar. . . . . . . 62
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EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM
YOUR GUIDE TO PASSOVER AT RAMAH DAROM
Ramah Darom’s warm, relaxed Passover community draws multigenerational guests from across
the country and internationally, and includes singles, couples, families, empty nesters, college students, and grandparents. We welcome new participants every year with open arms, and are also
delighted to reunite with friends we see each year who have become extended family.
On Sunday and Monday you will have the chance to familiarize yourself with the campus while we
offer some basic programming. All meals are served in our Dining Hall, on the upper level of the
Levine Ramah Center, the hub of our campus, which also houses our synagogue, multi-purpose
room, library, gym and several conference rooms.
Yom Tov at Ramah Darom is a special time, with services, discussions, study groups, meditations
and hikes. Some people choose to dress up for Yom Tov. Generally we encourage everyone to dress
and participate as they feel comfortable - our daily dress code is casual. If the terrain is too challenging for you to walk, feel free to ride our campus shuttles, which run daily until 11 pm or midnight, depending on the evening activities. These shuttles will be available throughout your stay.
Our first communal Seder on Monday evening will be led by Rabbi Noam Marans and Hazzan David Tilman. On Tuesday, our second communal Seder will be led by long-time Seder leaders and
Passover participants, Harman and Adina Grossman.
We provide “A Different Night” Haggadah for each guest, and of course each table is set with Seder
plates, ritual items and Kiddush cups. We also provide small affikomen gifts for children under age
13. Those choosing semi-private Seders may conduct their Seder at their own pace.
Throughout the holiday, our schedule includes activities for all levels of experience and knowledge,
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EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM 3
facilitated by our helpful, friendly staff. We’ll have engaging discussions, small study groups, children’s activities, sports and games, including guest favorites like pick-up basketball, mah jongg, and
poker. (Scrabble is always a big hit!) On Chol Hamoed, in addition to group excursions, we will enjoy
art projects, wall climbing, boating, movies, bonfires and so much more. Daily, our team of chefs will
create spectacular, mouthwatering buffets and outstanding, personalized service.
Most importantly, don’t worry about a thing. Our staff is ready to assist you. We look forward to a
wonderful holiday experience.
PASSOVER FROM “A” to “Z”
Accessibility: All of our buildings are wheelchair/handicap accessible. Shuttles will run daily
throughout campus, with continued service at several clearly-marked shuttle stops. Be aware that
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport requires baggage to be checked in 45 minutes prior to your
scheduled departure time, and recommends arrival at the airport 60 - 90 minutes before departure.
Travel time between Ramah Darom and the airport is 2 to 2.5 hours depending on traffic.
Airport Transportation Schedule:
• Friday, March 29th: Bus departs Ramah Darom at 8am SHARP
• Wednesday, April 3rd: Bus departs Ramah Darom at 8am SHARP
Babysitting: We offer group babysitting for children aged 2 - 6 during the Seders for those who
have registered in advance. Babysitting will be held in the multi-purpose room on the ground level
of the Levine Ramah Center. Parents must bring their child to the counselors (including a professional
teacher) in the room and ensure they have been signed in and parents must pick up their child and
ensure the counselor signs them out.
Boxed Lunches: For guests going on our Chol Hamoed excursions boxed lunches or snacks and
bottled water will be provided for you. For guests going on their own day trips or departing during
Passover, preordered boxed lunches will be available in the dining room on the requested day. If you
need boxed meals and did not preorder, please place your order with a member of the staff. There is
no charge for boxed meals.
Business Center: We understand many of our guests must stay connected with the outside world
during their stay. We do ask that you be respectful of other guest’s observances during Yom Tov and
Shabbat and stay connected in a private area. Our breathtaking mountain terrain might pose some
challenges for personal, wireless devices, but guests are welcome to use our computers, printer and
copier, at any time in our Business Center located in the Welcome Center. If you require a space to
work, our staff will be happy help you find what you need without distracting other guests.
Candle lighting: We will provide Shabbat and Yom Tov candles for candle lighting in the Dining
Hall. Our daily schedule will include candle lighting times. It is most important that you do not light
candles in your room!
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Cars: The speed limit on campus is 5mph. Unless absolutely necessary, guests are asked not to
use their vehicles to travel around campus.
Cell phone use: Cell phone signals can be spotty, so if you find a good spot, stay put!
Children/Youth Programming: Supervised children and youth programming will be offered daily
by professional educators and experienced counselors. Our 15 - 20 year old young adults will be
able to define their own group activities with our dynamic young adult group leader. For parents of
children ages 2 – 14, there will be a parents meeting at the start of the first and second halves of the
vacation. Details on times and location will be included in the program.
Check-in: Check-in begins on Sunday 3/24 and Friday 3/29 at 2:30 pm, and at 10 am on Monday
3/25. Our reception desk will be staffed 24/7. The reception desk phone number is (706) 782-9300.
Check-out: All guests must check out at the reception desk of the Welcome Center before departure. If you are departing mid-holiday, we welcome you to remain on campus and enjoy the day’s
programming, but please vacate your room by 11am on your day of departure to allow us time to
prepare for new arrivals. Keys must be returned to the reception desk or a charge of $50 will be assessed.
Clothing: Our atmosphere is casual; however we suggest not wearing jeans on Seder nights. Temperatures can drop quickly in the evenings and early mornings so we do suggest layering your clothes.
Coffee Service: Coffee will be available each morning from 7:30am - 9:30am in four locations: the
Levine Ramah Center Main Dining Hall, the lobby of the Welcome Center, the kitchenette on the
lower level of the Mountainside Retreat, and the Community Room of the Marcus Lodge.
Drinking Water: All water on our property is underground mountain spring water – great for drinking!
Driving Directions: Online mapping and navigation systems are inaccurate in the mountains. If
you intend to go off campus during your stay, you can follow electronic directions to Clayton GA,
30525. From Clayton, please follow the attached directions or get a hard copy of the directions back
to camp from our reception desk.
Emergencies/Illness: In the event of an emergency, call 911. Be prepared to state the nature of the
problem and your location (70 Darom Lane, Clayton, Georgia 30525). Please also dial #9300 internally or (706) 782-9300 to reach our 24 hour receptionist who will help notify a staff member of the
situation. For minor medical issues, first aid kits are available at the Welcome Center reception Desk;
in the Marcus Lodge Hotel community room; in the Mountainside Retreat kitchenette on the lower
level; in the Lakeside Hotel sitting room on the bottom floor; and in the main dining room. We will
have a Physician’s Assistant on staff from 1:00-3:00 pm each day who will be located in the Infirmary
on the lower level of the Retreat Mountainside Hotel.
Passover guests can be reached through our reception desk at 706 782-9300. If we are unable to find
you, a message will be left on the message board outside of the main dining room.
Excursions: Day trips and airport transportation will depart from our bus stop outside the Lakeside
Atrium (the glassed in area at the back of the dining room closest to the lake). Check our daily schedule for specific transportation times. Boxed lunches, snacks and water will be pre-packed and sent
with you on all Ramah Darom outings. Please note: All transport provided by Ramah Darom to excursions or the airport will leave our campus at exactly the appointed time. Due to time constraints
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and respect for other guests we will not be able to wait for stragglers. Refunds will not be available if
guests miss the transport or choose not to go on the excursion.
Food: We are a kosher campus. Please help us maintain our Passover kashrus. All your meals, snacks
and beverages are provided. Outside food is not allowed on campus
Games and Sports Equipment: Sports equipment is readily available throughout campus for your
enjoyment. Please let a staff member know if you can’t find something. Games can be found in the
Library on the lower floor of the Levine Ramah Center.
Gift Shop: Our gift shop is located in the Welcome Center. You will be able to purchase sundries &
Ramah Darom clothing on Sunday 3/24 and Monday 3/25 and on all Chol Hamoed days.
Heated accommodations: All accommodations are heated. Cabin thermostats are in the common
entryway.
Help desk: Our Help desk is located at the Welcome Center reception and is staffed 24/7 to answer
questions and help you with any room, campus or programming needs. To reach the Help desk, call
#9300 when you are on campus, or (706) 782-9300 from a call phone. You will also always see our
friendly staff around campus - if they can’t assist you they will direct you to someone who can!
Housekeeping: We offer light housekeeping service daily, which includes tidying rooms and cabins
to collect trash and replenish towels. Help us stay “green” by using your door hangers to alert us of
your needs. We will change bed linens for full-stay guests on Thursday March 28th.
Laundry: We will offer professional laundry service on Thursday March 28th, for a fee of $20 a bag,
payable onsite (or charged to your credit card on file). Families wishing to have fresh personal laundry
mid-program can acquire laundry bags and tags at the reception desk. Tagged laundry bags must be
dropped off by 9:30am on Thursday in the Lakeside Atrium off the main dining room. We will have
your laundry washed, folded and ready for pick up from the stage in the main dining room on Friday
March 29th after 3:30pm. If you want lights and darks laundered separately you’ll require two laundry
bags.
Lost & Found: The ‘Lost and Found’ table is located next to the stage, in the Main Dining Room.
Please be sure to leave found item or check for lost items at this location.
Luggage Service: Luggage assistance will be provided to all guests arriving and departing with the
airport bus. IMPORTANT: If you are taking the bus back to the airport on Friday March 29 or Wednesday April 3 and you would like luggage assistance to the bus, it will be collected 1.5 hours prior to bus
departure times. Please ensure that your luggage is set out by that time, on the porch located closest
to the road of your cabin/room. You will need to identify your luggage at the bus a half hour before
departure to ensure you have everything, and to have it loaded onto the bus. These buses will be located at the Welcome Center and will leave camp sharply at the stated departure time.
Massage Therapy: Male and female massage therapists will be available all week, and will begin
setting appointments at registration. Payment is expected at time of registration and guests may pay
for services with cash, a check made out to Ramah Darom, or via an authorized credit card. Massage
rooms are located in the Retreat Mountainside Hotel, lower level, in the 1st and 2nd rooms on the left.
Signup sheets will be taped to the doors for your convenience. Please note that missed appointments
cannot be refunded.
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Meals: On Yom Tov and Shabbat, Kiddush is recited before the lunch meal. The buffet line will open
thereafter. Parents, please help your children observe this ritual.
Messages: Messages for guests will be pinned onto the board directly outside the main dining hall.
Guests are also welcome to leave messages for one anotherand request partners for cards or sports
on this board.
Optional Charges: For your convenience, you may provide credit card information to our front desk
receptionist or a member of our staff to keep on file for all authorized on-campus charges, including
laundry service, massage therapy and gift shop items.
Parking: Cars parked on our property must have their parking card prominently displayed. Guests
are invited to park in marked spaces throughout campus, adjacent to accommodations. If there are
no more approved parking spaces near your housing, please drop your luggage at your room and return your car to our main parking lot in front of the Welcome Center. We will provide shuttle service
back to your rooms. This is extremely important as our shuttle bus travels through these areas, and
illegally parked cars seriously hinder this service. Please be especially vigilant at the Lakeside campus Cabins 21 – 32, Mountainside Cabins 1 and 2 and the Marcus Hotel, as the shuttle buses cannot
turn around if cars are parked in these areas.
Prayers: All participants are welcome to join in daily religious prayer services. Times are listed in the
Program Book.
Running/Walking off property: If you intend to run or walk on the road outside of our property,
please be aware that there are dogs in the area that might not be as friendly as we at Ramah Darom
are!
Seders: Please plan to be seated 10 minutes before Seder start times. Alphabetical Seder seating
assignments will be posted in the Dining Room. The dining facility is located on the top floor of the
Levine Ramah Center. There is a Shabbat elevator available for your convenience.
Smoking: Smoking is not allowed inside any building. There are designated smoking areas behind
the Main Dining Hall and on the back porch of the Mountainside Dining Hall. A fee will be assessed
to rooms or areas showing evidence of smoking or smoke damage.
Swimming: With Passover being so early this year, it will be too cool to open the swimming pool;
however please plan on joining us at our lake for boating on Chol Hamoed days.
Teens: Our teenage guests are invited to spend time in our Teen Lounge, located underneath the
Beit Am Katan (or Rec Room) where they will find couches and a TV for watching movies.
Telephones: Telephones are located throughout the campus, in cabins and hotel rooms for your
use. Long distance calls require a calling card. To call anyone internally, dial 9 plus the three digit
extension for the room you are trying to reach.
Transport: Shuttles will run daily, usually until 11pm, throughout campus with continued service at
several clearly marked shuttle stops.
Please note: All transport provided by Ramah Darom to excursions or the airport will leave our
campus at exactly the appointed time. Due to time constraints and respect for other guests we will
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not be able to wait for stragglers.
Valuables: Ramah Darom is not responsible for any missing or lost items. If you are
uncomfortable leaving valuables in your room, please leave them locked in your car (at
your own risk); or bring them to the reception Desk where they will be locked away in a safe.
Washing Machines and Dryers: Tumble dryers are available in cabins. Washing machines and
tumble dryers are located in the Mountainside Hotel 2nd floor and the Marcus Lodge Community
Room on the lower floor. Basic detergent supplies are available at both. You will need $1 in quarters
to use each machine. Guests staying for the full program may choose to use our mid-holiday laundry
service.
Wireless Access: Wireless access is available in various spots throughout campus, most reliably in the
Levine Ramah Center, the Welcome Center lobby, the Marcus Lodge and parts of the Mountainside
Retreat Hotel. Most cabins and hotel rooms are also able to pick up signals, but you might have to test
a few spots first. Additionally, all hotel rooms are equipped with DSL, accessible through Ethernet
cable. If you forget yours, extras are available for purchase. You also may use our desktop computers
in our business center as needed. As for cell phones, AT&T picks up the best signals around campus.
Other services can be spotty. You might choose to make calls from landlines, located in all hotel
rooms, our business center and several other community spaces. Long-distance calling cards are
required for calls outside of the local 706 area code.
Yoga: Group yoga is available daily. Private lessons are available as well and designed specifically
for your needs. Working one-on-one, Rebecca Sykes will support your growth in strength, balance
and flexibility. This yoga is alignment-based with a life-affirming philosophy. Her students report
feeling muscles they never knew existed, more resilience in everyday life, and, in many cases, relief
of chronic aches and pains. As a teacher, Rebecca will encourage you to work slowly, carefully and
powerfully to get to know yourself more fully. That is the essence of yoga. A private session is perfect
for those working with injuries who still want the therapeutic benefits of yoga, athletes interested
in sports-specific yoga to improve their game, as well as regular practitioners working on advancing
their practice. 60 minutes: $75, 75 minutes: $90, 90 minutes: $115
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DIRECTIONS
DRIVING DIRECTIONS FROM CLAYTON GA (30525) TO RAMAH DAROM
Please use the following directions once you have reached the city of Clayton. Electronic (GPS, Mapquest, etc) directions from Clayton will not get you to Ramah Darom.
Upon arrival in the city of Clayton please follow U.S. 441. If you are southbound turn right, northbound turn left onto 76 West (Savannah Street). (Landmarks: Dairy Queen & Citgo Gas). Travel about
7.5 miles.
Once you pass Marks Marine and Lake Burton Grocery (on left hand side of the road), travel about
a quarter of a mile and turn right onto Persimmon Road. If you reach the “Y” Camp or Lake Burton,
you have passed the Persimmon Road turn off.
Continue 7.5 miles on Persimmon Road. Make sure to keep to the left at the fork of Mellie Keener
and Persimmon Roads. The first thing you’ll see will be our lake on the left of the road. Continue on
the paved road, driving alongside the retreat center. Drive over the one-vehicle bridge.
The road surface then changes from paved to gravel. Make an immediate left turn into the entrance
of Ramah Darom. The first building on your right is the Welcome Center.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS FROM CLAYTON TO ATLANTA
From our campus turn right onto Persimmon Road and continue for 7.5 miles keeping to the right at
the fork of Mellie Keener Road. At stop sign turn left onto 76 East and travel for 7.5 miles. Turn right
onto 441 South. Follow 441 South onto 365 South, I-985 South and I-85 South to Atlanta.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS TO MOUNTAIN LAKES HOSPITAL
196 Ridgeview Circle, Clayton, GA, 30525; (706) 782-3100 or (706) 782-4233; Approx. 15 miles. From
campus gates turn right onto Persimmon Rd. Travel 7.5 miles on Persimmon Rd veering Right at the
fork of Mellie Keener and Persimmon roads. At stop sign turn left onto 76E. Travel 6.7 miles on 76E.
Turn left onto Germany Road. Travel 0.2 miles. Turn right into Hospital Parking. The emergency room
is behind the main building.
IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS
Ramah Darom Office & 24/7 Help Desk
(706) 782-9300, or #9300 from campus phones
Atlanta Office
(404) 531-0801
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EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM 9
DAILY SCHEDULE
Time
Event
2:30 - 11:00 Check in &
Welcome
3:00 - 6:00 Sports Facilities
Open
6:00 - 7:45
7:40
Dinner
Mincha / Ma-ariv
SUNDAY, MARCH 24
WELCOME! ‫ברוכים הבאים‬
Location
Welcome Center
Sign up for Massages, Art Classes & Private Yoga. Gift
Shop Open
Sports Fields & Courts All sports facilities are open. Equipment is available
at the fields/courts. Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Hockey,
Sand Volleyball, Softball & Gaga
Dining Hall
Join us for dinner!
