Author: Emily Reilly

Sunday morning began as a fresh start, the Havdalah ceremony the night before separating Shabbat from the rest of the week. As campers spread across camp to enjoy their activities, their spirits were still lifted and their hearts still content from the Shabbat celebrations that began on Friday.

Though JCC Ranch Camp is, as the name suggests, a Jewish camp, not every member of the community is Jewish or even religious. This, however, does not hold anyone back from enjoying this very special time at camp. In fact, the diversity among both campers and staff alike lends itself to making Shabbat celebrations at camp a unique experience, which is hard to get anywhere else. People from all walks of life have the opportunity to discuss what Shabbat means to them. From returning campers sharing how celebrating at camp is important to them, to new campers finding another facet of camp life that bonds them more closely to their new community. Non-Jewish campers are able to connect to their spirituality in ways that are comfortable for them, and Jewish campers get to experience services they may be used to in a new environment, praying surrounded by the trees around them, the sky above them, and the roots of flowers and grass beneath.

Fridays start out the same as most other days, activity groups and cabins scattering joyfully across the camp grounds. But by lunchtime, the anticipation of Shabbat is palpable in the air. After Menucha, each unit cleans an area of camp, preparing not just themselves but their environment and their community for the Shabbos ahead. Situated as we are in so much wilderness, it’s acceptable (and sometimes even encouraged) to get a little dirty during activities, but on Shabbat, everyone gets to take some extra time for themselves, showering and dressing up before services.

The services themselves take place in the pavilions, the camp community gathered together once again. Facing away from all the other buildings, the view behind the pavilions is lush and green, pine trees rising above a large meadow where the occasional horse can be spotted – this Friday was especially memorable, as services were paid a visit by a pair of deer. As we moved through the different prayers, every voice at camp rose together in song. In between prayers, individual voices were highlighted as cabins six and seven, among others, came onstage to share what certain prayers meant to them or reasons why Shabbat at camp was meaningful to them. This camper participation is part of what makes Shabbat here so special. The kids are not merely watching the services. They are a part of the services.

Next is dinner, always highly anticipated. One of the most memorable signifiers of Shabbat for many campers, Friday night dinner is different from the rest. Cabin mates can sit together or split up as they please, perhaps taking the opportunity to reconnect with friends they have met in Chugs, spend more time with members of their activity groups, or catch up with siblings. Instead of getting up for their food, they are served a traditional Ranch Camp Shabbat dinner at their tables (brisket, potatoes, vegetables, and matzo ball soup), the delicious food made even better by the company of friends and the gathering of voices for the songs and prayers we do before and after the meal.

Every part of Shabbat at camp is unique and memorable, a clear separation between Shabbos and the rest of the week – however, the most anticipated Shabbat celebration for many campers does not come until after dinner: Israeli dance. The morning dance activities, enjoyed by all, serve a higher purpose as well. Once every activity group has participated, the entire camp knows the dances to the songs, some new and some old. This way every age group and experience level can participate in the Friday night dance together. Though the sun may edge closer towards the horizon, spotlights keep the basketball court warm and bright, a shining spot of activity and life in the otherwise quiet evening. Music blasts though speakers as the community dances together, synchronized not just physically but in heart as well. As the energy eventually winds down, spirits remain high, everyone seated in a circle together for one last song session. This is one of the only times at camp when every single person is in one place together, and the presence of everyone is felt in the words and sounds of the music.

The last song we sing is Ose Shalom, a prayer for peace. Though we may pray for peace in the world and in our lives, the peace felt at camp was already present that night. This peace, fostered by the services, the community, the wonder of the natural world, would carry the community forward to the next day. Through walk-in breakfast and services, shiur and free activities, dinner and Havdalah, the feeling of peace will always be present, making itself known through the interactions of each and every member of the community. This peace may be brought on by Shabbat, but it will stay in the mind of everyone as they wish each other shavua tov and prepare for the incredible week to come.

Session 1, Day 4
June 14th, 2019

The Torah is obsessed with rules. Particularly (and fittingly) the book of Numbers, from which we are currently reading.  Many of the rules and the stories that contain them depict or delineate standards for the community of Israelites and standards for communities in general.

