Tikvah Inclusion Support
This program primarily serves campers with a range of special needs who, with some additional support, can be successful living in the camp community (dorm-style housing) alongside their same-age peers. In some cases, an extra counselor may be assigned to the kvutzah (camp group) to provide an added layer of supervision. The program generally serves campers who are independent with most daily living skills and who benefit from accommodations to meet specific individual needs (such as executive functioning support, sensory breaks, or extra rest).
Our staff supports campers’ inclusion in age-group and specialty-track programming and helps them navigate friendships and the social dynamics of the camp environment. Campers receiving Tikvah Inclusion Support range in age from 4th through 11th grade. Interested families should contact Mollie Flink (mollie@ramahnorcal.org) for more information and to explore whether this type of support is an appropriate fit for their child.
Ezra
The Ezra Vocational Education Program is designed to provide Jewish young adults (ages 17–26) who require extra support with the opportunity to learn vocational skills within Ramah Galim’s inclusive and joyful Jewish community. During the two- or four-week experience, Ezra participants live at camp alongside staff and campers and are fully integrated into the camp community. Their days include job-site experience, life-skills classes, recreational activities, Tikkun Olam initiatives, and living on Jewish time.
We offer a variety of individualized internship opportunities, including working in our business office, dining hall, Café Galim (our Ezra-run coffee shop), and serving as an assistant counselor or assistant specialist within an age group or specialty area. In addition, the program’s focus on self-care skills culminates in the cohort planning and participating in a day out of camp. Interested families should contact Mollie Flink (mollie@ramahnorcal.org) for more information and to explore whether Ezra is a good fit.
Tikvah Consultant: Elana Naftalin-Kelman
Elana Naftalin-Kelman has been working at the intersection of special education and Jewish education for more than 25 years. She was inspired to pursue this path through her experiences as a camper and staff member at Camp Ramah in Ojai, where she later served as director of the Tikvah program for campers and young adults with disabilities for 18 years.
Elana holds an MSW and a master’s degree in Special Education and is completing her EdD in Education, focusing her research on the mental health needs of young adults with disabilities. She is an adjunct professor of Special Education at San Francisco State University, where she teaches undergraduate students preparing for careers in the field. She also consults with numerous Jewish institutions to support their efforts to become more inclusive of Jews of all abilities and has taught professional development courses in differentiated instruction, behavior management, and Hebrew instruction. She lives in Berkeley, California, with her husband and three sons.