Synagogue
Rabbi Noam Marans & Hazzan David Tilman
8:15-8:40
Har’ga’ah (Bedtime Multipurpose Room
Stories), David
Schwartz
8:45 - 9:15 Search of Chametz Synagogue
9:00 - 10:30 Welcome Bonfire
Lakeside Fire Ring
9:00 - 10:30 Kids Movie
9:00 - 10:30 Film
Multipurpose Room
Synagogue
9:00
9:00
Main Dining Room
Sports Pavillion
Poker
Contra Dancing
Description
Geared toward younger children who go to sleep
before evening program. These Jewish fables are sure to
please!
With Noam Marans
Join Musician Shep Rosenman & Outdoor Specialist
Daniel Levy for songs, stories & s'mores
Prince of Egypt, Rated G
Film titles will be posted in the Dining Hall & Welcome
Center
Back for the second year - live music, folk dancing and
laughter!
MONDAY, MARCH 25
WELCOME! ‫ברוכים הבאים‬
Time
7:45 - 8:45
8:00 - 9:00
Event
Mindful Vinyasa
Yoga
Shacharit / Ta'anit
Bekhorot
8:30 - 9:45
Continental
Breakfast
9:00 - 10:00 Yoga Blend
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Location
Multipurpose Room
Synagogue
Description
Align your body & mind through breath and movement
with Becca Sykes. All levels welcome.
Fast of firstborn. Rabbi Eliezer Diamond will conduct a
siyyum, completion of a tractate of Talmud and invite
all to a seudat mitzvah. Traditionally, firstborns use this
seudat mitzvah opportunity to be free of fasting on
Erev Pesach.
Dining Hall
Multipurpose Room
A combination of Tai chi, Pilates, and Yoga; including
relaxation, meditation, and aroma therapy with Lynn
Chanin. All levels welcome.
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM
MONDAY, MARCH 25
WELCOME! ‫ברוכים הבאים‬
Time
9:00 - 9:30
9:30 - 9:50
Event
A Daily Dose of
Talmud, Aaron
Alexander
Parent's Meeting
Location
Main Dining Room,
look for table card by
the stage
Lakeside Dining
9:45 - 10:00 Burning of Hametz Lakeside fire Ring
10:00 Silk Scarves,
Art Building
12:00
Marilyn Rose
Description
A daily shiur offering insight into the rabbinic mind and
its logical methodoligies
Important Introductory meeting for parents of children
ages 2 - Middle School. Campers welcome. Camp drop
off will be at 10:00, after meeting.
Rabbi Noam Marans
Preregistered adults, ages 18+, 8 slots available. A fun
and easy project recycling men’s neckties; you will make
your own fabulous silk scarf. Surprises abound & no
one will guess how you made your stylish creation.
Preregistered adults, ages 18+, 8 slots available. Using
paper, scissors and knives create a beautiful bird on a
branch. No experience necessary.
Preregistered Adults, ages 18+, 6 slots available. Come
learn new and interesting needlepoint stitches while
making a mezuzah case. Each participant will receive
all the materials & instruction needed. No experience
needed.
10:00 12:00
Papercutting,
Mindy Shapiro
Art Building
10:00 12:00
Needlepoint,
Roxane Goldstein
Lakeside Dining
10:00 12:00
10:00 12:00
Board Games
Library
Sports Facilities
Open
Sports Fields & Courts All sports facilities are open. Equipment is available
at the fields/courts. Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Hockey,
Sand Volleyball, Softball & Gaga
Lake
10:00 12:00
10:00 12:00
Boating
Gan Camp: Ages
2 - Pre K
Rebecca & Dani
Camp: Grades K - 2
Nancy & Jennie
Camp: Grades 3 - 5
Schowty & Randy
Middle School
Noah & Joanne
10:00 12:00
10:00 12:00
10:00 12:00
1:45 dropoff,
camp 2:00 4:00
1:45 dropoff,
camp 2:00 4:00
Gan Camp: Ages
2 - Pre K
Rebecca & Dani
Drop off in
Multipurpose Room
Music & Boating
Drop off in Portico
under Dining Hall
Drop off in Portico
under Dining Hall
Meet your counselors
in Portico under
Dining Hall
Drop off in
Multipurpose Room
Swing at the Climbing Tower, closed-toed shoes and
pants or capris required
Boating & Music
Camp: Grades K - 2 Drop off in Portico
Nancy & Jennie
under Dining Hall
RELIGIOUS
SERVICES &
STUDY
DISCUSSIONS
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ART
FOOD
Matzah Majors: Land Sports, Art or Adventure. Sign up
at registration, see Amy or Sara Beth
Pesach Arts and Crafts
Make plague bags for Seder
FAMILY
FRIENDLY ADULTS
YOUTH
TEENS
TRIPS
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM 11
MONDAY, MARCH 25
WELCOME! ‫ברוכים הבאים‬
Time
2:00 - 4:00
Event
Camp: Grades 3 - 5
Schowty & Randy
2:00 - 4:00 Middle School
Noah & Joanne
10:00 - 2:00 Check in &
Welcome
11:00 Mimi Fiegelson,
11:45
The meaning of
life and living: the
Whole Babylonian
Talmud in 45
minutes!
12:00 - 1:30 Lunch
1:00 - 3:00 Health Clinic Hours
Location
Boating: Lake
Tower: Tower
Art: Art Building
Sports: Pavillion
Welcome Center
2:00 - 2:45
Synagogue
2:00 - 4:00
Harold Kushner,
Why Men Love
Football & Hate to
Ask for Directions
Watercolor,
Marilyn Rose
Synagogue
Dining Hall
Infirmary
Art Building
2:00 - 4:00
Papercutting,
Mindy Shapiro
Art Building
2:00 - 6:00
2:00 - 6:00
Board Games
Sports Facilities
Open
Check in &
Welcome
Eliezer Diamond,
From Slavery to
Freedom
Shelley Kniaz,
Kashrut
Boating
Tower Open
Library
Sports Fields & Courts
Family Kickball
Game
Light Meal for Early
Birds
Mincha / Ma-ariv
Candlelighting
First Seder
Soccer Field
2:00 - 7:00
3:00 - 3:45
4:00 - 4:45
4:00 - 5:00
4:00 - 6:00
4:30 - 5:30
5:30 - 6:15
6:35 / 7:10
6:55
7:40
12 PASSOVER 5773
Welcome Center
Description
Afternoon Options: Boating / Tower, pick one or visit
both
Afternoon Options: Art / Sports, pick one or visit both
Sign up for Massages, Art Classes & Private Yoga. Gift
Shop Open
There are infinite ways to define our lives, and what
being alive means for each of us. Rabbi Hiya’s sons in
the opening and closing tractates of the BT address this
question. How do you distinguish between ‘life’ and
‘living’?
Join us for lunch!
Visit our Physician assistant if needed. The infirmary is in
the lower level of the Retreat Mountainside Hotel
With a surprising insight into the meaning of the Bar
Mitzvah ceremony
Preregistered Adults, ages 18+, 8 slots available. An
intro to watercolor painting. Explore materials &
techniques to get a taste of what watercolor is all about. Preregistered Adults, ages 18+, 8 slots available. Using
paper, scissors and knives, create a beautiful hamsa. No
experience necessary.
Synagogue
Sign up for Massages, Art Classes & Private Yoga. Gift
Shop Open
The Haggadah's Twice-Told Tale Synagogue
Metaphor in Action
Lake
Climbing Wall
Conquer the tower - no experience necessary! Closed
toed shoes & long pants/capris are required.
Main Dining Hall
Join us for dinner! Chefs Brad & Todd
Synagogue
Lakeside Dining
Dining Room
Rabbi Noam Marans & Hazzan David Tilman
Please join us for a Communal Seder led by Rabbi Noam
Marans & Hazzan David Tilman
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM
TUESDAY, MARCH 26
YOM TOV ‫יום טוב‬
Time
7:45 - 8:45
Event
Mindful Vinyasa
Yoga
8:30 - 9:45 Continental
Breakfast
9:00 - 9:30 A Daily Dose of
Talmud, Aaron
Alexander
9:30 Traditional
12:00
Services
9:00 Yoga Blend
10:00
10:30 12:00
10:30 12:00
10:30 12:00
12:00 1:30
1:00 - 3:00
Alternative
Services, Shep
Rosenman
Gan Services, up
through age 5.
Junior
Congregation, 1st
- 5th grades
Lunch
Health Clinic
Hours
1:45 drop- Gan Camp: Ages
off,
2 - Pre K
camp 2:00 Rebecca & Dani
- 4:00
1:45 drop- Camp: Grades
off,
K-2
camp 2:00 Nancy & Jennie
- 4:00
2:00 - 4:00 Camp: Grades
3-5
Schowty & Randy
2:00 - 4:00 Middle School
Noah & Joanne
1:10 - 1:30 Parent's Meeting
1:15 - 2:00
Adult Choir
RELIGIOUS
SERVICES &
STUDY
Location
Multipurpose Room
Dining Hall
Main Dining Room,
A daily shiur offering insight into the rabbinic mind and
look for table card by its logical methodoligies
the stage
Synagogue
Rabbi Noam Marans & Hazzan David Tilman
Multipurpose Room
Lakeside Pavillion
Multipurpose Room
Mountainside
Pavillion
A combination of Tai chi, Pilates, and Yoga; including
relaxation, meditation, and aroma therapy with Lynn
Chanin. All levels welcome.
Find connections among your community, G-d & you
using meditation, communication & prayer.
Penina Grossberg, Sharona Grossberg, Yaffa Shira
Grossberg & Youth Program Staff.
David "Schwoty" Schwartz & Youth Program Staff.
Dining Hall
Infirmary
Drop off in
Multipurpose Room
Visit our physician assistant if needed. The infirmary is in
the lower level of the Retreat Mountainside Hotel
Plague Scavenger Hunt & Music / Shira
Drop off in Portico
under Dining Hall
Music / Shira & Drama Games & Stories
Meet at Welcome
Center
Spring Hike
Meet at Old Dining
Hall
Lakeside Dining
Improv Games
Synagogue
DISCUSSIONS
PASSOVER 5773
Description
Align your body & mind through breath and movement
with Becca Sykes. All levels welcome.
ART
FOOD
Important Introductory Meeting for parents of children
ages 2 - Middle School. Campers welcome. Camp drop
off will be at 1:45, after meeting.
Open to adults & teens who enjoy singing! This choir will
rehearse daily & participate in Yom Tov Services on the
7th & 8th days with Hazzan David Tilman.
FAMILY
FRIENDLY ADULTS
YOUTH
TEENS
TRIPS
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM 13
TUESDAY, MARCH 26
YOM TOV ‫יום טוב‬
Time
2:00 - 4:00
Event
Sports Facilities
Open
2:00 - 5:00
Mah Jong &
Scrabble
Harold Kushner,
The Honey & the
Sting
Josh Heller, All for
one, or one for
all?
Amy Roth, Four
Sons or Four
Daughters...or
Four Children?
Brad Artson, My
Favorite Passage
of Torah (and all
You Really Need!)
Adam Frank,
Judaism and
Animal Welfare
Part I
Mimi Fiegelson,
How Could you
not Doubt God
and the Nature of
Your Relationship
With God
Hike to Camp
Waterfall, Daniel
Levy
Sports Facilities
Open
2:00 - 2:45
3:00 - 3:45
3:00 - 3:45
4:00 - 4:45
5:00 - 5:45
5:00 - 5:45
4:00 - 5:00
4:00 - 6:00
4:30 - 6:00 Adults vs. Teens
Basketball
4:30 - 6:00 Family Volleyball
4:00 - 6:00 Family Board
Games, Noah
Marks
4:00 - 5:00 Restorative Yoga
5:00 - 5:45 “Tree of Life
Shtender”
Presentation,
Geoff Menkowitz
14 PASSOVER 5773
Location
Description
Sports Fields & Courts All sports facilities are open. Equipment is available at
the fields/courts. Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Hockey, Sand
Volleyball, Softball & Gaga
Library
Synagogue
Teen Lounge
Library Conference
Room
Synagogue
Is there a message conveyed by the "Hillel sandwich",
bitter herb & haroset on matzah, besides "that's great, it
means it's almost time to eat?”
Can you kill one person to save many?
The Hagaddah tells one of the best known stories of
Jewish survival with many versions, different perspectives,
different biases, & different emphases. Come join us on a
“tour” of a wide variety of hagaddot.
Everything you need to know - about Torah, Judaism, and
life - in one handy summation of Torah. Library Conference
Room
Part 1 of 4, attend some or all: Biblical and Talmudic
sources
Synagogue
The Ishbitzer rebbe, one of the most radical Hassidic
masters, poses ‘doubt’ in the center of our relationship
with God. How does tradition stand in the light of ‘doubt’?
Where does ‘doubt’ manifest in your partnership & service
of God?
Meet at Dining Hall
Easy & open to all. For the fist time or the 100th, this
beautiful waterfall is a must-do when you're at camp.
With Daniel Levy
Sports Fields & Courts All sports facilities are open. Equipment is available at
the fields/courts. Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Hockey, Sand
Volleyball, Softball & Gaga
Basketball Court
Volleyball Court
Mountainside Dining Learn how to play the popular Shabbat game Settlers of
Room
Katan. Other options available as well.
Multipurpose Room
Synagogue
Combines breath work with slow, mindful movement
with Becca Sykes. All levels welcome.
See the unpacking of this veritable treasure chest of
exquisite Judaica, revealing the artistic ritual items
contained within. Engaging and inspiring , the tour of the
Shtender is part magic show, part quiz show, and lots of
fun for all.
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM
TUESDAY, MARCH 26
YOM TOV ‫יום טוב‬
Time
Event
5:15 - 6:00 Youth Choir
Location
Lakeside Dining
5:15 - 6:15 Yoga Blend
Multipurpose Room
5:00 - 5:45
Main Dining Hall
6:50
7:35
7:50
Light Meal for
Early Birds
Mincha / Ma'ariv
Candlelighting
Second Seder
Description
Open to all children 2nd grade & up. We will rehearse
daily & participate in Yom Tov Services on the 7th & 8th
days with Hazzan David Tilman.
A combination of Tai chi, Pilates, and Yoga; including
relaxation, meditation, and aroma therapy with Lynn
Chanin. Advanced Class.
Join us for dinner! Chef's Brad & Todd
Rabbi Noam Marans & Hazzan David Tilman
Lakeside Dining
Dining Room
Please join us for a Communal Seder led by Harman &
Adina Grossman
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27
YOM TOV ‫יום טוב‬
Time
7:45 - 8:45
8:30 - 9:45
9:00 - 9:30
9:00 - 10:00
9:30 - 12:00
10:30 - 12:00
10:30 - 12:00
10:30 - 12:00
10:30 - 12:00
12:00 - 1:30
1:00 - 3:00
Event
Mindful Vinyasa
Yoga
Continental
Breakfast
A Daily Dose of
Talmud, Aaron
Alexander
Yoga Blend
Traditional
Services
Alternative
Services, Shep
Rosenman
Shabbat in Nature,
Greg Greer &
Nancy Gorod
Gan Services, up
through age 5.
Junior
Congregation, 1st
- 5th grades
Lunch
Health Clinic
Hours
RELIGIOUS
SERVICES &
STUDY
Location
Multipurpose Room
Dining Hall
Main Dining Room,
A daily shiur offering insight into the rabbinic mind
look for table card by and its logical methodoligies
the stage
Multipurpose Room A combination of Tai chi, Pilates, and Yoga; including
relaxation, meditation, and aromatherapy with Lynn
Chanin. Advanced class.
Synagogue
Rabbi Noam Marans & Hazzan David Tilman
Lakeside Pavillion
Find connections among your community, G-d & you
using meditation, communication & prayer.
Meet at Welcome
Center
What do you get when you combine a naturalist with
a Jewish educator? A unique spiritual experience in
nature.
Penina Grossberg, Sharona Grossberg, Yaffa Shira
Grossberg & Youth Program Staff.
David "Schwoty" Schwartz & Yough Program Staff.
Multipurpose Room
Mountainside
Pavillion
Dining Hall
Infirmary
DISCUSSIONS
PASSOVER 5773
Description
Align your body & mind through breath and
movement with Becca Sykes. All levels welcome.
ART
Visit our physician assistant if needed. The infirmary is
in the lower level of the Retreat Mountainside Hotel
FOOD
FAMILY
FRIENDLY ADULTS
YOUTH
TEENS
TRIPS
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM 15
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27
YOM TOV ‫יום טוב‬
Time
1:15 - 2:00
Event
Adult Choir
Location
Synagogue
1:45 drop-off,
camp 2:00 4:00
1:45 drop-off,
camp 2:00 4:00
2:00 - 4:00
Gan Camp: Ages
2 - Pre K
Rebecca & Dani
Camp: Grades
K-2
Nancy & Jennie
Camp: Grades
3-5
Schowty & Randy
Middle School
Noah & Joanne
Hike to Hillbilly
Waterfall
Mah Jong &
Scrabble
Sports Facilities
Open
Drop off in
Multipurpose Room
2:00 - 4:00
2:00 - 3:30
2:00 - 5:00
2:00 - 4:00
2:00 - 2:45
Harold Kushner,
When Brothers
Quarrel
3:00 - 3:45
Shelley Kniaz,
Kabbalah &
Tikkun Olam
Aaron Alexander
& Josh Heller, The
Living Law
3:00 - 3:45
3:00-3:45
3:00 - 3:45
3:00 - 3:45
Parenting/
Teaching children
who struggle
with executive
functioning, with
Randee Romanoff
Noam Marans,
Why Jews Should
Be Concerned
about Who the
Pope Is?
