CAMPS
Continued from Page 7
Shira Goodman’s two boys, 16-year-old Jason and
with a different Ramah or a different shared experi-
13-year-old Brandon, are also avid Camp Ramah-goers,
ence, I think it helps you make those connections and
heading to the Poconos since the earliest enrollment age.

always find a home wherever you are.

This being Jason’s eighth summer and Brandon’s
“There’s always that connection,” she said of her own
fifth, Goodman became more involved with her alma
camp experiences.

mater camp and joined the Board of Directors.

“I like having that. It’s kind of like an identity badge
She attended Ramah in the 1980s, and her husband
that you wear, and it’s always like a common language
went to another Jewish camp in Michigan where he
and a common way to connect with people even as an
grew up.

adult.” “We always agreed we’d send them to Camp Ramah
When Jason had the opportunity to join USY on
Alana Frajerman at
when we moved out here,” she said. “I don’t know what
Wheels, he chose Ramah instead.

Ramah Day Camp
I would do if they didn’t.

“The fact that he can talk about how much he loves
“It’s a special place where kids are still
camp — I see the kids that he wants to be
doing all the normal camp stuff,” she con-
with,” Goodman added. “His first choice
tinued, “but also is a place where every-
is always his camp friends and I think
body has the shared values, that their Ju-
that’s special. Even if my kids don’t have
daism is important, that they like being
the same observances in their kashrut or
Jewish, that being Jewish can be cool, that
celebrate Shabbat the same way when
loving Israel is cool. It just infuses them
they grow up, I think they’ll have a foun-
with that pride and self-confidence in
dation and a spark and know that being
themselves that I think is really essential
Jewish is special.

as they go out into the world.”
“The evidence shows that Jewish camp-
And when they do go out into the
ing is the way to have committed, confi-
world, they can find those similar kids in
dent Jewish teens, and I think it’s a critical
places like United Synagogue Youth or Hil-
piece of a Jewish future.” l
lel, she said.

Brandon and Jason Goodman outside
Contact: rkurland@jewishexponent.com;
“Starting with a similar foundation and
the dining hall at Camp Ramah
215-832-0737 meeting people who have had that, maybe
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