My whole life, I have spent every summer except one (I was in Israel) at Camp Ramah Darom. I started there as a camper there and I am currently awaiting to start my fourth year on staff here. While many of my friends are either enjoying summer or in the middle of an internship, I am working at the camp that has become my second home.
Ramah Darom is a conservative Jewish camp located in the North Georgia mountains. Ramah is a camp system with many locations throughout the US meant for children between the ages of 9 and 16. For the past 21 years, this camp nestled in the town of Clayton, Georgia, has been the home away home for many Jewish children from the Southeast. Children would go there and participate in traditional summer camp activities but they would also learn about Judaism, Israel and most importantly, create lasting friendships. Some of my best friends were made through Ramah and they have been there for me when I needed them the most. Ramah is what we call in Hebrew a "Kehilah," which translates into community. In this community, people look out for each other whether they know you or not, and all the staff has the same message at camp: make sure the kids have fun.
If it wasn’t for my counselors, some of the things I learned at camp would not be important to me. I learned about the importance of Judaism, but I also learned about how to be mature and grow up. Many of the counselors were campers and they want to instill the values brought upon them from when they were campers. I have attended many summer camps, and each of them have been different. The thing about Ramah Darom and Ramah camps in general is that the camps provide ways for learning to be fun, whether it is by bringing in Israeli staff or learning Hebrew in a fun and engaging way.
Every year when I left camp, my friends from back home would always ask me why I kept going to camp, why I didn’t just stay at home or why I didn’t just relax. Each time I would give the same answer: “Camp is home and its where I belong.” Yes, that does sound like the song "This is Home," but it's true. Ramah is responsible for helping me grow not just as a Jew, but as a person. I have so much to thank Ramah for; whether it is my best friends who are always there for me or helping me grow and mature as a person but camp was always there for me when I needed it most. As a way of saying thank you to camp for everything I decided to give back and I think the best way to do that is by helping the campers grow the way I did.
When I tell people that I am working at camp, they are impressed, but they also ask when I will get an internship or a job to prepare me for after college. While I have thought about getting internships or a job, I also think about what camp has done for me and what it will mean for me in a career in my future. Camp has helped me learn how to manage myself in an office, shown me the importance of talking to your bosses and most importantly finding ways for people to help you every step of the way.
I have so much to thank camp for whether it is my friends, the opportunities I have been given or the memories, but one thing that I am thankful for is the chance to give back. I might be 21, and I might need to look for a job sometime, but I will always know that my job at Ramah prepared me for other jobs.
