In Fall 2012, I was extremely nervous about an upcoming meeting I had with the Executive Committee of Camp Ramah in the Poconos. I wasn’t nervous because I was brand new to the job (though I was!), I was nervous because I felt like I was holding onto a secret – something I had not revealed to the committee during the job search process. There was an important member of my family they did not know about, and as it would turn out, this family member would go onto have a great impact on the past decade at Camp Ramah in the Poconos.

This family member was our ‘oldest child’, Abe Froman: The Sausage King of Chicago. Abe was (at the time!) a four-year old, rambunctious, hound-shepherd mix who became part of our family in 2007. Now that we had moved to Philadelphia, he was very excited for his first summer at camp. The only problem was – there hadn’t been a dog at camp in over thirty years! Would it work?

As I am sure much of our Ramah community has heard, a few weeks ago, Abe Froman passed away at the ripe old age of 15 and ½ years, approximately 108 ‘doggie-years.’

When I think back on the last eleven years of his life, I think about how lucky this dog was. Every May he would hop in the back of my car, knowing he would soon be magically transported to a paradise of green pastures, belly rubs, long walks, and lots of exciting smells from local wildlife. In his time at camp, he gave tons of kisses, he helped MANY homesick campers make it through a tough first summer away from home, and, much to his chagrin, he was given countless unnecessary baths as part of a Petzah (bunk activity.) And he did it all with a nonchalant, unflinching gentleness that was a hallmark of the Sausage King of Chicago.

When things come to a close in our lives, it can be hard to say goodbye; believe me, I know. But it softens the sadness to look back with immense gratitude and recognize what good fortune both Abe and I had to spend those countless rides and those magical summers together with our family in the warmth of the Ramah community.

Todah Rabbah Machaneh Ramah for taking care of our puppy Abe for over a decade, he was such a lucky boy.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Joel

Executive Director

As we continue to incorporate feedback and themes from previous summers into our planning, Ramah Poconos and Ramah Day Camp are moving forward with our commitment to child safety and our work with Sacred Spaces. Our Child Safety Committee (CSC) has set goals and benchmarks for this important initiative that continue to prioritize our guiding principles of ensuring the health and safety of all campers and staff in our community. We look forward to sharing updates about how this work informs our policies and procedures, development of new resources, staff training, and overall camp environment.

Our staff hiring process is well underway, the programming team continues to meet regularly to design schedules and programmatic offerings, and edah trips are being booked. We hope that the Hanukkah lights bring warmth to you and your families and remind you that in just a few weeks, camp will be THIS YEAR!

We are very excited to announce that Sue Schwartzman, one of our long-time head nurses, has officially joined camp’s Year Round Team as Director of Health Center and Nurse Administrator. We are confident that Sue will take the Marp and its services to our families, campers, and staff to new heights. Mazel Tov Sue, and welcome!

Thank you to everyone who contributed on Giving Tuesday this year!

Coupling $217,405 in new gifts with a 3:1 match, we raised over $692,406 in one day!

Missed your chance to donate on Giving Tuesday?

It’s not too late to make a meaningful gift to the 2022 Chai Campaign!

For years, Camp Ramah in the Poconos and Ramah Day Camp have been committed to building the foundation of Jewish beginnings and Jewish leaders. Through thousands of hours of programming every summer, Ramah has laid the foundation for life-long friendships, Jewish learning, creative educational programming, and Ahavat Israel.

Make a meaningful gift today to support scholarships, capital improvements, programming, and operations for Kayitz 2023 and future generations of campers at Ramah Poconos and Ramah Day Camp!