We are planning to be able to operate safely and at near-full capacity.  We will be closely following local and national health guidelines as well as licensing requirements.  We know that we will likely need to adjust our protocols and programming to ensure the safest summer possible in 2021.  We are already in the process of looking closely at group sizes, travel arrangements, increased sanitation, and programmatic needs as we plan for kayitz (summer) 2021.  We will communicate changes to our families.  As always, we will be flexible and creative, always keeping the most important thing in mind – the safety of our campers!

While it is our greatest hope to run camp in kayitz (summer) 2021, we realize that there are still many unknowns for this summer. As a result, we have modified our normal refund policy (which can be found here):

• In the event that camp cannot open for kayitz (summer) 2021, all families will again be eligible for a full refund of their deposits and registration fees.

• If camp opens but it is not medically safe for your child to attend (due to his/her health or a family member’s), you will be able to cancel your child’s enrollment and receive a full refund. COVID-related medical information will be required in one of our pre-summer forms. If your camper or a family member has an underlying medical condition that puts them in a high risk category, please be in touch with us so that we can work with your family and your medical professionals to determine an appropriate plan for camp as well as a decision-making timeline.

• If camp opens and you choose to withdraw your child without a COVID-related medical reason, our regular refund policy will apply. Withdrawals made prior to March 1, 2021 are 100% refundable under this policy.

Click Here for the full regular refund policy

• If camp opens but cannot run at full capacity, and so we need to adjust our dates, families will get a refund if the revised schedule does not work for them. Families will be given an opportunity to opt-in or opt-out of this revised plan.

The health and safety of our community continues to be out number one priority.  In addition to the in-depth planning we do in a regular season of operation, we are focusing on the following key areas of focus in developing plans for Summer 2021:

Key areas of focus

1. Health and Safety Considerations- Work with key *stakeholders to review best practices, establish and update safety protocols, and adjust our operations accordingly.
2. Covid-19 Updates- Regularly monitor current COVID-19 status as it concerns health and safety requirements/best practices/guidelines/recommendations and camp operations and relay this to our camp community.
3. Camp Operation Review- Review the ability for camp to operate in a variety of ways using guidelines from local, state and national health agencies, as well as key organizations and committees and relay this to our camp community.
4. Camper & Staff Experience Considerations- Work with key stakeholders to ensure an intentional and well thought out camp experience as it applies to our campers and staff with considerations towards health/safety and program experience, and MESH (mental, emotional, and social health).
5. Camp Sustainability Considerations- Work with key stakeholders to ensure camp's ongoing sustainability both for the current year and the future.

*We are working closely with a variety of agencies and organizations to establish protocols for operating in a safe and healthy manner. Key stakeholders involved in the development of our protocols include:

• Santa Cruz County Department of Environmental Health
• California Department of Public Health
• American Camp Association - The ACA is working with a private company, Environmental Health and Engineering, Inc., to develop a Field Guide for Camps. Additionally, we work directly with the ACA Northern California office.
• Center for Disease Control
• The Foundation for Jewish Camp
• SKIER Insurance, Inc.
• National Ramah Medical Committee chaired by Dr. Cliff Nerwin
• The National Ramah Commission Contingency Planning Task Force, overseen by National Ramah Director Rabbi Mitch Cohen.
• The National Ramah Business Managers Group
• Camp Ramah in Northern California Medical Committee
• Camp Ramah in Northern California Board of Directors Covid Committee
• Local and national medical and camping experts

We know that we will likely need to adjust our protocols and programming to ensure the safest summer possible in 2021.  We are already in the process of looking closely at group sizes, travel arrangements, increased sanitation, and programmatic needs as we plan for kayitz (summer) 2021.  We will communicate changes to our families.  As always, we will be flexible and creative, always keeping the most important thing in mind – the safety of our campers!

First, we thank you for your support. If you haven’t joined us yet in this critical fundraising effort, please consider a meaningful gift that will ensure decades more summers at Ramah Galim. We are truly grateful for any contribution you are able to provide right now. Please click here to support our Camp Recovery Campaign.