When we begin our staff orientation week, I share with participants that we have this amazing and unique opportunity to create an ideal community. If we can succeed in doing that for ourselves in the week we have before our campers arrive, the community we build with campers will be a reflection of that which we were able to create among ourselves.

We call the week “orientation” rather than “training” because, although there are elements that constitute training, the week is about shifting our perspective. The majority of our bunk staff are college students. It is practically their job to focus on themselves and their needs. We re-orient our perspective to put the needs of others before our own and make this a potentially life-altering experience for our campers.

We spend a good part of the week learning how to successfully communicate in this unique environment. We pay particular attention to how we resolve conflicts among ourselves. This includes addressing the conflict with the person, directly. We call this “picking a door.” If you come to me to tell me how someone has wronged you, I will tell you to “pick a door” with that person. We avoid accusatory language, and focus instead on the particular circumstances and how this made us feel.

At the core of our ability to create a successful community is assumption of goodwill. If we stop assuming goodwill and believe the other intended to hurt us or willfully sabotage us, this will color our interactions with that person and potentially poison our communal well. It takes a certain willingness to be vulnerable, but it is absolutely critical to the success of our experience here. When we do this, we find proof of what most of us believe to be true: Most of us do not seek to deceive, hurt, or sabotage. We are kind and seek kindness.

Very shortly, we will come together as a community to welcome Shabbat. We will do so as one Ranch Camp Community that takes care of each other. We will remind one another that we are kind and seek kindness. We will experience the joy of others as our own, and we will have a restful Shabbat.

Shabbat Shalom,

Noah

Session 1, Day 3
June 13^th, 2019

As the sun rose over the 400 beautiful acres of JCC Ranch Camp, the community that had just gathered the day before slowly began to wake. Birds chirped and rays of sunshine floated through the windows as each cabin emerged from slumber, refreshed and ready for the full day ahead. The cool air of the night quickly dissipated as the excited voices of campers drifted across from North and South Village. Though most weekdays at camp follow the same schedule, every activity is unique, so the campers were both ready to settle in to the schedule and excited for the new experiences each day has to offer.

The morning always begins with the whole camp together at Degel, a Hebrew word meaning “flag.” Every voice at camp rises together in song, first to sing Modeh Ani to welcome our souls back into our bodies, then for the American and Israeli national anthems as the flags are raised, and finally for a song called Shigaon, or “crazy.” Each morning the song gets a little bit longer as a new Hebrew word is added and translated, teaching campers and staff alike new words while warming up for the day. Now fully awake, the camp heads up into the dining hall, known as the Chad, for breakfast.

The morning is one of the most exciting times at camp for many. After a quick cabin cleanup, it’s time for activities, each group getting an opportunity to try everything that camp has to offer. While the youngest unit, Chalutzim, travels to activities in their cabins, the two older units, Metapsim and Toshavim, split up into activity groups for the morning. Still within their age groups, they get to mingle with campers from other cabins – since activity groups have been implemented, the camp community feels even more like a family, as campers make bonds with their peers not just in the cabin, but with those from all different parts of camp. Once in their groups, they split from the commons to their morning activities. Some trek down to archery to practice their skills and cheer on their teammates, others make their way to the art room for some traditional camp crafts, and still others find their way to the ropes course for some adventure-filled group bonding. Then there’s mountain biking, Teva (or “nature”), Israeli dance, and more, enough activities to make every new day an adventure.

The morning activities ensure that everyone has an appetite for lunch, after which is Menucha, another Hebrew word meaning “rest.” After the energy-filled morning, the break time is much appreciated, and campers have a chance to write letters, read books, work on friendship bracelets, or nap, engaging in activities that are relaxing to them. Though the camp may seem quiet in times like these, the strong sense of community is still felt, a silent but noticeable energy in the air, a fullness indicating the presence of camaraderie.

