Reflections on the end of kayitz 2017

After a summer of exploring our theme of yetzirah (creation), I recall what Rabbi Jonathan Sacks once taught. Why is it, he was asked, that a story as fundamental as the creation of the world is described in only one chapter while the less-sublime instruction for building the mishkan takes up 13? Rabbi Sacks explained that while it takes one chapter for God to build a world for us, it takes many more for us to build a world for God.

The kind of magic involved in true yetzirah is a long process, and one we strive to catalyze every year. As a camp director, the truth is it really does take us 10 months to build a world away from ours for two months, and when we get to Ramah it is an environment like none other during the year.

Our campers, though, can do the reverse. They can take two months of this world of Ramah and build from it a whole year of joy, goodness, beauty, and growth. They are creators of their own narratives, pavers of their paths. Today as we closed the gate on another summer at Ramah, it is clear to me that our children have developed the confidence in themselves as people and as Jewish citizens that makes another year in school that much more fruitful. I look forward to personally seeing many of our campers and staff out in the community in the coming months, and to bearing witness to the creations of their spirits.

For our part, we’ll start the process of creation again, preparing anew for kayitz 2018. Stay in touch with us; we love hearing from you.