Art Tour of Camp
Ramah Darom,
Geoff Menkowitz
16 PASSOVER 5773
Description
Open to adults & teens who enjoy singing! This Choir
will rehearse daily & participate in Yom Tov Services on
the 7th & 8th days with Hazzan David Tilman.
Nature with Greg & Group Activity
Drop off in Portico
under Dining Hall
Group Activity & Nature with Greg
Meet under Dining
Hall
Team Games
Meet at Old Dining
Hall
Meet at Welcome
Center
Library
Amalgamated Sports
Moderate and open to all. With Daniel Levy
Sports Fields & Courts All sports facilities are open. Equipment is available
at the fields/courts. Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Hockey,
Sand Volleyball, Softball & Gaga
Synagogue
The Torah is filled with stories od siublings quarreling,
from Cain & Able to Joseph & his brothers, perhaps
even Moses & Aaron. Why do they quarrel and how are
their quarrels healed?
Teen Lounge
Synagogue
Library Conference
Room
Rabbis Heller and Alexander, both members of the
Conservative Movement's Committee for Jewish Law
and Standards (CJLS), openly debate a current issue:
Non-Jews opening the Ark.
The goal of this workshop is that every attendee
will walk away with one helpful strategy they can
implement.
Mountainside Dining With the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and his
successor not yet selected, this is an appropriate
moment to consider the history of Catholic-Jewish
relations and the role popes have played in that
relationship. Meet on Dining Hall Take a tour around camp to view and learn about the
Porch
camper-produced sculptural instillations and other
breathtaking works of art which enhance our grounds.
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27
YOM TOV ‫יום טוב‬
Time
4:00 - 4:45
Event
Location
My name is Jacob Synagogue
Artson and I am
a person just like
you.
4:00 - 5:00
Hike to Waterfall,
Daniel Levy
Sports Facilities
Open
4:00 - 6:00
4:30 - 6:00
4:00 - 6:00
4:15 - 5:15
Hockey Game
Family Board
Games
Restorative Yoga
4:30 - 5:15
Wildlife Show,
ages 6 & under,
Greg Greer
5:00 - 5:45
Adam Frank,
Judaism and
Animal Welfare
Part II
Wildlife Show,
ages 7 and up
Greg Greer
5:30 - 6:15
5:30 - 6:30
5:15 - 6:00
6:55
7:15 - 8:30
8:15-8:40
8:25 / 8:35
9:00
9:00
Description
Jacob will share his perspective on growing up
in the Jewish community as an individual with
autism. Afterwards, there will be discussion about
encouraging greater inclusion in our synagogues and
organizations. Meet at Dining Hall
Easy & open to all. For the fist time or the 100th, this
beautiful waterfall is a must-do when you're at camp.
Sports Fields & Courts All sports facilities are open. Equipment is available
at the fields/courts. Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Hockey,
Sand Volleyball, Softball & Gaga
Hockey Rink
Library
Multipurpose Room
Combines breath work with slow, mindful movement
with Becca Sykes. All levels welcome.
Mountainside Dining Join Greg as he presents live, non-venemous reptiles in
Room
a program that is sure to excite. This program is geared
towards younger children & there will be opportunities
to touch!
Synagogue
Part 2 of 4, attend some or all: Commentators and legal
authorities
Mountainside Dining Join Greg as he presents live, non venemous reptiles in
Room
a program that is sure to excite. This program is geared
towards older children & there will be opportunities to
touch!
Yoga Blend
Multipurpose Room A combination of Tai chi, Pilates, and Yoga; including
relaxation, meditation, and aromatherapy with Lynn
Chanin. All Levels Welcome.
Youth Choir
Lakeside Dining
Open to all children 2nd grade & up. We will rehearse
daily & participate in Yom Tov Services on the 7th & 8th
days with Hazzan David Tilman.
Mincha
Synagogue
Rabbi Noam Marans & Hazzan David Tilman
Dinner
Dining Hall
Join us for dinner! Chefs Brad & Todd
Har’ga’ah
Multipurpose Room Geared toward younger children who go to sleep
(Bedtime Stories),
before evening program. These Jewish fables are sure
David Schwartz
to please!
Ma'ariv /
Synagogue
Rabbi Noam Marans & Hazzan David Tilman
Havdallah
Odyssey - Teen
Odyssey
Test your limits, conquer your fears, discover your
Night
strength! Closed-toed shoes & long pants/capris are
required.
Ladies Night
Mountinside Dining Bat Mitzvah age & up: Art, Pedicures & Music
RELIGIOUS
SERVICES &
STUDY
DISCUSSIONS
PASSOVER 5773
ART
FOOD
FAMILY
FRIENDLY ADULTS
YOUTH
TEENS
TRIPS
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM 17
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27
YOM TOV ‫יום טוב‬
Time
9:00
9:00
9:00
9:00
9:00
9:00
Event
Guy's Game Night
Kids Movie
Poker
Ladies Night Out,
ages 13 & up
Film
Wildlife of Chile,
Greg Greer
Location
Main Dining
Multipurpose Room
Main Dining Room
Mountainside Dining
Room
Synagogue
Description
Bar Mitzvah age & up: Cards & Other Games
Sandlot
Massage, Art, Pampering & Music
Film titles will be posted in the Dining Hall & Welcome
Center
Mountainside Dining Join international Eco Tour Guide Greg Greer to explore
Room
& learn about the southern-most area of the new world
- photographs, stories & suggestions for your own
travel.
THURSDAY, MARCH 28
CHOL HAMOED ‫חול המועד‬
Time
7:45 - 8:45
8:00 - 9:00
8:30 - 9:45
9:00 - 9:30
9:00 - 10:00
9:15 - 1:00
9:15 - 6:00
9:30 - 1:00
10:00 - 12:00
10:00 - 12:00
10:00 - 12:00
10:00 - 12:00
Event
Mindful Vinyasa
Yoga
Shacharit
Continental
Breakfast
A Daily Dose of
Talmud, Aaron
Alexander
Yoga Blend
Location
Multipurpose Room
Synagogue
Dining Hall
Description
Align your body & mind through breath and
movement with Becca Sykes. All levels welcome.
Rabbi Noam Marans & Hazzan David Tilman
Main Dining Room,
A daily shiur offering insight into the rabbinic mind
look for table card by and its logical methodoligies
the stage
Multipurpose Room A combination of Tai chi, Pilates, and Yoga; including
relaxation, meditation, and aromatherapy with Lynn
Chanin. Advanced Class.
Foxfire Museum & Lakeside Atrium
Heritage Center
Kayak Trip
Lakeside Atrium
Historic Walking
Lakeside Atrium
Tour of Clayton
Gan Camp: Ages Drop off in
Crossing the Red Sea Activity & Boating
2 - Pre K
Multipurpose Room
Rebecca & Dani
Camp: Grades
Drop off in Portico
Boating, Scavenger Hunt & Matzah Covers
K-2
under Dining Hall
Nancy & Jennie
Camp: Grades
Drop off in Portico
Drama
3-5
under Dining Hall
Schowty & Randy
Middle School
Meet your counselors Matzah Majors: Land Sports, Art or Adventure. Sign up
Noah & Joanne
in Portico under
at registration, see Amy or Sara Beth
Dining Hall
18 PASSOVER 5773
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM
THURSDAY, MARCH 28
CHOL HAMOED ‫חול המועד‬
Time
10:00 - 11:00
10:00 - 12:00
Event
Boating
Climbing Wall
Open
Greeting Cards,
Marilyn Rose
Description
Enjoy some quiet time on the lake.
Climb the wall - no experience necessary! Closed toed
shoes & long pants/capris are required.
10:00 - 12:00
Art Building
Preregistered adults, ages 18+, 8 slots available. Use
watercolor techniques, stamping, resist, etc. to create
your own special cards (with envelopes) to give to
friends….. or perhaps to keep!
10:00 - 12:00 Needlepoint,
Lakeside Dining Hall Preregistered adults, ages 18+, 6 slots available. Come
Roxane Goldstein
learn new and interesting needlepoint stitches while
making a mezuzah case. Each participant will receive
all the materials & instruction needed. No experience
needed.
10:00 - 10:45 David Tilman,
Mountainside Dining An introduction to reading Torah, Haftarah, and
Deciphering
Hall
Hamesh Megillot/Five Scrolls, using the wonderful
Cantillation
software package TROPE TRAINER. The session will be
meaningful for both beginning and experience Torah/
Haftarah readers.
10:30 - 12:30 Private Event
Library
The Library will be closed for this event
11:00 - 11:45 Which woman
Mountainside Dining Looking at two stories of alluring women in the Bible
would you
Room
- Song of Songs and Proverbs. Despite similar themes,
choose? , Daniel
actions, props and language, one woman appears as
Grossberg
worthy of celebration and the other as deserving of
scorn.
12:00 - 1:30
Lunch
Dining Hall
1:00 - 3:00
Health Clinic
Infirmary
Visit our physician’s assistant if needed. The infirmary is
Hours
in the lower level of the Retreat Mountainside Hotel
1:15 - 2:00
Adult Choir
Synagogue
Open to adults & teens who enjoy singing! This Choir
will rehearse daily & participate in Yom Tov Services on
the 7th & 8th days with Hazzan David Tilman.
1:45 drop-off, Gan Camp: Ages Drop off in
Frog Puppets, Pyriamid Building & Yoga
camp 2:00 - 2 - Pre K
Multipurpose Room
4:00
Rebecca & Dani
1:45 drop-off, Camp: Grades
Drop off in Portico
Yoga & Matzah Covers Art Project
camp 2:00 K-2
under Dining Hall
4:00
Nancy & Jennie
2:00 - 4:00
Camp: Grades
Art: Art Building
Afternoon Options: Art / Sports, pick one or visit both
3-5
Sports: Pavillion
Schowty & Randy
2:00 - 4:00
Middle School
Boating: Lake
Afternoon Options: Boating / Wall, pick one or visit
Noah & Joanne
Wall: Wall
both
2:00 - 6:00
Sports Facilities
Sports Fields &
All sports facilities are open. Equipment is available
Open
Courts
at the fields/courts. Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Hockey,
Sand Volleyball, Softball & Gaga
RELIGIOUS
SERVICES &
STUDY
Location
Lake
Climbing Wall
DISCUSSIONS
PASSOVER 5773
ART
FOOD
FAMILY
FRIENDLY ADULTS
YOUTH
TEENS
TRIPS
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM 19
THURSDAY, MARCH 28
CHOL HAMOED ‫חול המועד‬
Time
2:00 - 4:00
Event
Location
Kinehorra: Jewish Art Building
Good Luck
Charms, Pamela
Gottfried
2:00 - 4:00
Glass Decorating,
Mindy Shapiro
2:00 - 2:45
Harold Kushner,
The Worst Day in
Kind David's Life
Shelley Kniaz,
Ethics and
Halachah
Mountain Biking
3:00 - 3:45
3:00 - 5:00
4:00 - 4:45
4:00 - 6:00
4:00 - 6:00
4:00 - 6:00
4:00 - 5:00
4:15 - 6:15
4:15 - 6:15
4:15 - 6:15
5:00 - 6:00
5:00 - 5:45
Description
Preregistered Adults, ages 18+, 15 slots available.
Create an amulet or Jewish good-luck charm, using
polymer clay and a 3”x 3” tile yin the folk religion
practice of warding off the evil eye. No experience
needed.
Mountainside Dining OPEN Class, no preregistration. Painting on glass is a
fun and relaxed way to engage with your inner artist
Using wine goblets and glass paint, make a Miriam’s
cup or a beautiful glass. No experience is needed.
Synagogue
It started out so well but ended badly. Understanding
it can teach us the secret of the letting the future
change the past
Synagogue
A Case Study: the Unique Approach of Mechon Hadar
Mountain Biking with Geoff Menkowitz, for anyone
who know how to ride a bike
Josh Heller, Alms
We all know that Tzedakh is a value. But how much is
for the Greedy?
too much? What if we suspect, or know, that someone
is trying to cheat the system? Fascinating stories teach
that schnorring is a time-honored art.
Boating
Lake
Canoe, kayak or just enjoy hanging out on the dock
Sports Facilities
Sports Fields &
All sports facilities are open. Equipment is available
Open
Courts
at he fields/courts. Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Hovkey,
Sand Volleyball, Softball & Gaga
Climbing Wall
Climbing Wall
Climb the wall - no experience necessary! Closed toed
Open
shoes & long pants/capris are required.
Restorative Yoga Multipurpose Room Combines breath work with slow, mindful movement
with Becca Sykes. All levels welcome.
God is in the Dirt, Art Building
Preregistered Adults, ages 18+, 15 slots available.
Pamela Gottfried
Create a portrayal of a biblical figure’s encounter
with the Divine, using polymer clay, a 3”x 3” tile and a
favorite verse from the Torah. No experience needed.
Watercolor,
Art Building
Preregistered Adults, ages 18+, 8 slots available. An
Marilyn Rose
intro to watercolor painting, explore materials &
techniques to get a taste of what watercolor is all
about. Zentangling,
Mountainside Dining Preregistered Adults, ages 18+, 20 slots available. Enjoy
Mindy Shapiro
this easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create
beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. No
experience needed.
Wine Tasting
Lakeside Dining
Come & learn about the wines you've been drinking all
Room
week.
Adam Frank,
Synagogue
Part 3 of 4, attend some or all.
How to Respond
to Critics of
Kosher Slaughter
Practices?
20 PASSOVER 5773
Meet at Old Dining
Hall
Synagogue
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM
THURSDAY, MARCH 28
CHOL HAMOED ‫חול המועד‬
Time
5:15 - 6:00
Event
Youth Choir
Location
Lakeside Dining
5:15 - 6:15
Yoga Blend
Multipurpose Room
5:30 - 6:15
Israeli Dancing
6:15 - 7:00
Ramah Darom
Klezmer Band
Book Swap, Ellen
Tilman
Soccer Field (lawn
outside Dining Hall)
Soccer Field (lawn
outside Dining Hall)
Library
6:30 - 7:00
6:55
7:15 - 8:30
8:30
9:00
9:00
9:00
9:00
9:00
9:00
9:00
9:00
Mincha
Dinner
Ma'ariv
Kids Movie
Youth Evening
Program
Artist Trading
Cards, Marilyn
Rose
Synagogue
Dining Hall
Synagogue
Multipurpose Room
Art Building
Description
Open to all children 2nd grade & up. We will rehearse
daily & participate in Yom Tov Services on the 7th & 8th
days with Hazzan David Tilman.
A combination of Tai chi, Pilates, and Yoga; including
relaxation, meditation, and aromatherapy with Lynn
Chanin. All levels welcome.
Learn our Havdallah Dances and get your groove on!
Back for a second year, let the music move you!
Discuss your favorites & hear about recent
recommended titles. Bring a book to share & "swap"
your book with someone else's
Rabbi Noam Marans & Hazzan David Tilman
Rabbi Noam Marans & Hazzan David Tilman
Free To Be You & Me
Tie-Dye Night
Create miniature works of art with many materials and
techniques, including collaging, pasting, painting and
stamping. It requires no previous art experience, and
yields really exciting results.
Odyssey
Odyssey
Test your limits, conquer your fears, discover your
strength! Closed-toed shoes & long pants/capris are
required.
Hoopessence
Sports Pavillion
Hula Hooping like you've never seen it before!! Watch a
performance, learn yourself - try something completely
new!
The Aleppo
Mountainside Dining The Codex is the most authoritative version of the
Codex: A
Room
Tanach and surrounded by intrigue. Join in the
True Story of
discussion and share your opinions on the fate of
Obsession, Faith,
the Codex. Copies of the book will be available for
and the Pursuit of
purchase.
an Ancient Bible ,
Ellen Tilman
Poker
Main Dining Room
Film
Synagogue
Film titles will be posted in the Dining Hall & Welcome
Center
RELIGIOUS
SERVICES &
STUDY
Art Building
DISCUSSIONS
PASSOVER 5773
ART
FOOD
FAMILY
FRIENDLY ADULTS
YOUTH
TEENS
TRIPS
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM 21
FRIDAY, MARCH 29
CHOL HAMOED ‫חול המועד‬
‫ צאתכם לשלום ולהתראות‬to our first half guests!
‫ ברוכים הבאים‬to our second half guests!
Guests preregistered for the airport bus: If you want luggage pick-up, please leave your bags outside your
accommodations on the patio closest to the road by 6:30 am. Bus departs for Atlanta airport at 8:00 am sharp.
Time
7:45 - 8:45
8:00 - 9:00
8:30 - 9:45
9:00 - 9:30
9:00 - 10:00
9:15 - 3:00
9:15 - 1:15
9:30 - 9:50
10:00 - 12:00
10:00 - 12:00
10:00 - 12:00
10:00 - 12:00
10:00 - 12:00
10:00 - 12:00
Event
Mindful Vinyasa
Yoga
Shacharit
Continental
Breakfast
A Daily Dose of
Talmud, Aaron
Alexander
Yoga Blend
N GA Petting Zoo
Farm & Wildlife
Walk
Sautee
Nacoochee Folk
Pottery Center
Parent's Meeting
Location
Multipurpose Room
Synagogue
Dining Hall
Description
Align your body & mind through breath and
movement with Becca Sykes. All levels welcome.
