1. What is the food like at camp?
For many people, lunch is the favoured meal. With choices such as ravioli, grilled cheese, lasagna, macaroni and cheese, and salad bar, it is no surprise that many people enjoy this aruchah (meal). At breakfast, you will enjoy a new main dish everyday, including cinnamon buns, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, muffins, pancakes, waffles, doughnuts, and, when the toaster is working, toast. Dinner is usually meat. Some sample dinners are: a weekly cookout, (with hamburgers, hotdogs, and chicken burgers), beef (and French fries, of course!), chicken wings, chicken pot pie, and tacos. If these do not interest you, the bread table is set up for every meal with free-nut butter (the joys of a peanut/nut-free camp), bread, fruit, jelly, and margarine. For lactose-intolerant people and vegetarians, there is always another meal option as well. It may not be gourmet, but the food is good, especially from what we hear from other camps. There is always an allergy board up so that you can check if there is something in the meal that you shouldn't be having…
2. I really like to play sports, is Camp Ramah for me?
If you are up to date with camp news, you would know that the migrash (field) in the middle of camp has been redone. The newly-done grass may not have the old tree line, but it does have a new baseball diamond, soccer field, beach volleyball, field goals for football, and ga-ga courts. There are still the indoor and outdoor basketball courts, as well as tennis and hockey. The new field also includes an indoor track, perfect for running.
3. What can I do on the waterfront?
Camp Ramah in Canada is known for its beautiful waterfront. Besides its view, it is always full of certified swim and boating instructors. Campers experience a daily swim lesson and then boating. With a boating rotation, one can experience canoeing and kayaking, water skiing or wakeboarding, and sailing. For the young campers, there is often an opportunity to go tubing as well. But to participate in these fun activities, you have to pass the tag test. It is not difficult:- it involves swimming back and forth 3 times (or 6 laps), treading water for 5 minutes, and doing a somersault. You will gain badges and progress in your swim levels, just as you do in the city!
4. Do I need to know Hebrew to go to Camp?
If you do not know Hebrew, at first, it may be weird hearing some announcements or places at camp spoken in Hebrew. But you are not alone. Many kids come from public schools and have little to no knowledge of Hebrew. It will take some getting used to, but soon enough you will be using all of the Hebrew terms like a pro. To get you started here are a couple: migrash (field, referring to the large field in the middle of the camp) chadar or chadar ochel (dining hall), agam (lake), tzrif (cabin), madrich/madricha (counselor), chanich/a (camper).
5. What do you do on Shabbat?
On Friday, activities end early, giving the entire camp time for nikayon (cabin clean-up) and getting ready for Shabbat. Before services, each edah (age group) gathers in a circle, where their rosh edah (unit head) may talk about the week or tell a Shabbat story. After Kabbalat Shabbat, there is a Friday night dinner in the chadar ochel, with soup, chicken, potatoes, and the camp favourite, brownies for dessert! Following shirim (songs) and Birkat HaMazon, (blessing after meals), the younger campers go to sleep while the three oldest edot have oneg (singing and dancing!). There is a sleep-in Saturday morning and, although prayers are longer, the doughnuts and sugar cereal for breakfast is worth the wait. There are two free swims, morning and afternoon, and if you choose not to go, there are sports games played throughout the day or you can hang out on the migrash. The entire camp joins together for Havdalah to end Shabbat. Many campers say that Shabbat is their favourite part of the week at camp!
6. Are there camping trips?
Each edah has a different camping trip. The younger campers have a one-night trip, either hiking or canoeing to a nearby campsite. In Tzirim (going into 8th grade), campers take a bus to an access point and from there, portage packs and canoes for a three-day, two-night trip. These trips are usually done by cabin and there is one first month and one second month. In Nachshonim (going into 9th grade), you choose your camping trip based on level (easy, medium, hard, hike) and are put with other campers in your edah that want the same trip. Second month, you go on Linat Shabbat, a trip with the entire edah for Shabbat. In Magshimim and Alonim (going into 10th and 11th grade), there is one trip, since the entire edah stays for the eight weeks.
7 . Do I have to pray everyday?
As it is a Jewish camp, there are prayers every morning before breakfast. But there is no reason to dread going every morning. Many counselors find ways to make prayers interesting. You may have tefillot on the beach or in canoes. Some edot make plays for the week’s Torah portion and it is a great chance to learn new prayers and tunes. If you wake up one morning not in the mood to pray, it is always nice to listen to your fellow campers as well.
8. Do you have a colour war?
Yes! For many people, it is the highlight of their summer. There is one Yom Sport, or colour war, run by Alonim, the oldest age group. There are rumours that it is cancelled this year… The camp is divided into four teams, each with two colours. Campers dress up like crazy; some bring duffels full of coloured dress-up clothes for this day. It is a day filled with crazy games, sports, agam, marathon, and cheering. In the end, it does not even matter which team wins since everyone had such a good time playing!
We really hope to see you at our camp this summer!
Can't wait!
Xoxo- S2