Once Menucha has finished, the cabins are nearly bursting with excitement for the second set of activities of the day: Chuggim, or free activities. Like the activity groups, these Chuggim give campers an opportunity to interact and spend time with peers of all genders and age groups, and since they are free to choose any Chug they wish, they often end up with like-minded people and spend the hour developing new friendships. The options for Chuggim usually change every day. This specific set included soccer playing, lanyard making, hiking, and yoga, to name a few. The campers choose two Chuggim, with a snack in the middle, and before they know it, it’s dinner time.

Dinner, like lunch, is a lively affair, the Chad ringing with the music of children’s voices, songs and chants displaying camp and cabin pride underlining the animated conversations between friends old and new. The rising energy is ultimately funneled into the evening program, for many campers the most anticipated event of the day. Though cabins and activity groups may have the chance to go to an activity more than once, every evening program is unique, a different surprise every night. Some are active, some are creative, all are inclusive to every ability level. Tonight’s evening program was campfire, a camp tradition as well as a camp favorite, often the image imagined by those pining for camp on the off season or those excitedly anticipating it for the first time. After running back to cabins to change into warmer clothes, everyone gathered in South Village to walk down to the campfire together. Though the sky was slowly darkening, the community stayed warm with the singing of songs and telling of stories.

Halfway through, the campfire continued in a different way, as the Chalutzim, Metapsim, and Toshavim units moved to different campfires throughout the camp for unit initiations. While spending time in these smaller groups, each and every camper felt the ever-present sense of community even more strongly. The scent of kosher marshmallows roasting mingling with the burning wood, the soft sounds of nature and drifting voices of the other groups, the shining of the stars in the newly darkened sky, all came together to send one message: welcome home.

The sun rose this morning onto a changed Ranch Camp – even before the first camper set foot onto the property, the air hummed with a new energy. This day has been anticipated for many months, by hundreds of people. For some of these campers, this is their first time back to camp in a year – for others, the break has been longer, and on the other end of the spectrum, many campers are joining the Ranch Camp community for the first time. But whether this is a camper’s first year or eighth, each and every one shared in the excitement that was nearly palpable in the air as Ranch Camp’s principal inhabitants finally made their way to camp.

Some came by bus, others by car, drives ranging from an hour to an interstate trip. Others waited for the first sign of camp with bated breath on the drive from the airport. So many different journeys, one common destination. Sand crunched under tires as the cars and buses made their way up the main road, the promise of summer spilling into reality as camp grew alive with shouted greetings and energetic introductions. Campers converged into groups as the members of their cabins finally arrived. Though the units they inhabit – Chalutzim, Metapsim, and Toshavim – may be divided by age, the campers are anything but separated, each age group like a sibling to the others as they all came together into the first song circle of the session. Though traditionally sung in the evenings, the Ranch Camp Song closed the circle perfectly with lyrics that resonated with everyone, the sky truly the “bluest here,” the colors truly “alive with joy.”

The rest of the afternoon, fueled by a delicious summertime lunch, showed no decrease in enthusiasm. The gleeful shouts of campers echoed between buildings as the cabins checked in at the Mir Pa’ah (or infirmary), chose their riding boots at the corral, received their Ranch Camp t-shirts, and posed for cabin photos. In between, they played games and settled into their cabins, quickly developing friendships with the people they will spend the next two weeks with.

Dinner was readily anticipated, fresh and filling, fuel for the one last activity of the night: Bombardier. Though a fairly new activity, this evening program has swiftly become a Ranch Camp tradition. A combination of trivia, tag, and teambuilding, Bombardier has something for everyone, a fact that was evident with the smiling faces of every camper who ran past. Cabins work as teams, running from trivia station to trivia station to answer questions while trying to avoid the “bombardiers,” or staff members dressed in costume. If “bopped” by a bombardier, each cabin would complete a teambuilding activity, laughs ricocheting around the playing area as campers raced to remember facts about each other or compose a rap about their new friends. Though many of the campers may have felt like strangers to one another just this morning, the opposite was true as the evening came to a close, those both returning and new heading off to bed with a full heart and peaceful mind, knowing that they are in a place where they belong.