Rabbi Noam Marans & Hazzan David Tilman
Main Dining Room,
A daily shiur offering insight into the rabbinic mind
look for table card by and its logical methodoligies
the stage
Multipurpose Room A combination of Tai chi, Pilates, and Yoga; including
relaxation, meditation, and aroma therapy with Lynn
Chanin. All levels welcome.
Lakeside Atrium
Lakeside Atrium
Important Introductory meeting for parents of
children ages 2 - Middle School. Campers welcome.
Camp drop off will be at 10:00, after meeting.
Trading Cards,
Art Building
OPEN Class, no preregistration. During this session,
Marilyn Rose
we’ll create miniature works of art with many materials
and techniques, including collaging, pasting, painting
and stamping. No experience needed.
Glass Decorating, Mountainside Dining OPEN Class, no preregistration. Painting on glass is a
Mindy Shapiro
fun and relaxed way to engage with your inner artist
Using wine goblets and glass paint, make a Miriam’s
cup or a beautiful glass. No experience is needed.
Gan Camp: Ages Drop off in
Boating & Music / Shira
2 - Pre K
Multipurpose Room
Rebecca & Dani
Camp: Grades
Drop off in Portico
Music / Shira / Boating
K-2
under Dining Hall
Nancy & Jennie
Camp: Grades
Drop off in Portico
Swing at the Climbing Tower, closed toed shoes and
3-5
under Dining Hall
pants or capris required
Schowty & Randy
Middle School
Meet your counselors Matzah Majors: Land Sports, Art or Adventure. Sign
Noah & Joanne
in Portico under
up at registration, see Amy or Sara Beth
Dining Hall
22 PASSOVER 5773
Lakeside Dining
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM
FRIDAY, MARCH 29
CHOL HAMOED ‫חול המועד‬
‫ צאתכם לשלום ולהתראות‬to our first half guests!
‫ ברוכים הבאים‬to our second half guests!
Guests preregistered for the airport bus: If you want luggage pick-up, please leave your bags outside your
accommodations on the patio closest to the road by 6:30 am. Bus departs for Atlanta airport at 8:00 am sharp.
Time
10:00 - 10:45
11:00 - 11:45
12:00 - 1:30
1:15 - 2:00
1:00 - 3:00
1:00 - 5:30
1:15 - 2:00
1:45 drop-off,
camp 2:00 4:00
1:45 drop-off,
camp 2:00 4:00
2:00 - 4:00
2:00 - 4:00
2:00 - 4:00
Event
Location
Mimi Fiegelson,
Synagogue
God’s Prayer
book: Where do
your prayers meet
God’s prayers?
Is this the reward Synagogue
for a good deed?,
Daniel Grossberg
Lunch
Book Signing
with Faculty
Authors
Health Clinic
Hours
Horsebackriding
OR Zipline
Adventure
Adult Choir
Description
How would you answer the questions: “Does God
pray?” or “What constitutes God’s prayer?” The Talmud
(Brakhot 7a) in dialogue with The Ishbitzer Rebbe (the
Mei HaShiloah) have answers of their own. How do
they relate to your answers?
“The Document,” a short story by Shmuel Yosef Agnon,
Israel’s Nobel laureate, tells of a man doing a good turn
and, rather than finding satisfaction in his generosity,
finds himself helplessly trapped in a nightmarish
entanglement.
Dining Hall
Dining Hall Porch
Harold Kushner & Brad Artson - we will also have
copies for their books available for sale.
Infirmary
Visit our physician’s assistant if needed, the infirmary is
in the lower level of the Retreat Mountainside Hotel
Lakeside Atrium
Synagogue
Gan Camp: Ages Drop off in
2 - Pre K
Multipurpose Room
Rebecca & Dani
Camp: Grades
Drop off in Portico
K-2
under Dining Hall
Nancy & Jennie
Camp: Grades
Wall: Climbing Wall
3-5
Art: Art Building
Schowty & Randy
Middle School
Boating: Lake
Noah & Joanne
Song Writing: Library
Conference Room
Sports Facilities
Sports Fields & Courts
Open
RELIGIOUS
SERVICES &
STUDY
DISCUSSIONS
PASSOVER 5773
ART
FOOD
Open to adults & teens who enjoy singing! This choir
will rehearse daily & participate in Yom Tov Services on
the 7th & 8th days with Hazzan David Tilman.
FUN WITH PAINT!
Shabbat-o-grams, Games & Shabbat Prep
Afternoon Options: Wall / Art pick one or visit both
Afternoon Options: Boating / Song Writing pick one or
visit both
All sports facilities are open. Equipment is available
at the fields/courts. Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Hockey,
Sand Volleyball, Softball & Gaga
FAMILY
FRIENDLY ADULTS
YOUTH
TEENS
TRIPS
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM 23
FRIDAY, MARCH 29
CHOL HAMOED ‫חול המועד‬
‫ צאתכם לשלום ולהתראות‬to our first half guests!
‫ ברוכים הבאים‬to our second half guests!
Guests preregistered for the airport bus: If you want luggage pick-up, please leave your bags outside your
accommodations on the patio closest to the road by 6:30 am. Bus departs for Atlanta airport at 8:00 am sharp.
Time
2:00 - 4:00
Event
Watercolor,
Marilyn Rose
Location
Art Building
2:00 - 4:00
Papercutting,
Mindy Shapiro
Art Building
2:00 - 2:45
Penina
Alexander, Why
Is Forgiveness So
Damn Hard?!
Presentation
Skills, Wendy
Heller
Synagogue
2:00 - 2:45
3:00 - 3:45
4:00 - 4:45
4:00 - 4:45
4:00 - 5:30
4:00 - 5:00
4:00 - 6:00
4:00 - 5:00
5:00 - 5:30
Description
Preregistered Adults, ages 18+, 8 slots available. An
intro to watercolor painting. Explore materials &
techniques to get a taste of what watercolor is all
about. Preregistered Adults, ages 18+, 8 slots available. Using
paper, scissors and knives, create a beautiful table-top
forest. No experience necessary.
Explore some Jewish perspectives and share vignettes
of the power of forgiveness.
Mountainside Dining As Jerry Seinfeld once said: “According to most studies,
Room
people's number one fear is public speaking. Number
two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound
right?" Come learn techniques to be more engaging
and less terrified
Brad Artson, What Synagogue
Do we think that there is a boss in the sky? That
Do We Mean By
God dictates specific edicts and we get punished
Mitzvot?
for infractions? Is there another way to think about
mitzvot that honors their reality and what we know
about the world? Come learn.
Loren Sykes,
Library Conference
An examination of sources related to the question of
Aliyah to Israel - Is Room
whether or not we are obligated to move to Israel, as
it a Mitzvah?
well as personal exploration of our relationship to the
modern People, Land and State of Israel.
At the
Synagogue
In this session, we'll create our own poems and songs
Intersection of
as a way of making a traditional part of the prayer
Music and Prayer,
liturgy our own. Bring your instruments, your voices,
Shep Rosenman
your recording devices!
Swing Open
Climbing Wall
Enjoy this free-flying experience for ages 2 - adult.
Closed toed shoes & long pants/capris are required.
Boating
Lake
Canoe, Kayak or just enjoy haning out on the dock
Sports Facilities
Sports Fields & Courts All sports facilities are open. Equipment is available
Open
at the fields/courts. Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Hockey,
Sand Volleyball, Softball & Gaga
Restorative Yoga Multipurpose Room Combines breath work with slow, mindful movement
with Becca Sykes. All levels welcome.
Israeli Dancing
Soccer Field (lawn
Learn our Havdallah Dances and get your groove on!
outside Dining Hall)
24 PASSOVER 5773
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM
FRIDAY, MARCH 29
CHOL HAMOED ‫חול המועד‬
‫ צאתכם לשלום ולהתראות‬to our first half guests!
‫ ברוכים הבאים‬to our second half guests!
Guests preregistered for the airport bus: If you want luggage pick-up, please leave your bags outside your
accommodations on the patio closest to the road by 6:30 am. Bus departs for Atlanta airport at 8:00 am sharp.
Time
5:15 - 6:15
Event
Yoga Blend
Location
Multipurpose Room
5:15 - 6:00
Youth Choir
Lakeside Dining
6:30 / 6:55
6:45 - 7:45
7:20 - 8:30
8:15-8:40
Mincha / Ma'ariv
Candle Lighting
Dinner
Har’ga’ah
(Bedtime Stories),
David Schwartz
Evening Program through grade 5
Evening Program
Middle School
Celebrity, Becca &
Loren Sykes
Synagogue
Lakeside Dining
Dining Hall
Multipurpose Room
9:00
9:00
9:00
9:00
Josh Heller, 50
Shades of Pray
9:00
Eliezer Diamond
& Shelley Kniaz
Multipurpose Room
Description
A combination of Tai chi, Pilates, and Yoga; including
relaxation, meditation, and aromatherapy with Lynn
Chanin. Advanced Class.
Open to all children 2nd grade & up. We will rehearse
daily & participate in Yom Tov Services on the 7th & 8th
days with Hazzan David Tilman.
Rabbi Noam Marans & Hazzan David Tilman
Please check colums for Shabbat seating.
Geared toward younger children who go to sleep
before evening program. These Jewish fables are sure
to please!
Shabbat singing & stories
Choose Celebrity or Z'mirot (with adults)
Mountainside Dining It's chrades without the silence! Come and play
Room
Ramah Darom's favorite Shabbat game - bring your
competitive spirit!
Synagogue
The “Fifty Shades” series brought attention to topics
that had never before been considered topics for
polite discussion . Is there a Jewish way to read these
books? Are there spiritual lessons to be learned?
Lakeside Dining
Unique Zemirot for Shabbat. Sing what you learned
Room
last night, or come and learn anew!
SATURDAY, MARCH 30
CHOL HAMOED ‫חול המועד‬
SHABBAT SHALOM! ‫שבת שלום‬
Time
7:45 - 8:45
8:30 - 9:45
9:00 - 9:30
Event
Mindful Vinyasa
Yoga
Continental
Breakfast
A Daily Dose of
Talmud, Aaron
Alexander
RELIGIOUS
SERVICES &
STUDY
Location
Multipurpose Room
Dining Hall
Main Dining Room,
A daily shiur offering insight into the rabbinic mind
look for table card by and its logical methodoligies
the stage
DISCUSSIONS
PASSOVER 5773
Description
Align your body & mind through breath and
movement with Becca Sykes. All levels welcome.
ART
FOOD
FAMILY
FRIENDLY ADULTS
YOUTH
TEENS
TRIPS
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM 25
SATURDAY, MARCH 30
CHOL HAMOED ‫חול המועד‬
SHABBAT SHALOM! ‫שבת שלום‬
Time
9:00 - 10:00
Event
Yoga Blend
Location
Multipurpose Room
9:30 - 12:00
Traditional
Services
Alternative
Services, Shep
Rosenman
Synagogue
Shabbat in Nature,
Greg Greer &
Nancy Gorod
Gan Services, up
through age 5.
Junior
Congregation, 1st
- 5th grades
Lunch
Shelley Kniaz &
Eliezer Diamond,
Songs from My
Family's Table
Health Clinic
Hours
Adult Choir
Meet at Welcome
Center
10:30 - 12:00
10:30 - 12:00
10:30 - 12:00
10:30 - 12:00
12:00 - 1:30
1:00 - 1:45
1:00 - 3:00
1:15 - 2:00
1:45 drop-off,
camp 2:00 4:00
1:45 drop-off,
camp 2:00 4:00
2:00 - 4:00
2:00 - 4:00
2:00 - 4:00
Lakeside Pavillion
Multipurpose Room
Mountainside
Pavillion
Dining Hall
Lakeside Dining
Room
Infirmary
Synagogue
Gan Camp: Ages Drop off in
2 - Pre K
Multipurpose Room
Rebecca & Dani
Camp: Grades
Drop off in Portico
K-2
under Dining Hall
Nancy & Jennie
Camp: Grades
"Hike: Meet at
3-5
Welcome Center
Schowty & Randy Yoga: Meet in Old
Dining Hall"
Middle School
"Hike: Meet at
Noah & Joanne
Welcome Center
Yoga: Meet in Old
Dining Hall"
Sports Facilities
Sports Fields & Courts
Open
26 PASSOVER 5773
Description
A combination of Tai chi, Pilates, and Yoga; including
relaxation, meditation, and aromatherapy with Lynn
Chanin. All levels welcome.
Rabbi Noam Marans & Hazzan David Tilman
How can we use our emotional states and the things
going on in our lives to make prayer meaningful?
Challenge yourself to improve your prayer experience –
it may improve your neighbor’s experience too.
What do you get when you combine a naturalist with
a Jewish educator? A unique Shabbat experience in
nature.
Penina Grossberg, Sharona Grossberg, Yaffa Shira
Grossberg & Youth Program Staff.
David "Schwoty" Schwartz & Yough Program Staff.
Unique Zemirot for Shabbat. Sing what you learned
last night, or come and learn anew!
Visit our physician assistant if needed. The infirmary is
in the lower level of the Retreat Mountainside Hotel
Open to adults & teens who enjoy singing! This Choir
will rehearse daily & participate in Yom Tov Services on
the 7th & 8th days with Hazzan David Tilman.
Music / Shira & Jungle Yoga
Shabbat Story, Skit & Music / Shira
Afternoon Options: Hike with Greg / Yoga. Pick one or
the other.
Afternoon Options: Hike with Greg / Yoga. Pick one or
the other.
All sports facilities are open. Equipment is available
at the fields/courts. Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Hockey,
Sand Volleyball, Softball & Gaga
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM
SATURDAY, MARCH 30
CHOL HAMOED ‫חול המועד‬
SHABBAT SHALOM! ‫שבת שלום‬
Time
2:00 - 5:00
2:00 - 2:45
3:00 - 3:45
3:00 - 3:45
3:00 - 3:45
4:00 - 4:45
4:30 - 6:30
4:00 - 6:00
4:30 - 6:00
4:00 - 6:00
4:15 - 5:15
5:00 - 6:30
Event
Mah Jong &
Scrabble
David Tilman,
The Curious Case
of the Kaddish:
The Text, Its
History, Contents,
Function and
Music!
Amy Roth,
Privacy: Is it
Overrated?
Mimi Fiegelson,
Standing in
front of God
with Integrity:
Blackmail and
Extortion
Exploring the
Limmud Model
to Building
Community and
Organizations,
Shep Rosenman
Brad Artson, Real
Housewives
of the Bible:
Deborah, Yael,
and Sisera
Hike with
Naturalist Greg
Greer
Sports Facilities
Open
Family Soccer
Game
Family Board
Games, Noah
Marks
Midrash on the
Mat: Adult & child
Yoga, Becca Sykes
Teen Volleyball
RELIGIOUS
SERVICES &
STUDY
Location
Library
Description
Synagogue
During the Jewish Year, the Kaddish is recited 4300
times! We will examine the text in order to understand
what the compilers of the Siddur wanted us to learn &
what the various melodies teach us about the Kaddish
prayer.
Teen Lounge
We will look at some Jewish sources and discuss the
notion of sharing our loves with Friends, "friends" and
strangers. What should you know and should Judaism
figure into the decisions about communication.
Imagine blackmailing God or questioning God’s moral
standards, while beseeching what you believe to be
your right! How did Hanna, Shmuel's mother, claim
him from God (Brakhot 31b)? Could you do this?
Would you? In the name of what cause?
Synagogue
Mountainside Dining What is Limmud? Join us to explore Limmud's values
Room
and success indicators. You'll find that incorporating
this values-set into your life can help you in your
business and family as much as it helps grow Jewish
community life.
Synagogue
Careful whose tents you sleep in! Let’s watch some
powerful women of old show us what it means to
make a difference.
Meet at Welcome
Center
See Ramah Darom & our surroundings like never
before.
Sports Fields & Courts All sports facilities are open. Equipment is available
at the fields/courts. Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Hockey,
Sand Volleyball, Softball & Gaga
Soccer Field
Mountainside Dining Learn how to play the popular Shabbat game Settlers
Room
of Katan. Other options available as well.
Multipurpose Room
Volleyball Court
DISCUSSIONS
PASSOVER 5773
We'll explore the story of Pesach together on the yoga
mat! Best suited for children under 10 with a caregiver
over 16
ART
FOOD
FAMILY
FRIENDLY ADULTS
YOUTH
TEENS
TRIPS
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM 27
SATURDAY, MARCH 30
CHOL HAMOED ‫חול המועד‬
SHABBAT SHALOM! ‫שבת שלום‬
Time
5:00 - 5:45
5:00 - 5:45
Event
Adam Frank, On
Being a Jewish
Consumer
“Tree of Life
Shtender”
Presentation,
Geoff Menkowitz
Location
Library Conference
Room
Description
Part 4 of 4, attend some or all: The ethics of food
selection
Synagogue
See the unpacking of this veritable treasure chest of
exquisite Judaica, revealing the artistic ritual items
contained within. Engaging and inspiring , the tour of
the Shtender is part magic show, part quiz show, and
lots of fun for all.
Open to all children 2nd grade & up. We will rehearse
daily & participate in Yom Tov Services on the 7th & 8th
days with Hazzan David Tilman.
A combination of Tai chi, Pilates, and Yoga; including
relaxation, meditation, and aromatherapy with Lynn
Chanin. Advanced class.
Rabbi Noam Marans & Hazzan David Tilman
Join us for dinner! Chefs Brad & Todd
Rabbi Noam Marans & Hazzan David Tilman
Dance, Sing & rock-out at a Camp Ramah Darom style
Havdallah - this is a must-do!
