Passover Update

Chag Sameach!
The arrival of Spring and Passover brings with it some extra joy as it signals that the summer is getting closer! We have lots of important news to share with you. Please read this email carefully.

New Camper Meetings
If you haven’t already scheduled a call with a member of our senior staff, please do so here. These sessions give us an opportunity to get to know your kids (through you), ask some questions, and answer whatever might be on your mind. On a personal note, it has been really rewarding for me to get to know so many of your families through these calls. Knowing you and your kids a little bit better helps us plan a more successful summer for them. To clarify, these meetings are intended to be for parents only, to give you a chance to talk about your kids without them listening.

Bus Routes
I know you’re on the edge of your seats waiting to hear about bus stops. I had a GREAT meeting with the bus company at the end of last week. They instilled a tremendous amount of confidence in me that they will run safe and timely bus routes and will take good care of our kids. I gave them a list of my proposed bus stops and they will have their drivers do a practice run later this week. After that, they will take the drivers’ feedback on the routes and the stops, and will give me a final list of bus stops and times. Good news – as requested, we ARE able to offer stops in both Lexington and Arlington. I know we are all eager for this information, so I apologize that it’s not here yet and ask for your patience as we let the bus company do their job. I certainly hope to have it for you in the next few weeks.

Forms, Payments, and Financial Aid
As a reminder many of your camper’s forms were due this past Friday (the remainder are due May 1). If you still have forms outstanding, please submit them ASAP. Having forms in by their deadlines allows us to keep our camp planning on track. Half of your tuition was due a few weeks ago and the remainder of your tuition is due on May 15th. Financial aid awards have been updated in your CampMinder account. The official letters should go out in the next week or two, but if you’d like a sneak peak, you can log into your account and see the information there.

Update on Camper Enrollment
We are very close to full – and we’d love your help in filing our last spots! If you have friends or family that are interested in sending their kids to Ramah, please encourage them to sign up or to reach out ASAP.

Update on Staffing
We are also very close to fully staffed. We are looking for a few more bunk counselors. If you have teens in your life who want to have a meaningful and fun summer, impacting kids’ lives, please connect us. I’d love to talk with them.

Hosting Israeli Shlichim
We are so excited to be welcoming two Israeli Shlichim (emissaries) this summer. Hila and Sofi need a place to stay. Do you have an extra room in your house? Would you be willing to host 1 or both of them, for all or some of the summer? Families that have hosted Shlichim in the past have said that it is an incredibly valuable experience and has created lasting relationships. If you’re able or interested, please let me know or fill out this form here.

Looking Forward
Please hold the date of June 25th, from 1-3pm, for our visiting day. This event gives you a chance to see camp ready to open, meet your kids’ counselors, and introduce your campers to their bunkmates. In the coming weeks, we will send an email with information on how to register for our new communications app. We will do the majority of our summer communications through the app. So please keep a lookout for it.

From everyone at Ramah Boston, we wish you a sweet Pesach (Passover) holiday. I hope you’re able to celebrate with friends and family in a way that is joyous & meaningful, with minimal amounts of stress!

Rabbi Silverman