Summer has finally begun. JCC Ranch Camp is a place free from the stressors that members of the community may be experiencing in the outside world. Here, kids aren’t graded on their artwork. They run for fun, not because it’s a gym requirement. Friendships blossom without the social pressures that may be placed on them by schoolmates. No matter what may be going on in a camper’s life, they can come here knowing that those things will not follow them, and here, they will be nothing but accepted for who they are. This is a place of new beginnings, and today was a beginning for the books. From the moment the gates opened to the first song circle, from the afternoon’s activities to each cabin’s bedtime ritual, a sense of community was felt by all, something that can only grow stronger as the session continues. The energy in the air that was present this morning will carry every member of the Ranch Camp community through these next two weeks, two weeks that will be full of moments and memories of what may very well be the best summer that camp has seen yet.

Dear Ranch Camp Community, I hope you will share my pride as I present an excerpt from an exciting press release that went out on March 26.

A transformational gift of $2 million has been designated by Don Sturm and the Sturm Family to JCC Ranch Camp, an overnight camp in Elbert, Colo. This extremely generous gift will support renovations to meaningfully enhance the camper experience. The updates will also improve facilities to support off-season rentals for meetings, business retreats, weddings, and other social events.

“Summer camp can be a foundational and transformational experience for kids; an opportunity to grow individually and connect with peers while building skills and enjoying the outdoors” said Donald L. Sturm, Chairman of ANB Bank. “Our goal is to make Ranch Camp stand out as a top tier overnight camp, where children from all over the country can experience outdoor education and activities through a Jewish lens. We’ve honed in on the capital projects that will enhance the camper experience, encourage personal growth and build community amongst the campers.”

Exciting updates at the JCC Ranch Camp include:

• A new ropes course and zip line
• A modernized center of camp with seating and play areas
• Shade structures for the soccer field and pavilion
• Both new and renovated bathhouses

I am beside myself with gratitude for this opportunity. We are moving rapidly forward with several projects that support Mr. Sturm’s goal of seeing Ranch Camp as a “top-tier” overnight camp. I believe that our program is excellent; I look forward to seeing the quality our facilities rise to the level of our program.

Noah Gallagher, Camp Director

Among the most interesting statistics gleaned from our 2018 survey was that 33% of our campers come from a home with one parent that does not identify as Jewish. This is the third highest percentage of interfaith families among the 73 residential Jewish camps participating in the survey. From my perspective, this is an extremely encouraging figure. It tells me that we are succeeding in creating an inclusive Jewish community.

How are we able to do this so well, and what does it look like?

Ranch Camp is not affiliated with a single denomination of Judaism. We have families from across a wide spectrum of observance. We keep a Kosher kitchen. We are not obligated to use a Sidur (prayer book) produced by the Reform or Conservative movements. Our Sidur is the Ranch Camp Sidur. It is constantly evolving to include songs and prayers that have become meaningful to our community as we experiment with new elements. This makes for Shabbat services that are participatory, engaging, and enjoyable for every participant, regardless of their background or familiarity.

Over the course of Summer 2018, we went through a process of turning over the majority of our service to our campers to lead. Campers brought elements from their families and communities. They shared personal stories that added dimension and reflection. I knew we had come to an important part in this evolution when campers began inviting staff members to the bimah. Anyone who attended a Kabbalat Shabbat during our third session will tell you that the experience was truly meaningful. I have described it as “transcendent,” and among the most significant Jewish experiences I have ever had with my family.

Campers are drawn to Ranch Camp because we have a great site, great programs, and a strong reputation. They might come for the horses, or the pool, or to accompany a friend or sibling or cousin. When they return home, and they are asked about their favorite things at camp, they are more than likely to include “Shabbat,” because Ranch Camp Shabbat is unique, special, and it belongs to each one of them, regardless of their background.

Shabbat Shalom, Ranch Camp.

As you are getting your kids ready for camp we know that questions will start arise. Here are some of the most Frequently Asked Questions we have received in the past month about camp! If you have more questions, be sure to let us know.