Join Musician Shep Rosenman, camp counselors and
others songs, stories & s'mores
The Incredibles, Rated PG
Tie Dye Night
5:15 - 6:00
Youth Choir
Lakeside Dining
5:30 - 6:30
Yoga Blend
Multipurpose Room
6:45
7:15 - 8:30
8:30
8:40
Synagogue
Dining Hall
Synagogue
Soccer Field (lawn
outside Dining Hall)
Lakeside Fire Ring
9:00
9:00
Mincha
Dinner
Ma'ariv
Havdallah &
Dancing
Bonfire (after
Havdallah)
Kids Movie
Youth Evening
Program
Stargazing Yoga
for Teens
Poker
Film
9:00
Night Swing
9:00
The Unusual &
The Bizarre, Greg
Greer
9:00
9:00
9:00
9:00
28 PASSOVER 5773
Multipurpose Room
Art Building
Meet at Lakeside Fire
Ring
Main Dining Room
Synagogue
Grab a marshmallow and meet the group.
Film titles will be posted in the Dining Hall & Welcome
Center
Climbing Wall/Tower Feel like a kid again! Closed-toed shoes & long pants/
capris are required.
Mountainside Dining Join Greg as he shares his provate collection of strange
Room
and wonderful artifacts from across the globe.
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM
SUNDAY, MARCH 31
CHOL HAMOED ‫חול המועד‬
Time
7:45 - 8:45
8:00 - 9:00
8:30 - 9:45
9:00 - 10:00
9:00 - 9:30
9:00 - 1:00
9:00 - 6:30
9:30 - 5:30
10:00 - 12:00
10:00 - 12:00
10:00 - 12:00
10:00 - 12:00
10:00 - 12:00
10:00 - 12:00
10:00 - 10:45
11:00 - 11:45
Event
Mindful Vinyasa
Yoga, Becca Sykes
Shacharit
Continental
Breakfast
Yoga Blend, Lynn
Chanin
A Daily Dose of
Talmud, Aaron
Alexander
Scaly Mountain
Dry Tubing
Biltmore Estates
Raven Cliffs Falls
Day Hike
Gan Camp: Ages
2 - Pre K
Rebecca & Dani
Camp: Grades
K-2
Nancy & Jennie
Camp: Grades
3-5
Schowty & Randy
Middle School
Noah & Joanne
Location
Multipurpose Room
Synagogue
Dining Hall
Description
Align your body & mind through breath and
movement. All levels welcome.
Rabbi Noam Marans & Hazzan David Tilman
Mountainside Dining A combination of Tai chi, Pilates, and Yoga; including
Room
relaxation, meditation, and aroma therapy. All levels
welcome.
Main Dining Room,
A daily shiur offering insight into the rabbinic mind
look for table card by and its logical methodoligies
the stage
Lakeside Atrium
Lakeside Atrium
Lakeside Atrium
Drop off in
Multipurpose Room
Swing at the Climbing Tower, parents welcome,
closed toed shoes and pants / capris required
Drop off in Portico
under Dining Hall
Boating & Music / Shira
Drop off in Portico
under Dining Hall
Music / Shira / Boating
Meet your counselors Matzah Majors: Land Sports, Art or Adventure.
in Portico under
Dining Hall
Silk Scarves,
Art Building
Preregistered Adults, ages 18+, 8 slots available. A fun
Marilyn Rose
and easy project recycling men’s neckties; you will
make your own fabulous silk scarf. Surprises abound
& no one will guess how you made your stylish
creation.
Papercutting,
Art Building
Preregistered Adults, ages 18+, 8 slots available. Using
Mindy Shapiro
paper, scissors and knives, create a beautiful hand
signing “I love you”. No experience necessary.
Loren Sykes, Who Synagogue
Ruth Calderon's Speech to the Knesset and the
owns Talmud
tensions between Haredization and Jewish
Study?
Rennaissance/Secularization in today's Israel.
The
Synagogue
Join Wendy Heller for an overview of key trends and
Interconnected
workplace issues, as well as some ideas on how to
Workplace,
think about the kind of workplace organizations need
Wendy Heller
to thrive.
RELIGIOUS
SERVICES &
STUDY
DISCUSSIONS
PASSOVER 5773
ART
FOOD
FAMILY
FRIENDLY ADULTS
YOUTH
TEENS
TRIPS
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM 29
SUNDAY, MARCH 31
CHOL HAMOED ‫חול המועד‬
Time
11:00 - 11:45
12:00 - 1:30
1:00 - 3:00
1:15 - 2:00
1:45 drop-off,
camp 2:00 4:00
1:45 drop-off,
camp 2:00 4:00
2:00 - 4:00
2:00 - 4:00
2:00 - 4:00
Event
New takes on the
morning prayerservice and the
prayer shawl,
Daniel Grossberg
Lunch
Health Clinic
Hours
Adult Choir
Dining Hall
Infirmary
Synagogue
Gan Camp: Ages Drop off in
2 - Pre K
Multipurpose Room
Rebecca & Dani
Camp: Grades
Drop off in Portico
K-2
under Dining Hall
Nancy & Jennie
Camp: Grades
Boating: Lake
3-5
Song Writing:
Schowty & Randy
Middle School
Tower: Tower
Noah & Joanne
Art: Art Building
Sports Facilities
Sports Fields & Courts
Open
2:00 - 4:00
Greeting Cards,
Marilyn Rose
2:00 - 4:00
Zentangling,
Mindy Shapiro
2:00 - 2:45
Amy Roth, All the
King's Women
3:00 - 3:45
David Tilman,
Hava Nashir! Let
Us Sing Together
the Golden Great
Songs of Israel!!
Eliezer Diamond,
Do We Pray What
We Mean, Do We
Mean What We
Pray?
3:00 - 3:45
Location
Library Conference
Room
30 PASSOVER 5773
Description
In her decidedly feminist poem, Hava Pinhas-Cohen
explores the significance the Shaharit service has for
her. Yehuda Amichai, in his poem, addresses the tallit
ritual in a new way.
Visit our physician assistant if needed. The infirmary is
in the lower level of the Retreat Mountainside Hotel
Open to adults & teens who enjoy singing! This choir
will rehearse daily & participate in Yom Tov Services
on the 7th & 8th days with Hazzan David Tilman.
Boating & Storytelling Activity
Israeli dancing & Talent Show
Afternoon Options: Boating / song writing. Pick one or
visit both
Afternoon Options: Tower / Art. Pick one or visit both
All sports facilities are open. Equipment is available
at the fields/courts. Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Hockey,
Sand Volleyball, Softball & Gaga
Art Building
Preregistered Adults, ages 18+, 8 slots available. Use
watercolor techniques, stamping, resist, etc. to create
your own special cards (with envelopes) to give to
friends….. or perhaps to keep!
Mountainside Dining Preregistered Adults, ages 18+, 20 slots available.
Enjoy this easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to
create beautiful images by drawing structured
patterns. No experience needed.
Synagogue
Some of the most interesting women in the Bible
were married to King David. Do they shed light onto
the persona of King David? Who are they and should
some or all of them be role models for both women
and men today?
Synagogue
Let us sing together the great Israeli songs of the last
64 years. Hazzan Tilman will play his accordion as we
all gather together for an hour of high energy singing
and great communal joy!!
Library Conference
Room
Tefillah series part 1 of 3 (attend some or all).
Cognitive Dissonance in Tefillah.
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM
SUNDAY, MARCH 31
CHOL HAMOED ‫חול המועד‬
Time
4:00 - 4:45
4:00 - 6:00
4:00 - 6:00
4:00 - 6:00
4:00 - 5:00
5:00 - 5:45
5:00 - 6:30
5:15 - 6:15
5:15 - 6:00
5:30 - 6:00
6:30 / 6:55
6:45
7:15 - 8:30
7:15 - 8:30
8:15-8:40
9:00
9:00
Event
Location
Brad Artson, What Synagogue
Are We Doing
When We Pray?
Description
Does God really need reminders? How sincere do our
words need to be? What does it mean for prayer to
work? Let’s take an honest look at what we are doing
when we pray.
Sports Facilities
Sports Fields & Courts All sports facilities are open. Equipment is available
Open
at the fields/courts. Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Hockey,
Sand Volleyball, Softball & Gaga
Boating
Lake
Canoe, Kayak or just enjoy hanging out on the dock
Tower Open (with Climbing Wall
Challenge yourself / cheer your family members on!
Swing option)
Ages 8 - adult. Closed toed shoes & long pants/capris
are required.
Restorative Yoga, Multipurpose Room Combines breath work with slow, mindful movement.
Becca Sykes
All levels welcome.
How Screaming, Synagogue
How can we use our emotional states and the things
Crying, Singing,
going on in our lives to make prayer meaningful?
and Talking Can
Challenge yourself to improve your prayer experience
Improve Your
– it may improve your neighbor’s experience, too.
Prayer Experience,
Shep Rosenman
Book Signing
Dining Hall Porch
Harold Kushner & Brad Artson - we also will have
with Faculty
copies for their books available for sale.
Authors
Yoga Blend, Lynn Multipurpose Room A combination of Tai chi, Pilates, and Yoga; including
Chanin
relaxation, meditation, and aromatherapy. Advanced
Class.
Youth Choir
Lakeside Dining
Open to all children 2nd grade & up. We will rehearse
daily & participate in Yom Tov Services on the 7th &
8th days with Hazzan David Tilman.
Book Swap, Ellen Library
Discuss your favorites & hear about recent
Tilman
recommended titles. Bring a book to share & "swap"
your book with someone else's
Mincha / Ma'ariv Synagogue
Rabbi Noam Marans & Hazzan David Tilman
Candle Lighting
Lakeside Dining
Dinner
Dining Hall
Please check colums for Shabbat Seating.
Dinner with Reb
Lakeside Dining
Learn, Talk & Connect. Just for young women
Mimi
Room
Har’ga’ah
Multipurpose Room Geared toward younger children who go to sleep
(Bedtime Stories),
before evening program. These Jewish fables are sure
David Schwartz
to please!
Celebrity (& Other Multipurpose Room A Ramah Darom favorite!
Games)
Pesach Wacky
Old Dining Hall
TBD
Relay Races
RELIGIOUS
SERVICES &
STUDY
DISCUSSIONS
PASSOVER 5773
ART
FOOD
FAMILY
FRIENDLY ADULTS
YOUTH
TEENS
TRIPS
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM 31
SUNDAY, MARCH 31
CHOL HAMOED ‫חול המועד‬
Time
9:00-9:45
9:00
9:00
9:00
Event
Memoir Reading,
Alice Sheba
Location
Library Conference
Room
Description
Hear Alice’s story. Highlights include: Raised speaking
Yiddish, encounters with Eleanor Roosevelt &
oportunites to dance with Gene Kelley.
Josh Heller, God & Synagogue
In the aftermath of Newtown and other tragedies,
Guns
many have sought a “Jewish View” on gun control.
Can our Jewish traditions shed light on this issue?
Family Improv,
Mountainside Dining Always a favorite! Improv comedy alludes to the 4
Becca Sykes
children; the witty, the ironic, the ridiculous & the fun.
You'll enjoy every monent.
Returning to
Lakeside Dining Hall We each have our favorite version of Passover songs
Pesach, Zmirot,
& Z'mirot in general. Bring your favorites and maybe
Shep Rosenman
learn some new ones!
MONDAY, APRIL 1
YOM TOV ‫יום טוב‬
Time
7:45 - 8:45
8:30 - 9:45
9:00 - 9:30
9:00 - 10:00
9:30 - 12:00
Event
Mindful Vinyasa
Yoga, Becca Sykes
Continental
Breakfast
A Daily Dose of
Talmud, Aaron
Alexander
Yoga Blend, Lynn
Chanin
1:15 - 2:00
Traditional
Services
Alternative
Services, Shep
Rosenman
Gan Services, up
through age 5.
Junior
Congregation, 1st
- 5th grades
Lunch
Health Clinic
Hours
Adult Choir
1:45 drop-off,
camp 2:00 4:00
Gan Camp: Ages
2 - Pre K
Rebecca & Dani
10:30 - 12:00
10:30 - 12:00
10:30 - 12:00
12:00 - 1:30
1:00 - 3:00
32 PASSOVER 5773
Location
Multipurpose Room
Description
Align your body & mind through breath and
movement. All levels welcome.
Dining Hall
Main Dining Room,
A daily shiur offering insight into the rabbinic mind
look for table card by and its logical methodoligies
the stage
Multipurpose Room A combination of Tai chi, Pilates, and Yoga; including
relaxation, meditation, and aroma therapy. All levels
welcome.
Synagogue
Rabbi Noam Marans & Hazzan David Tilman
Lakeside Pavillion
Join Shep to shape this alternative service together.
Multipurpose Room
Penina Grossberg, Sharona Grossberg, Yaffa Shira
Grossberg & Youth Program Staff.
David "Schwoty" Schwartz & Yough Program Staff.
Mountainside
Pavillion
Dining Hall
Infirmary
Synagogue
Drop off in
Multipurpose Room
Visit our physician’s assistant if needed. The infirmary
is in the lower level of the Retreat Mountainside Hotel
Open to adults & teens who enjoy singing! This Choir
will rehearse daily & participate in Yom Tov Services
on the 7th & 8th days with Hazzan David Tilman.
Making Silly Putty & Music / Shira
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM
MONDAY, APRIL 1
YOM TOV ‫יום טוב‬
Time
1:45 drop-off,
camp 2:00 4:00
2:00 - 4:00
2:00 - 4:00
2:00 - 5:00
2:00 - 4:00
2:30 - 4:00
2:00 - 2:45
3:00 - 3:45
3:00 - 3:45
3:00 - 3:45
3:00 - 3:45
4:00 - 4:45
5:00 - 5:45
Event
Camp: Grades
K-2
Nancy & Jennie
Camp: Grades
3-5
Schowty & Randy
Middle School
Noah & Joanne
Mah Jong &
Scrabble
Sports Facilities
Open
Location
Drop off in Portico
under Dining Hall
Description
Music / Shira & Creative Games
Meet under Dining
Hall
Seder Fun 1: Plague Games
Meet at Old Dining
Hall
Library
Extreme Playgound Games
Sports Fields & Courts All sports facilities are open. Equipment is available
at the fields/courts. Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Hockey,
Sand Volleyball, Softball & Gaga
Basketball - 3 on 3 Basketball Courts
Harold Kushner,
Synagogue
It is the best known and least understood prayer in
Meditations on
the Jewish liturgy. What is it saying to the mourners
the Mourners'
and to the rest of the congregation?
Kaddish
Eliezer Diamond, Library Conference
Tefillah series part 2 of 3 (attend some or all)
When Do I Get to Room
Comparing Psalms & the Siddur
Complain?
Pesach, Shavuot, Mountainside Dining Among the bitter disputes in second temple times
and the Ancient
was that of the nature of the Jewish Calendar. We will
Jewish Calendar
study the reasons for the dispute, and how each party
Controversy, Jeff
arrived at their interpretation of the biblical sources.
Rubenstein
Mimi Feigelson,
Synagogue
In the face of suffering and betrayal how do you
Standing in
respond? And if G-d is perceived as the source of
front of God
your pain? The Piasetzna Rebbe (“the Warsaw Ghetto
with Integrity:
Rebbe”) will challenge us with interpretations of Sara’s
Righteous
death after the Akeida. Can, “NO” be an answer?
Indignation
Art Tour of Camp Meet on Dining Hall Take a tour around camp to view and learn about the
Ramah Darom,
Porch
camper-produced sculptural instillations and other
Geoff Menkowitz
breathtaking works of art which enhance our grounds.
Brad Artson, Evil Synagogue
Many people today identify the religious response to
& Suffering: (Re)
suffering as God’s will. Traditional Judaism actually
Sources
has a surprising range of responses and ways to
understand evil and suffering that can enlighten and
comfort. We will focus especially on the teachings of
Maimonides.
Josh Heller, Better Synagogue
When we were children, our parents told us to
with Thank You?
say "please" and "thank you". As adults how can
we cultivate an attitude of gratitude? Towards our
families ? Towards those around us? Towards God?
Can it make us better people? Can it make us happier?
RELIGIOUS
SERVICES &
STUDY
DISCUSSIONS
PASSOVER 5773
ART
FOOD
FAMILY
FRIENDLY ADULTS
YOUTH
TEENS
TRIPS
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM 33
MONDAY, APRIL 1
YOM TOV ‫יום טוב‬
Time
5:00 - 5:45
4:00 - 6:00
4:00 - 6:00
4:00 - 6:00
4:15 - 5:15
5:30 - 6:30
5:15 - 6:00
6:30
7:05
7:15 - 8:30
8:15-8:40
9:00
9:00
9:00
9:00
9:00
Event
Rahel’s poetry
and What’s really
important in life?,
Daniel Grossberg
Sports Facilities
Open
Location
Library Conference
Room
Description
Sports Fields & Courts All sports facilities are open. Equipment is available
at the fields/courts. Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Hockey,
Sand Volleyball, Softball & Gaga.
Family Ga-Ga
Ga-Ga Pit near Sports
Tournament
Pavillion
Family Board
Mountainside Dining
Games
Room
Restorative Yoga, Multipurpose Room
Combines breath work with slow, mindful movement.
Becca Sykes
All levels welcome.
Yoga Blend, Lynn Multipurpose Room A combination of Tai chi, Pilates, & Yoga; includes
Chanin
relaxation, meditation, and aroma therapy. Advanced.
