I started my Ramah Galim journey the first summer it opened, Kayitz 2016. I am beyond grateful for the gifts I have from Ramah Galim, in particular a forever-friendship with another camper-turned-staffer, Galit.
I grew up watching my sister and cousins go to overnight camp and develop strong friendships, and I wanted that. I had gone to a different camp the summer before, was super homesick and did not want to go to camp again. Little did I know that summer I would meet the person who would be my best friend for the next 10 years–and counting. Galit and I bonded that summer on Monterey Bay. Our two weeks at camp flew by, and when I got home from camp at the end of that summer, I wasn’t as relieved as I had been the summer before; I missed camp. We reunited the following summer, this time as bunkmates, and our friendship grew. This continued year after year, living separate lives in separate cities with summers at camp bringing us together. I had finally found the camp friend I was looking for. With all the fun, independence, and life that happens at camp, our bond was forever strengthened.
As we got older, we stayed in touch throughout the school year and became more than just “camp friends.” We made the effort to visit one another, saw each other at USY events, and texted almost daily. Despite the physical distance, our friendship continued to grow. We went through a summer of Zoom camp during COVID and a few summers that I missed camp, but our friendship prevailed. No matter how long we went without seeing each other, when we did, it was like old times
When we aged out of being campers, we moved on to tzevet and were madrichot for the same edah, Kochavim, the edah that we were in when we had met. I not only got to work with my best friend for a whole summer, but we got to watch our campers build friendships, starting their Ramah Galim journeys just as we had. It was a full circle moment. Coming back for a second year on tzevet and seeing my campers return, furthering the friendships I had watched them create the summer before, I felt like I was watching us as young campers. I felt so lucky to play a part in those relationships and was excited about their futures together and at camp.
I’m in college now, we still text or talk daily, and my Ramah Galim bestie continues to be my closest friend. Ours is a relationship that has taught me the value of friendship. Camp gave me a friend who has been with me through many stages of life (I’d like to think I’ve changed since I was 10 years old), and who I envision will be a lifelong friend. She was at my bat mitzvah and I see her being at my wedding. Ramah Galim brought us together and tied us to each other all these years, something for which I will be forever grateful.
– Ava Fahn
