Growing with Ramah Galim | Camp Ramah Northern California

Growing with Ramah Galim

by Nitzan Bochner Loewenberg, Program Associate

Growing up, I always wanted to go to a Jewish sleepaway camp. However, I was intimidated by the well-established camps nearby, worried that I wouldn’t know the traditions or fit in. So, when Ramah Galim opened in 2016, it felt like the perfect opportunity to finally attend camp and help to build a community from the ground up. That first summer, I barely knew anyone, but everyone else was in the same boat. We saw camp as a blank canvas, ready to be filled with traditions, culture, friendships, and community. There was an unspoken understanding that what we did that summer would lay the foundation for the camp’s future. Camp quickly became a home, a place where I felt truly comfortable and fully myself. It was a place of belonging and love, where I felt supported and encouraged to push myself out of my comfort zone and try things I would not otherwise have done. As a Jewish teenager, camp gave me the freedom to explore and embrace my Jewish identity, helping me to find personal connections to Jewish values, traditions, and prayers. I am so grateful to continue to be part of a community that allows for and fosters such comfort and self growth.

After three years as a camper, I returned as staff, and my love for the camp community only deepened. I began to see the magic of camp from a whole new perspective, appreciating aspects I had taken for granted as a camper, while playing a more active role in the camp’s development. Helping my campers explore their relationship to Judaism, build their own community, and grow into confident, proud individuals was incredibly rewarding. Even while I was creating experiences for others, Ramah Galim continued to give me so much. Camp became an anchor point for me, allowing me to take a deep breath and reflect on everything that had happened during the year. This past summer, I recognized more than ever the importance of camp and surrounding oneself with a loving, accepting community, especially during times of uncertainty and upheaval. Knowing the Ramah Galim community is always there, full of joy and love even in hard times, is reassuring. 

Whenever anyone asks me why I do this – why I devote my time to Ramah Galim – the reason is simple, and has always been clear to me: to give back to the community that gave me so much, and continue to create life changing experiences for others. I have seen Ramah Galim grow tremendously, coming from a small blank canvas of a camp to the rich, beautiful, and well-developed community that it is now. But at its core it has stayed the same: an accepting, curious, passionate, deeply thoughtful, close-knit community. I would not be who I am today without Ramah Galim, and I could not be more excited to devote my time to continuing to improve this camp, growing our community, and seeing the places camp goes.