Youth Choir
Lakeside Dining
Open to all children 2nd grade & up. We will rehearse
daily & participate in Yom Tov Services on the 7th &
8th days with Hazzan David Tilman.
Mincha / Ma'ariv Synagogue
Rabbi Noam Marans & Hazzan David Tilman
Candle Lighting
Lakeside Dining
Dinner
Dining Hall
Join us for dinner! Chefs Brad & Todd
Har’ga’ah
Multipurpose Room
Geared toward younger children who go to sleep
(Bedtime Stories),
before evening program. These Jewish fables are sure
David Schwartz
to please!
Stargazing
Soccer Field / Kikar
See the stars & learn the constellations
Speed Friending Multipurpose Room
Check out this new game show!
Panel, Harold
Synagogue
What Scares Me Most, and What We Need to Do to
Kushner, Brad
Prevent its Actuality
Artson, Eliezer
Diamond &
moderator Amy
Roth: The Ghost
of Judaism Future
Flashlight Free
Meet outside the
A safe & exciting exploration of nature at night, limit
Night Hike, Amy
Dining Hall
20, ages 10 & up
Bram
Lomir Aleh Zingin, Lakeside Dining Hall We'll sing, mostly. Without words, mostly. We'll
Zmirot, Shep
explore what this has to do with G-d & community, a
Rosenman
bisset.
34 PASSOVER 5773
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM
TUESDAY, APRIL 2
YOM TOV ‫יום טוב‬
Time
7:45 - 8:45
8:30 - 9:45
9:00 - 9:30
9:00 - 10:00
9:30 - 12:00
10:30 - 12:00
10:30 - 12:00
12:00 - 1:30
1:00 - 3:00
1:45 drop-off,
camp 2:00 4:00
1:45 drop-off,
camp 2:00 4:00
2:00 - 4:00
2:00 - 4:00
2:00 - 5:00
2:00 - 4:00
Event
Mindful Vinyasa
Yoga, Becca
Sykes
Continental
Breakfast
A Daily Dose of
Talmud, Aaron
Alexander
Yoga Blend, Lynn
Chanin
Location
Multipurpose Room
Traditional
Services
Gan Services, up
through age 5.
Junior
Congregation,
1st - 5th grades
Lunch
Health Clinic
Hours
Gan Camp: Ages
2 - Pre K
Rebecca & Dani
Camp: Grades
K-2
Nancy & Jennie
Camp: Grades
3-5
Schowty & Randy
Middle School
Noah & Joanne
Mah Jong &
Scrabble
Sports Facilities
Open
Synagogue
2:00 - 2:45
Harold Kushner,
God's Answer to
Job
3:00 - 3:45
Mimi Feigelson,
Identity
Transitions Stories of the
Living and the
Dead
PASSOVER 5773
Description
Align your body & mind through breath and
movement. All levels welcome.
Dining Hall
Main Dining Room,
look for table card by
the stage
Multipurpose Room
Multipurpose Room
Mountainside
Pavillion
Dining Hall
Infirmary
Drop off in
Multipurpose Room
A daily shiur offering insight into the rabbinic mind
and its logical methodoligies
A combination of Tai chi, Pilates, and Yoga; including
relaxation, meditation, and aroma therapy. Advanced
class.
Rabbi Noam Marans & Hazzan David Tilman
Penina Grossberg, Sharona Grossberg, Yaffa Shira
Grossberg & Youth Program Staff.
David "Schwoty" Schwartz & Yough Program Staff.
Visit our PA if needed, the infirmary is in the lower
level of the Retreat Mountainside Hotel
Music / Shira & Mystery Game Activity
Drop off in Portico
under Dining Hall
Paper Bag Dramatics & Music / Shira
Meet under Dining
Hall
Seder Fun 2: Slavery-to-Freedom Activities
Meet at Old Dining
Hall
Library
The Sky is the Limit
Sports Fields & Courts All sports facilities are open. Equipment is available
at the fields/courts. Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Hockey,
Sand Volleyball, Softball & Gaga
Synagogue
At the end of the biblican book, G-d appears in
response to Job's challenge. But what G-d has to
say doesn't sound like an answer. Based on his most
recent book, Rabbi Kushner offers interpretation.
response
Synagogue
Do we ever grow into ourselves, or is our identity
continuously evolving? How does death define, or
perhaps redefine, the relationships in our lives and
even our own self-definition? Enchanted stories of
the Talmud will navigate the terrain between the two
worlds and transitions of identity.
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM 35
TUESDAY, APRIL 2
YOM TOV ‫יום טוב‬
Time
3:00 - 3:45
4:00 - 4:45
5:00 - 5:45
4:00 - 6:00
4:00 - 6:00
4:15 - 5:15
5:30 - 6:30
6:55
7:15 - 8:30
8:30 / 8:40
9:00
9:00
9:00
9:00
9:00
9:00
Event
Eliezer Diamond,
How Goodly Are
Your Tents
Brad Artson, Yirat
Shamayim: Fear
of Heaven
Loren Sykes,
Between three
words and 935
pages!
Sports Facilities
Open
Location
Library Conference
Room
Synagogue
Synagogue
Description
Tefillah series part 3 of 3 (attend some or all)
Traditional and Contemporary Ways of Entering into
Prayer
Is there room in contemporary Jewish life for this
ancient virtue? Is it good to “fear?” Is it healthy? Why
would God want it from us?
Finding a short, compelling description of what it
means to be a Conservative Jew. Rabbi Sykes will
offer one option and seeks to hear other opnions.
Sports Fields & Courts All sports facilities are open. Equipment is available
at he fields/courts. Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Hovkey,
Sand Volleyball, Softball & Gaga
Family Board
Mountainside Dining
Games
Room
Restorative Yoga, Multipurpose Room
Combines breath work with slow, mindful movement.
Becca Sykes
All levels welcome.
Yoga Blend, Lynn Multipurpose Room
A combination of Tai chi, Pilates, and Yoga; including
Chanin
relaxation, meditation, and aroma therapy. All levels
welcome.
Mincha
Synagogue
Rabbi Noam Marans & Hazzan David Tilman
Dinner
Dining Hall
Join us for dinner! Chefs Brad & Todd
Ma'ariv /
Synagogue
Rabbi Noam Marans & Hazzan David Tilman
Havdallah
Taking Passover Art Bulding
Enojy one last art project with Joanne & Noah.
Home
Kids Movie
Multipurpose Room
The Lorax, Rated PG
Teen Camp Fire
Welcome Center
All camp at main campfire / Teens by Welcome Center
Closing Bonfire
Lakeside Fire Ring
Join Musician Shep Rosenman, Camp Counselors and
others songs, stories & s'mores
Poker
Main Dining Room
Film
Synagogue
Film titles will be posted in the Dining Hall & Welcome
Center
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3
SEE YOU NEXT YEAR IN CLAYTON! ‫צאתכם לשלום ולהתראות‬
Aiport Coach Customers: For luggage assistance, please place your luggage on the porch nearest the road at the
front of your accommodations by 6:30 a.m. Claim your luggage at the dining hall atrium. Bus departs for Atlanta
airport at 8:00 am sharp.
Time
7:00 - 9:45
8:00
Event
Breakfast
Bus Departure
11:00
Final Farewell &
Departures
36 PASSOVER 5773
Location
Dining Hall
Description
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM
SPEAKER BIOS
Rabbi Aaron Alexander
Rabbi Aaron Alexander is the Associate Dean of the Ziegler School and Lecturer in Rabbinics and Jewish Law. He is
a graduate of the University of Florida and received his master of arts and ordination from the AJU’s Ziegler School
of Rabbinic Studies, while also spending extended time learning at the Conservative Yeshivah and JTSA. Along with
his academic teaching, he gives an early morning class on the Arba’ah Turim Ha-Shalem that is recorded for Jewish
learners worldwide and posted to “http://www.zieglertorah.org” under Exploring Jewish Law, Laws of Shabbat,
and Laws of Passover. Rabbi Alexander also gives a regular class at IKAR in Los Angeles on rabbinic thought and
methodology. He is a certified mashgiach (kosher supervisor) by the the Conservative Movement’s Rav Hamachshir
program and currently serves on its Committee for Jewish Law and Standards, where he has two approved
teshuvot. Rabbi Alexander has been published in the “Walking With...” series (www.walkingwith.org) with a fresh
article on the Jewish view of ‘Singlehood’ as well as an article on Shabbat (co-authored with Rabbi Sharon Brous).
He is regularly published in CJ: Voices of Conservative/Masorti Judaism and The Huffington Post, and is currently a
blogger for the Sh’ma online journal. (http://www.shma.com/category/blog/aaron-alexander/) Rabbi Alexander
also contributed traditional text chapters to the first three editions of the JPS series, “Jewish Choices, Jewish Voices.”
Most importantly, he was a founding staff member at Camp Ramah Darom in 1997, where he worked for 10
summers, served on the Board of Directors, and now is honored to spend summers as Rabbi-in-Residence at Camp
Ramah in California.
Rabbi Penina Alexander
Rabbi Penina Alexander was ordained from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in 2009 and loves teaching
learners of all ages in various educational settings. She currently serves as Associate Director of Education at IKAR
where she participates in creating engaging Jewish learning opportunities for children. She is also working toward
a Masters Degree in Education. Penina taught Jewish ethics at New Community Jewish High School in Los Angeles
for three years and has been actively involved in planning a yearly Jewish women’s retreat, called Ruach Nashim, at
Camp Ramah in California. Her most important and fulfilling job is being Ariel Tzvi’s mother. She is thrilled to be
back to celebrate Pesach with the Ramah Darom community.
Bradley Shavit (Brad) Artson
Bradley Shavit “Brad” Artson (born 1959) holds the Abner and Roslyn Goldstine Dean’s Chair of the Ziegler School
of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles, California, where he is Vice President. He
supervises the Louis and Judith Miller Introduction to Judaism Program and provides educational and religious
oversight for Camp Ramah of California. Born and raised in San Francisco, Artson holds the A.B. Degree which he
received from Harvard College, cum laude, in 1981. As an undergraduate, he served as the LBJ Intern for United
States Representative Burton and was an intern for United States Senator Alan Cranston. Following graduation,
Artson was a Legislative Assistant to the Speaker of the California Assembly for two years and was ordained with
honors by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1988. He wrote his first book, Love Peace and Pursue Peace: A Jewish
Response to War and Nuclear Annihilation, while in rabbinical school. During his last year at rabbinical school, he
served as the part-time rabbinic intern at Bolton Street Synagogue in Baltimore. For 10 years, Artson served as the
Rabbi of Congregation Eilat in Mission Viejo, which grew under his tenure from about 200 families to more than 600.
During that period, his introduction to Judaism course helped more than 200 people convert to Judaism, and 10 of
his congregants have entered the rabbinate. From 1998 - 1999, Artson was a member of the Senior Management
of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and served as the Executive Vice President of the Board of
Rabbis of Southern California. In 1999, he began his work at American Jewish University. In addition to his work
as Rabbinical School Dean and University Vice-President, Rabbi Artson received his D.H.L. at the Hebrew Union
College’s Jewish Institute of Religion in Contemporary Jewish Theology, under the supervision of Rabbi Dr. David
Ellenson. His scholarly fields include Jewish philosophy and theology, particularly a process approach integrating
contemporary scientific insights from cosmology, quantum physics, evolutionary theory and neuroscience, to a
dynamic view of G-d, Torah, Mitzvot and ethics. He is a charter member of the Society for the Study of Judaism and
Science. A prominent leader of Conservative Judaism, Artson serves on the Leadership Council of Conservative
Judaism. He supervises the Miller Introduction to Judaism Program and the Center for Jewish Outreach at American
PASSOVER 5773
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM 37
Jewish University and mentors Camp Ramah in California. Rabbi Artson writes a weekly Torah commentary that
has more than 13,000 internet subscribers. He is the author of seven books, most recently “Passing Life’s Tests:
Spiritual Reflections on the Trial of Abraham, The Binding of Isaac and The Bedside Torah: Wisdom, Visions &
Dreams”. He is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post and he has written more than190 articles in several
magazines. In 2008, Artson ordained Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, the leader of the Abayudaya Tribe and participated
in a rabbinic delegation to Uganda to install him as the first African Rabbi in Subsaharan Africa. While in Africa
he joined a Beit Din in converting 250 Africans from Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana and Uganda. A Regional
Chief bestowed upon him the African name Walusansa Salongo. Artson launched the “Walking With...” series, an
annual series of books distributed free of charge and available on the web as complimentary PDF files. In 2007 he
produced “Walking With God”, in 2008, “Walking With Justice”, in 2009, “Walking With Life”, and in 2010, “Walking
With the Jewish Calendar”. For the past few years he has also produced an annual Selichot DVD, “Choose Life”, a
series of conversations with Rabbi Artson, Rabbi David Wolpe, Rabbi Naomi Levy, Rabbi Edward Feinstein, and
Rabbi Sharon Brous. Under his direction, the Ziegler School sponsors a podcast page that presents the monthly
discussions of Rabbi Artson, a Rebbe’s Tish of Reb Mimi Feigelson, lessons on the Siddur and prayer by Rabbi Elliot
Dorff, and a Halakhah Yomi by Rabbi Aaron Alexander. Artson has served on the faculty of the Wexner Heritage
Foundation and as a speaker for UJC/Federation communities. Artson is married to Elana Shavit Artson, and they
are the parents of twins, Shira and Jacob.
Jacob Artson
Jacob Artson is a high school student who communicates by typing. He has spoken about including individuals
with autism in Jewish communal life at numerous conferences across the United States. He plans to become a
writer and advocate for the dignity of all people, whether disabled or not.
Sarah Attermann
Sarah is excited to be returning back to Passover at Ramah Darom! Sarah works as a Judaic Studies teacher in
Atlanta, GA, teaching kindergarten through second grade students at the Davis Academy. Sarah is working toward
her Masters in Jewish Education from the Davidson School of Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary
through a distance learning program. Outside of school, Sarah is the youth advisor for Congregation Bnai Torah
in Atlanta, GA. She has been a long time Ramahnik, attending and working at Camp Ramah Darom for many
summers. At camp, her favorite things are dancing with the campers and providing snacks for her counselors.
Sarah is looking forward to a great and exciting Passover.
Jennie Berger
Originally from Rockville, Maryland, Jennie Berger recently graduated from Brandeis University with a bachelors
degree in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, Hebrew Language and Literature and Education Studies. She is
currently studying in the DeLeT program at Brandeis University towards a Masters in Teaching Hebrew and Judaic
Studies at Jewish Day School. Growing up in an active Jewish community, Jennie participated in several Jewish
summer camps, as a counselor and camper. She is excited to share her passion for Israeli dancing, a cappella, and
Hebrew at the Ramah Darom Passover Program this year!
Sara Beth Berman
Sara Beth Berman has been working as a Jewish Educator since a few weeks after her own Bat Mitzvah. Sara
Beth, who is proud to have two first names, received her bachelor of science degree in Psychology from the
University of Florida and her masters of arts degree in Jewish Education from the Davidson School at the Jewish
Theological Seminary. Sara Beth is elated to be the Nadiv Fellow at URJ Camp Coleman and the Davis Academy
in Atlanta, Georgia. Previously, she served as the Associate Director of Storahtelling, a ritual theatre company
and educational training institute headquartered in NYC. She has also spent time working for the Foundation for
Jewish Camp, Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, a variety of synagogues in Florida, New York, and Connecticut, and
in Human Resources at the Penguin Group (USA). She has worked on a variety of summer programs, including
USY on Wheels, Camp Ramah Darom and Camp Interlaken JCC. Sara Beth likes to teach in or near the water and
use sidewalk chalk as often as possible. At Passover, her favorite activities are lake activities and learning sessions,
laughing, dancing…and anything with snacks.
38 PASSOVER 5773
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM
Rabbi Tim Daniel Bernard
Tim Daniel Bernard is the Grants and Communications Manager at PELIE, a funding organization for complementary
Jewish education. Previously, he taught middle school Humash and Rabbinics in Brooklyn for two years, and was
Kollel Fellow for a year at Yeshivat Hadar. Tim was ordained at JTS in 2009, where he also graduated from the
Graduate School with a master of arts in Talmud & Rabbinics. He grew up in London and earned an undergraduate
degree in Philosophy from the University of Bristol. Tim lives in New York City, where he gives regular divre Torah at
Kehilat Hadar. He is married to Rabbi Ashira Konigsburg, with whom he enjoys traveling, hiking and visiting modern
art galleries.
Amy Bram
Amy Bram is completing her tenure as the Director of Exceptional Experiences at Ramah Darom, and is charged
with developing Ramah-sponsored programs for camp and year round. Amy has taken the lead role developing
and executing additional “exceptional experiences in Jewish living and learning” and delivering these programs to
a broader audience. She is leaving for a new adventure in Baltimore, Maryland, discovering the joys of a new and
growing relationship. Prior to coming to Ramah Darom Amy was with with the Chattahoochee Nature Center in
Roswell, Georgia, where she served as the Senior Director of Camp and Adult Programs as well as the Camp Director.
Prior to her work with the Nature Center, Amy worked as the Co-Director of the Teva Learning Center in New York,
considered North America’s foremost Jewish Environmental educational program. Amy has a bachelor’s degree
from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in Hebrew and Semitic Studies. Her volunteer experience is extensive and
includes participation on the boards of Limmud Southeast, Adamah Adventures and the Teva Learning Center.
Dani Carrus
Danielle Carrus is a recent graduate of Brandeis University where she completed a bachelor of arts in Near Eastern
Judaic studies with minors in Hebrew Literature and Language and Women’s and Gender Studies. Dani has spent
many summers working at Camp Ramah in New England in the special needs inclusion program. Dani spent her time
at Brandeis working with students with special needs through helping to create the volunteer groups SPECTRUM
and volunteering with preschoolers at Lemberg Children’s Center. Dani is excited to spend another Pesach with the
families at Ramah Darom!
Lynn Chanin
Lynn is a Health and Wellness professional with 39 years of university, ballet studio, and fitness studio experience,
working with all ages and all fitness levels while teaching a diverse range of classes. She has both her undergraduate
and graduate degrees in Dance and Exercise Physiology. She has performed with the Callanwolde Dance Theatre, the
University of Georgia Dance Company, the Georgia State University Dance Ensemble and Company Kaye. She has
been teaching Les Mills group fitness classes, including BodyPump, BodyStep, BodyAttack and BodyFlow since 1996.
Lynn is a native Atlantan where she is a member of Congregation Or Ve Shalom, and has served as its Sisterhood
President. Lynn’s first passion is her four fabulous children Alexandra, Marrissa, Erica, and Benjamin. Her second
passion is teaching group fitness classes.
Rabbi Eliezer Diamond
Eliezer Diamond is a baseball, music and movie fan. He is also the Rabbi Judah Nadich Associate Professor of Talmud
and Rabbinics at The Jewish Theological Seminary, where he teaches Talmud and Rabbinic Literature. He is the author
of both popular and scholarly articles and of “Holy Men and Hunger Artists: Fasting and Asceticism in Rabbinic
Culture”, Oxford University Press. Dr. Diamond is currently editing a commentary on Yerushalmi Pesahim written by
the late Professor Louis Ginzberg, as well as a book on prayer, the subject of a series of sessions here at Darom. Dr.
Diamond has taught in a variety of settings, including Stern College, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, the
92nd Street Y, Princeton Theological Seminary and in Ramah camps. He was ordained at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan
Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University and received his doctorate in Talmud from JTS. Dr. Diamond belongs to
Congregation Beth Sholom in Teaneck, NJ. He is married to Rabbi Shelley Kniaz and is the proud father of five and
grandfather of two! His spouse, son, Matan Baruch, and mother-in-law, Lorna Kniaz, are with him at Darom.
Arlene Efune
Arlene Efune hails from Johannesburg, South Africa. In 1992 with her husband, Charles, daughter, Jade, and son,
Brent, Arlene immigrated directly to Georgia, USA where she and her family are still happily residing. She joined
the Development and Retreat divisions of Ramah Darom in February 2004 and has been involved with the Passover
program ever since. Apart from Passover, her current role involves sales and coordination of retreats, weddings, Bar
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Mitzvahs and other special events at The Kaplan Mitchell Retreat & Conference Center at Ramah Darom.
Reb Mimi Feigelson
Reb Mimi (Miriam Sara) Feigelson is an Israeli orthodox rabbi, an international teacher of Hassidut - Spirituality - and
a story teller. She is the Mashpi’ah Ruchanit (spiritual mentor) and Lecturer of Rabbinic Literature and Chassidic
Thought at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, The American Jewish University, L.A. (www.zieglertorah.org). She
was the Associate Director of Yakar, Jerusalem and Director of its Women’s Beit Ha’midrash. In 2010, Reb Mimi was
recognized by The Forward as one of the fifty most influential female Rabbis, and in 2011 was accepted to the Board
of Rabbis of Southern California as an independent Orthodox rabbi. Currently Reb Mimi has embarked on pursuing
a Doctorate at HUC-JIR entitled “On the Cusp of Life: From Scared to Sacred.” It is an exploration of redefining
funerals and cemeteries.
Rabbi Adam Frank
Atlanta native Adam Frank is one of the Conservative Movement’s leading experts and activists on Jewish animal
welfare issues as they pertain to the food industry and he is sponsor of the CJLS halakhic legislation of Sept.
2000 addressing kosher slaughter practices. He serves as rabbi of Congregation Moreshet Yisrael in downtown
Jerusalem.
William Anthony Franklin
Anthony has been working at Ramah Darom since May 1997 and currently serves as the General Manager of Ramah
Darom. Prior to coming to Ramah Darom, Anthony had worked in the grocery industry for 14 years and owned a
small construction company. Anthony’s construction company specialized in residential remodeling in the North
Georgia area. Before beginning the construction business, Anthony began his career in the grocery industry at an
entry level position and worked his way to become Store Manager. Under Anthony’s management his store became
one of the industry leading and benchmarks setting store in his region. Anthony was educated at Piedmont College
in Demorest, Georgia where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and graduated
Magna Cum Laude and, in July 2012, earned his MBA in Managerial Leadership. Anthony’s education also includes
a State of Georgia Class III Water Operator, State of Georgia Class III Wastewater Operator, and a National Swimming
Pool Foundation Certified Pool and Spa Operator License. Other achievements include Delta Mu Delta, Alpha
Lambda Delta, The National Society of Leadership and Success.
Roxane Goldstein
For more than 40 years Roxane has been creating beautiful needlepoint works of art, incorporating a wide variety of
interesting stitches in her work. Her creations include wall hangings, pillows and mobiles using silk, metallic, cotton
threads, and beads. Her other interests include Bridge and gardening. She currently calls Atlanta home.
Nancy Seifert Gorod
Nancy Seifert Gorod is an experienced Jewish educator. She is currently the chief provider of lifelong learning at
YourJewishLife, customized Jewish learning to meet your needs. She holds a masters degree in Jewish Education
from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Her experience ranges from educating preschoolers to educating
adults and families in every form. Her passion is experiential learning. She believes that much more can be
discovered when families learn together and have meaningful conversations as they unpack and uncover their
beliefs. Nancy spends her summers at Ramah Darom as a member of the Judaics faculty. She has served as the
Education Director of Congregation Etz Chaim and on the faculty at The Epstein School, the Solomon Schechter
School of Atlanta. She holds a position on the national board of the Jewish Educators Assembly. Nancy resides in
Marietta, GA with her husband Randy, her two children, Natan and Ilana, and her Challah-loving dog, Cousy.
Randy Gorod
Randy Gorod has been a member of the Ramah Pesach programming staff for seven years. Randy is currently the
Director of Major Gifts at Emory University. He spent the first half of his professional career in camping and youth.
He served as the Assistant Director of Camp Judaea in Hendersonville, NC and as the Southern Regional Director
for Young Judaea. He was the Executive Director and Youth Director at Congregation Etz Chaim in Marietta, GA. He
was responsible for creating a professional development organization for youth directors in the Southeast region of
United Synagogue. He is the president-elect of the Atlanta Chapter of the Association for Fundraising Professionals.
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Rabbi Pamela Jay Gottfried
Rabbi Pamela Jay Gottfried is a rabbi, parent, teacher and the author of Found in Translation: Common Words of
Uncommon Wisdom. Since her rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1993, Gottfried has
taught students of all ages in synagogues, churches, JCCs, day schools & colleges. She prefers to teach Melton
courses at The Brill Institute and ceramics at Camp Ramah Darom. Gottfried is an alumna of Clal’s Rabbis Without
Borders and a volunteer at North Fulton Community Charities.
Scott Greenwald
Scott Greenwald is a native Atlantan. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Georgia State
University. Currently, he works at a Jewish community high school in Atlanta doing IT work and teaching digital
photography. In his free time, Scott enjoys taking photographs , cooking and playing with his dog.
Greg Greer
Greg Greer has been involved with natural history on a variety of levels throughout his entire life. Past employment
and field work include: Peregrine Falcon Re-introduction Program (Virginia); Banding fall migrating raptors (Virginia);
Royal tern banding (Va., N.C.); Zoo Atlanta, Department of Herpetology (reptiles); Naturalist, Chattahoochee Nature
Center (Georgia); Executive Director, Chattahoochee Nature Center (Georgia); Expedition Leader & Naturalist,
International Expeditions; Senior Naturalist & Expedition Leader; Orbridge, destination specialists. Over the past
40 years, his experiences have been highly varied in regards to working with reptiles and birds, as well as the
educational component of leading people to the world’s most wildlife-rich areas. His experiences provide him with
the opportunity to offer many natural history services in his own private business, all of which are aligned with his
life’s passion: nature.
Penina, Sharona & Yaffa Shira Grossberg
Three generations of the Grossberg family are spending Pesach together at Darom. Millie and Daniel Grossberg
met as teens at Ramah. Their three daughters Penina, Yaffa Shira, and Sharona spent summers at Ramah as infants,
campers and staff members. The three sisters have collaborated again this year to organize and facilitate interactive
Tefilah experiences for children on Shabbat and Yom tov. Yaffa Shira is an energetic teacher in an integrated and
bilingual school in Jerusalem for Jewish and Arab children. Yaffa Shira has a master of arts in special education
from Columbia University Teachers’ College. She enjoys sculpting, speaks Hebrew like a native Israeli, and is
becoming fluent in Arabic. Yaffa Shira and Michael live in Jerusalem with their three children. Sharona has a master
of arts in school counseling and works in community relations for the Berkshire Bank. Trained in the Matan Bat
Mitzvah Program, Sharona taught several classes of mother-daughter pairs about Jewish women role models.
Sharona also taught a series of parenting classes. Sharona and her four daughters and lives in Teaneck. Penina is a
dynamic Jewish educator who has mentored dozens of new teachers, written curricula, and served as principal of
a Solomon Schechter day school. An alumna of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship, Penina holds a master of science
in Educational Leadership, a master of arts in Jewish Studies, and a principal’s certificate. Penina and Matt live with
their two sons in Teaneck across the street from Sharona.
Daniel Grossberg
Ramah has always been pivotal in his life. He was camper, waiter, counselor, Educational Director, and Camp Director,
and met his wife, Millie, all at Ramah. Their three daughters and grandchildren also have been to Ramah. Grossberg
taught Hebrew language and literature at SUNY Albany. He wrote a monograph on biblical poetry for the Society
of Biblical Literature, a Commentary on Lamentations for the Oxford Jewish Study Bible, and has written numerous
studies for professional journals as well. Grossberg also served as a visiting scholar at the Oxford Center for Hebrew
Studies.
Rabbi Josh Heller
Rabbi Joshua Heller is Senior Rabbi of Congregation B’nai Torah in Sandy Springs, Georgia, which has been one of
the fastest-growing congregations in the Southeastern United States. He graduated from Harvard University Magna
Cum Laude in computer science, and published original research in the Journal for Computational Neuroscienceand then opted out of the dot-com boom to become a ninth-generation rabbi. He was ordained at the Jewish
Theological Seminary, where he served in a number of leadership roles. As Director of Distance Education, he
created one of the first online degrees in Jewish studies. He spent three years as the rabbi of “The Downtown
Synagogue,” one of the synagogues closest to the site of the World Trade Center, and guided them through the
tumultuous times after 9/11. Rabbi Heller is active in local, regional and national rabbinic groups. He is currently a
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Vice President of the Southeastern Region of the Rabbinical Assembly, and serves as a member of the Committee
on Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinical Assembly and chair of its Rites and Rituals subcommittee. Joshua
and his wife, Wendy, met at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, and are proud to be parents of three children who are
already veteran Ramah-niks.
Wendy Heller
Wendy Heller is a Workplace Consultant focusing on the Atlanta Design and Architecture Community. Wendy
joined Steelcase in 2007 after completing a master’s degree in Interior Design at the Savannah College of Art
and Design. In her role at Steelcase, Wendy consults primarily with Work Place Consultants and the Architecture
and Design community to create innovative work environments that meet the needs of each user group while
leveraging the latest research and trends in Workplace Design. Wendy also interfaces with dealer designers and
sales consultants, suggesting creative applications that help win business. In addition to her role at Steelcase,
Wendy also serves as an Adjunct Professor of Interior Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design’s Atlanta
Campus, specializing in Corporate Interior Design Studios.
Rabbi Shelley Kniaz
Rabbi Shelley Kniaz has been involved in Jewish education in the positions of day and religious school teacher,
principal, curriculum writer and consultant. She is currently Director of Congregational Education at Temple
Emanuel in Woodcliff Lake, NJ. Rabbi Kniaz is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and received
her master of arts in Jewish Education and ordination at JTS. A resident of Teaneck, New Jersey, and member of
Congregation Beth Sholom, she is married to Rabbi/Dr. Eliezer Diamond. She is excited to have her mother, Lorna
Kniaz, at Darom with her this year, along with her spouse, Eliezer, and son, Matan Baruch!
Rabbi Ashira Konigsburg
Rabbi Ashira Konigsburg is the Associate Director of Rabbinic Services at the Rabbinical Assembly. She earned a
master of arts in Talmud and Rabbinics and Rabbinic Ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary. A native of
South Florida, Ashira spent her undergraduate years at the University of Maryland and has spent many summers
in a variety of roles at Ramah Darom in Georgia, including directing the climbing program. She recently stepped
down as a gabbai at Kehilat Hadar. In her free time, Ashira enjoys traveling, hiking, and climbing. You can find her on
Twitter: @ashirak.
Rebecca Kossman
Rebecca Kossman is a sophomore at Brandeis University studying Near Eastern Judaic Studies and Elementary
Education. She has been at Ramah Poconos since the summer of 2002 - for six years as a camper - and this will be
her fourth summer on staff. This is her first time participating in Pesach at Ramah Darom, and she is very excited for
this great opportunity!
Rabbi Harold S. Kushner
Harold Kushner is Rabbi Laureate of Temple Israel in the Boston suburb of Natick, Mass., and has served as the
congregation’s rabbi for 24 years. He is best known as the author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People, an
international best seller first published in 1981. The book has been translated into 14 languages and was recently
selected by members of the Book of the Month Club as one of the ten most influential books of recent years. One
critic has called it “the most important book of popular theology ever written in America.” He also has written When
All You’ve Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough, which was awarded the Christopher Medal for its contribution to the exaltation
of the human spirit. In 1995, Rabbi Kushner was honored by the Christophers, a Roman Catholic organization, as
one of 50 people who have made the world a better place in the last 50 years. He has twice been nominated for
the Templeton Prize, the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for Religion. He also has written eight other books, plus
two volumes of collected sermons. His most recent book is The Book of Job: When Bad Things Happen to a Good
Person. With novelist Chaim Potok, he is co-author of the new Conservative commentary on the Torah, Etz Hayim,
which has been enthusiastically received by hundreds of congregations since its publication in the fall of 2001. His
most recent best-seller is Overcoming Life’s Disapointments. He has also had a collection of his sermons published
under the title Faith and Family. Rabbi Kushner was born in Brooklyn, New York, and graduated from Columbia
University. He was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1960 and awarded a doctoral degree in Bible by
the Seminary in 1972. He has six honorary doctorates, has studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and taught
at Clark University in Worcester, Mass., and the Rabbinical School of the Jewish Theological Seminary. For four
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years, he edited the magazine “Conservative Judaism”. In 1999, the national organization, Religion in American Life,
honored him as its Clergyman of the Year. In 2008, he was the first recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for
contributions to the world of Jewish books, presented by the Jewish Book Council.
Frederick R. Levick
Fred Levick has served as Chief Executive Officer of Ramah Darom, Inc. since March, 2000. Prior to coming to
Ramah Darom, Mr. Levick spent more than 20 years in the health care industry, engaged in leadership, business
development, strategic planning and project management. In 1992, Mr. Levick founded HealthServe, a non-profit
community organization, to fund and deliver primary health care and pharmacy services to low-income children and
adults in Greensboro, North Carolina. Before establishing HealthServe, Mr. Levick served as a Senior Vice President
with The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital in Greensboro. Mr. Levick was educated at Lafayette College in Easton,
Pennsylvania where he earned an AB degree in Biology, and later at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill,
where he received an MPH degree in Health Administration. He has served voluntarily as Board member and officer
for many organizations, including Beth David Synagogue, the Greensboro Jewish Federation, the Jewish Foundation
of Greensboro, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, Bnai Shalom Community Day School, Alcohol and
Drug Services of Greensboro, the Guilford County (N.C.) Area Mental Health Authority, the Greensboro Public Schools
Health Advisory Council, Community Diabetes Service, and the Montessori School of Chapel Hill.
Daniel Levy
Daniel Levy was born in Jerusalem to an American mother and an Israeli Father and grew up in Efrat, Israel. He
studied in “Ma’ale Gilboa” Yeshiva, served as a Fighter in “Duvdevan”, IDF special force, and now studies at Hebrew
University (Political Science and International Relations). He interned in “The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs,”
worked for the Jewish agency and Young Judaea (Year Course), worked three summers at Ramah Darom, two as a
Gesher counselor and one as a Rosh Aidah, and will work at Ramah Darom as a Rosh Aidah during summer 2013 as
well. He currently works for the Jewish Agency as a “Shaliach” (Israeli Emissary) in Washington, DC.
Joanne Loiben
Joanne Loiben joins us this Passover from Atlanta, GA. Originally from Chicago, she is now the 6th grade Judaic
Studies teacher at The Davis Academy. Prior to this year, she studied for three years at the Pardes Institute of Jewish
Studies in Jerusalem and completed the Pardes Educators Program. She holds a master’s degree in Jewish Education
from Hebrew College and a bachelor of arts in Political Science from Saint Louis University. Joanne can’t wait to
experience Passover camp at Ramah Darom!
Rabbi Noam E. Marans
Rabbi Noam E. Marans is AJC’s (American Jewish Committee) director of Interreligious and Intergroup Relations,
overseeing national interfaith outreach, dialogue and advocacy. Rabbi Marans led AJC’s constructive engagement
with the directors of the controversial Oberammergau Passion Play, which resulted in significant changes that
mitigated the production’s historic anti-Jewish elements. He spearheaded multiple trips to view the play in Bavaria,
Germany, the last of which in the company of Archbishop of New York Timothy Cardinal Dolan, president of the US
Conference of Catholic Bishops. Before his move to AJC, for sixteen years he served as the rabbi of Temple Israel in
Ridgewood, New Jersey. A past president of the Bergen County Board of Rabbis, Rabbi Marans was ordained by the
Jewish Theological Seminary, which recently granted him an honorary doctorate for a quarter century of service to
the Jewish people. He received his bachelor of arts in political science from Columbia University. Rabbi Marans has
been awarded numerous honors, including the Martin Luther King Civic Leadership Award. His writings have been
published widely, appearing in the New York Times, Jewish Week, Forward, and Jerusalem Post, among others.
Noah Marks
Noah Marks is a second year master’s student in Bible at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. Noah is
excited to return to Passover at Ramah after many summers at Camp Ramah Darom, including last summer when
he served as Operations Coordinator. Before entering JTS, Noah studied Religion and Engineering at Swarthmore
College, exploring both robotics/artificial intelligence and the construction of law within religious communities.
Outside of the classroom, Noah enjoys ultimate frisbee, hiking in the mountains, rooting for Duke Basketball, reading
historical fiction, and laughing to XKCD and PostSecret.
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Geoffrey Menkowitz
Geoffrey Menkowitz is passionate about Jewish education and building community. Geoff is entering his sixth
season as Director of Camp Ramah Darom where he formerly served as the Assistant Director. Born in Philadelphia,
Geoff grew up attending Camp Ramah in the Poconos. He studied at the University of Pennsylvania where he
received his bachelor of arts and a master’s degree in education and he has completed advanced coursework in
Jewish education at the Jewish Theological Seminary. In addition to camp, Geoff has held positions on campus –
working with Hillel at Rutgers and the University of Pennsylvania. He also directed the Meyerhoff Center for Jewish
Learning at Hillel’s International Headquarters in DC. When not at camp for the summer, Geoff lives with his wife,
Elana, and four children in Atlanta, Georgia.
Sarah Myerson
Sarah Myerson is currently enrolled in her third year of the Master of Sacred Music/Diploma of Hazzan program at
JTS. She looks forward to a lifetime of serving Jewish congregations around the USA and perhaps even overseas as a
member of the Jewish clergy, as a vessel of Jewish music tradition in all its richness. Sarah is the student leader of the
Columbia University Klezmer Band, and enjoys rock climbing, Yiddish folk dance and knitting.
Randee Romanoff
Randee Romanoff has been a teacher for 25 years, and has a masters in Counseling. She currently teaches 8th grade
resource students at Solomon Schechter in Northbrook, Illinois. She has taught students of all ages both in regular
and self-contained classrooms. She has taught in public, as well as private schools. Randee has three children, two of
whom struggle with attention, focus and executive functioning.
Marilyn Rose
Marilyn Rose grew up in Chicago, where she took classes at the Art Institute of Chicago. She earned her bachelor of
fine arts from Washington University in St. Louis as a Fred Conway Fine Arts Fellow, and continued her studies at the
School of Visual Arts in New York. She left the world of fine arts to become a graphic designer and owner of her own
firm, Marilyn Rose Design, which serves clients throughout the New York Metropolitan area. About eight years ago,
she rediscovered her own artistic path and returned to the world of drawing, painting and visual journaling. She has
become a well-respected watercolorist and a signature member of the Northeast Watercolor Society, the New Jersey
Watercolor Society, and the Baltimore Watercolor Society. Her paintings have won numerous awards in statewide
and national competitions, and are in private collections across the country. She frequently teaches and facilitates
demos and workshops. You can see her work at Marilynroseart.com
Shep Rosenman
Shep is a musician and songwriter (Ashira, Shep n’ Dave, Blithering Heights); an avid student and teacher of Jewish
prayer, Bible, community-building and respectful conversation; is one of the co-founders of LimmudLA; and is
an entertainment lawyer for actors, writers, directors, authors and producers. Somewhere in all of this, Shep and
his wife, Shari, have found time to homeschool their kids Eytan (14) and Maya (16, now attending Bard College at
Simon’s Rock). Email: [email protected].
Rabbi Amy Roth
Rabbi Amy Roth is the Director of Congregational Schools at Temple Israel of Great Neck, New York. Prior to
arriving at Temple Israel this past August, Rabbi Roth spent the previous 12 years as the Associate Director of Camp
Ramah in the Berkshires. She also has taught Adult Education in a variety of places and was the Jewish Enrichment
Coordinator at the Y-JCC of Bergen County, New Jersey. Rabbi Roth graduated from the Jewish Theological Seminary
with rabbinical ordination and a master of arts in Jewish Education. She resides in “Darom of the north” (Teaneck,
New Jersey) with husband Rabbi Noam Marans and children Daniel, Ilan, Aaron and Yael. Rabbi Roth and her family
are happy to return to the Pesach at Darom mishpacha.
Jeffrey Rubenstein
Dr. Jeffrey L. Rubenstein is Skirball Professor of Talmud and Rabbinic Literature in the Department of Hebrew and
Judaic Studies of New York University. He received his bachelor of arts in Religion from Oberlin College, his master
of arts in Talmud from the Jewish Theological Seminary, where he also received rabbinic ordination and his Ph.D.
from the Department of Religion of Columbia University. He has taught at Columbia University, the University
of Pennsylvania and the Jewish Theological Seminary in addition to New York University. His books include The
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History of Sukkot in the Second Temple and Rabbinic Periods (1995); Talmudic Stories: Narrative Art, Composition and
Culture (1999); Rabbinic Stories (2002); The Culture of the Babylonian Talmud (2003), and most recently Stories of the
Babylonian Talmud (2010). Dr. Rubenstein has written numerous articles on the festival of Sukkot, Talmudic stories, the
development of Jewish law, and topics in Jewish liturgy and ethics.
David “Schwoty” Schwartz
David “Schwoty” Schwartz is a Jewish educator who hails from Chattanooga, Tennessee, and now resides in Chicago.
During the year, he teaches Middle School at Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School, as well as 5th Grade Hebrew School
and 3rd and 4th Grade Youth Services at Anshe Emet Synagogue. David also does B’nai Mitzvah tutoring. David is
excited to return for his second Passover at Ramah; he also has been on staff for the first two Winter Family Camps and
will be returning for his 11th year on staff this summer. David is very excited to be back “home” for another facet of the
Ramah Darom experience, and he wishes everybody a Happy Passover!
Brad Semon
As chef-owner of The Painted Plate, Brad Semon has set the standard for culinary excellence in Greensboro through his
innovative style, endless pursuit of the unique and his ability to create. Brad has spent a lifetime cultivating a passion
and gift for transforming the ordinary event into one that is truly exceptional. And upon that standard, The Painted
Plate has built a reputation as the Piedmont’s premiere caterer since 1993. With two downtown Greensboro Ballrooms
and a large banquet facility on Church Street, The Painted Plate provides unmatched event venues to complement
their masterful cuisine. Or they can cater to your very own unique location. Visit our site to discover more of what we
have to offer.
Mindy Shapiro
Mindy Shapiro, M.A, is a Jewish communal professional, based in Philadelphia, who equally loves art and Jewish study.
As an artist, Mindy was first introduced to the folk art of papercutting at KlezKamp, a Yiddish folk camp. She credits her
immediate passion for this art form to her only art training which was as a leather craftsperson at Camp Louise. Mindy’s
groundbreaking creativity, intricate designs and use of color, combined with her wide-ranging knowledge, distinguish
her as an artist. Her original designs are sketched by hand and cut with a knife. You can see Mindy’s work at www.
personalizedpapercuts.com. As a Jewish communal professional, Mindy was the founding director of Rosh Hodesh:
It’s a Girl Thing!, a program of Moving Traditions. She has also worked for other Jewish organizations including Hillel
of Greater Philadelphia, International Hillel and the Gershman Y. Currently, when not teaching or creating papercuts,
Mindy teaches the traditional Jewish mindfulness practice of Mussar. This provides her with a framework for leading a
more mindful life, something she helps others to do. Whether or not you join her for an art class, Mindy invites you to
ask her about Mussar.
Alice Sheba
Alice was working at a radio station in NYC, conducting research regarding music and artists performances, and
pursuing an acting career when she met her husband the day he graduated medical school. They have raised five
children. After completing her memoir “Angry Hour,” she is halfway into a historical novel based on the true life of
Helena, a first century queen in Mesopotamia, who chose to become Jewish and relinquish paganism. In February of
2012 she was interviewed by The New York Times had a story,“Jerry,” published there as well.
Rabbi Loren Sykes
Rabbi Loren Sykes currently serves as the CEO and Executive Director of The Shirley and Jacob Fuchsberg Jerusalem
Center for Conservative Judaism of the USCJ. Rabbi Sykes was the Founding Executive Director of Ramah Darom,
originally “The Center for Southern Jewry,” and was the creator of Camp Yofi, Ramah Darom’s family camp for Jewish
families with children with autism. He was the 2006 recipient of The Covenant Award recognizing excellence in Jewish
Education. The Sykes family is making Aliyah this August. Until then, he lives between Chicago and Jerusalem and
knows the flight staff on Delta flights 268 and 269 by name.
Rebecca Sykes
In every way, Rebecca will encourage you to be more of who you are. Whether working with institutions, organizations
or individuals internationally, she will use all her experience as an educator to enhance yours. She studied theater and
music at NYC and as a veteran of the Jewish summer camp, Rebecca learned how to change the world one experiential
moment at a time. She added yoga to the mix because a deeper connection between mind, body, and soul allows a
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person to flow with grace and do an amazing handstand…she’ll show you how. This is one of many ways Rebecca
creates inspiring opportunities to explore Jewish sources and rituals. Currently, Rebecca works with CFJE of
Chicago as a senior educator, with FJC and the iCenter on camp-based Jewish education. She also teaches yoga
all over Chicago where her yoga classes allow the diverse community to explore an integrated approach to mindbody awareness, using each yoga pose to powerfully open to new possibilities. And do handstands. As a singer,
actress, yogini, mentor and educator, Rebecca helps each person take reliable risks towards inevitable inspiration.
Alana Tilman
Alana Tilman is the Special Projects Coordinator of the National Ramah Commission. Thorough her work she
coordinates National Ramah projects such as leadership training, college programming and the Ramah365 app.
She holds a master of arts in Informal Jewish Education from the Davidson School of Education at the Jewish
Theological Seminary. As a life-long Ramahnik, she’s spent many summers as a camper, counselor and Rosh Edah
at Ramah in the Poconos and Ramah Israel Seminar. Outside of Ramah, Alana has taught in a variety of Hebrew
schools & settings and volunteers in planning the annual LimmudNY conference. Alana is excited to be returning
with her family for their third year at Passover at Ramah Darom!
Hazzan David F. Tilman
Hazzan David F. Tilman, a native of Albany, New York, is a graduate of Columbia College, the Miller Cantorial
School of The Jewish Theological Seminary, and the Juilliard School. Since August 2011, he has served as Adjunct
Associate Professor at the H.L.Miller Cantorial School of the Jewish Theological Seminary, teaching Methods
and Materials of Jewish Music Education, Advanced Conducting, conducting the student chorus, and serves as
Thesis Advisor for the seniors. Hazzan Tilman is choral director of Shir KI, the 45-member adult choir of Reform
Congregation Keneseth Israel, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. He began his career as Hazzan Sheni of the Park Avenue
Synagogue in New York City, and he is Hazzan Emeritus of Beth Sholom Congregation of Elkins Park, Pennsylvania,
having completed a 36-year career as Hazzan. Under his direction, Beth Sholom received the Solomon Schechter
Award from the USCJ for the best performing arts and synagogue skills programs on four occasions. He directed a
choral program featuring five choirs for singers from age four to 80, and his choirs sang throughout the USA, Israel
and Eastern Europe. His rich Ramah background includes serving as “Rosh Musika/Music Director” of Ramah in
Wingdale and Nyack for 10 years. Hazzan Tilman was music director of the Brandeis-Bardin Institute in Simi Valley,
California, for nine summers.. In March 2012, he led a mission to the Masorti/Conservative Congregations and
Schools of Santiago, Chile, where he conducted three choirs, taught classes at the Instituto Hebreo, gave three
major lectures, and led Shabbat Services at B’nai Yisroel Congregation. In June 2012, he conducted the Ernst Senff
Choir in a Shabbat service/program of Jewish music for the Cantors Assembly Germany Mission in the Konzerthaus
Berlin. Hazzan Tilman is joyfully and thankfully married to Ellen for 32 years, and they are the proud parents of
Avrum-31, Howard-28, and Alana-25.
Ellen Tilman
Ellen is the Director of Library Services at Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. An
avid reader, she enjoys cooking, gardening and travelling. Ellen is an expert on Jewish literature for children and
for many years owned and operated Raanan Enterprises, which sold Judaica for children from birth to Bar Mitzvah.
She is a published freelance travel writer and budding glass artist. She has an MBA from Northwestern University;
an MSS from Bryn Mawr College, and a BA from Goucher College. She is married to Hazzan David Tilman, and the
mother of three young adult children.
Howard Tilman
Howard Tilman is excited to be returning to Clayton for his second Pesach at Ramah Darom! Living in Los Angeles,
Howard is a fourth year student at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at American Jewish University. In Los
Angeles, he is active in a number of Jewish organizations teaching Hebrew school and staffing many weekend
retreats. Originally from Philadelphia, Howard has spent 10 summers on staff at Camp Ramah in the Poconos with
positions ranging from Rosh Eidah to Rosh Chadar Ochel. Prior to beginning his studies at Ziegler, Howard worked
for three years as a national radio producer for Sporing News Radio working with the likes of Troy Aikman and Tim
Brando. Outside of school, Howard loves baseball, Barbecue, and the letter B.
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EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM
Thank you for being a part
of our Ramah Darom family
and celebrating Passover
with us!
Our mission at Ramah Darom is to offer exceptional experiences in Jewish
living and learning for youth, adults, families and communities year-round. We
hope you have enjoyed your Passover experience!
Our Passover program and all of the others we run throughout the year would
not be possible without your support. Your support is the lifeline that keeps
our signature programs thriving, enabling us to impact thousands of lives
each summer and throughout the year. And every donation - large and small
- makes a big difference.
To make a donation:
- Please visit ramahdarom.org/donate or scan the QR code below with your
mobile device to make a donation through our website; or
- Provide one of our staff members with your pledge envelope, which can be
found in your welcome packet.
Thank you for being such a special part of our Ramah Darom community and
for your ongoing support of our organization.
With much appreciation,
The Ramah Darom Leadership
PASSOVER 5773
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM 47
2013 RAMAH DAROM CALENDAR
SUMMER FAMILY CAMP
June 26-30 & July 24-28
Summer Family Camp is the perfect opportunity for families with children ages 3-10 to experience Ramah Darom.
Separate activities for our adults and children paired with family bonding time make this the perfect vacation.
GRANDPARENTS WEEKEND
June 21-23 & July 19-21
This is the perfect opportunity for grandparents to experience what their grandchildren do during the summer.
With separate programming just for you throughout the weekend, your Shabbat
experience will be memorable and meaningful.
SUMMER CAMP
Session Aleph (Entering grades 4-10): June 11-July 8
Session Bet (Entering grades 4-10): July 10-Aug 5
Full Summer (Entering grades 6-11): June 11-Aug 5
Taste of Ramah 2 (Entering 4th graders only): July 10-21
Taste of Ramah (Entering 3rd graders only): July 15-21
Give your children the gift of camp this summer. It is a gift that will last a lifetime, as the community and confidence
they build will stick with them for years to come.
CLERGY & EDUCATOR KALLAH
July 1-4
Rabbis, Hazzanim, educators and youth directors are invited to join us for a few days of Jewish living and learning
at Ramah Darom. Bring the magic of Ramah Darom back to your community.
CAMP YOFI
August 7-11
Camp Yofi is an award-winning program for Jewish families with children with autism. Single parents, grandparents
and siblings are all invited to be apart of this transformational experience.
JEWISH WOMEN’S GETAWAY
October 20-22
Grab your mom, daughter and best friends and join us for a memorable week of girl time! No cleaning, no working our chef and staff will take care of you as you relax and participate in fun and inspiring programs.
WINTER BREAK FAMILY CAMP
December 27-January 1, 2014
Enjoy relaxation, recreation and an array of classes while children participate in fun and engaging camp activities.
What could be better than s’mores under the stars with your kids?
RETREATS
Celebrate your wedding, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, or family reunion, or host a synagogue retreat at Ramah Darom! Our 122
acres
ofmore
unspoiled
natural beauty invisit
the foothills
of the Blue Ridge Mountains
is the
perfect place for your
next
For
information
ramahdarom.org
or
call
404.531.0801.
Space
is
retreat. Hotels, winterized cabins, five-star cuisine and recreation are all available.
limited - register now!
48 PASSOVER 5773
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM
PASSOVER 5773
EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES AT RAMAH DAROM 49
6400 Powers Ferry Road
Suite 215
Atlanta, GA
30339