 

Does Ranch Camp provide Bar/Bat Mitzvah Support?
We can provide Bar and Bat Mitzvah support at camp. A trained staff member will meet with campers twice during their session, reviewing any study material that they have brought with them to camp and making sure that they stay on-track in their studies while at camp. Personal music devices can be used for their and will be kept in the office.

 

How do you celebrate summer birthdays?
At Ranch Camp, each birthday is a special day. We have our own way of celebrating within our camp community including birthday treats for the cabin and a camp wide birthday celebration. We encourage parents to send packages with decorations and/or party favors for the cabin to help celebrate. The very best birthday packages can be enjoyed by everyone in the bunk!

 

How do bunkmate requests work?
We will do our very best to accommodate everyone. However, due to various cabin sizes, we cannot guarantee bunking requests. You can request bunkmates in your camper applications. We try to honor old friendships, encourage new ones, and create a community in which all can be happy. If you have a particular concern, please email us or call our office.

 

Will you do laundry for campers during the session?
Campers’ laundry will be done once during full sessions. No laundry will be done during Mini Sessions or Baktanna and limited laundry will be offered to TASC, Pack n’ Ride and Teen Village due to their shortened time onsite. All laundry is done on the premises by a trained staff member.

 

Can my child bring their phone/music device/tablet to camp?
Ranch Camp is a screen free environment. We believe strongly in giving our campers an opportunity to connect in person to their peers, staff, and nature without the use of technology. Any electronics that are brought to camp will be kept safe in the office until the end of the session.

Siena Yeh, a second grader at Cole Elementary, wrote a beautiful article (below) regarding her first summer at Ranch Camp. This article was then published in her school’s newspaper! Hmm…do we have a budding journalist in our midst?

Thank you so much for your sweet words, Siena. We’re so happy that you have enjoyed (and are looking forward to) your summers at the Ranch.

“It all started when I packed everything I could to get ready for an awesome sleepaway camp called “Ranch camp.” I packed t-shirts, shorts, pants, long-sleeves, and so on. I felt nervous about camp because it was my first time being away from home at sleepaway camp. Some kids, like me, had “mini camp”. Mini camp is that you get to stay at camp for two (2) weeks.The full session is when you stay at camp for three weeks (3). I was very nervous but excited to go. One of the things that made it easier to go was that my cousins were there, too.

At Ranch Camp, we stayed in cabins with about ten kids, and we slept in bunk beds. There were counselors for each cabin, and SITs (Staff in Training).  I got to have free time, and sat in my cabin and read my letters that I got. I did a swimming test so that the counselors that were testing me to see if I could swim freely, or if I needed a little help. I did the test good! And we got to do horseback riding, and paint on their backs with chalk, then give them a bath and brush their fur. It was fun. Last but not least: THE ROPES COURSE! It looks like a bunch of ropes. They were hanging and I could climb on them. There was a rockwall, a zipline, and something called a ‘moonwalk’ (a bunch of ropes secured on sturdy poles and you walk on them with your hands holding one rope, and your feet walking on a tightrope.) It was so much fun! Another fun thing at camp was Ranch Camp Idol. Each cabin got to compete by dancing to a song that their cabin selected. Ranch Camp Idol was held in a place called “The Mo” where we also had art and music. My favorite part of sleepaway camp was all of the friends there! It was so much easier to make friends than I imagined!

I’m very excited to go back to Ranch Camp this summer, and will stay for the full session. I want to go back again because it was so much fun, and I want to see my friends again.”

In January, we received an email from a parent asking us to consider adding an additional choice for gender on our application. I responded by saying that there should be an additional choice, and that, for three years now, I have been requesting this from the company that makes the program we use (CampMinder).

I took the opportunity to share with this family more about the approach we take towards gender inclusion at Ranch Camp, including several of the programmatic shifts we have implemented over the past three summers. As I was writing, it occurred to me that these are things I want everyone in the Ranch Camp Community to know.

I am proud of the efforts we have made towards non-binary gender inclusion. Until 2016, age units at Ranch Camp were divided into boys’ units and girls’ units. Campers of different genders rarely attended programs together, with the exception of all-camp events and evening programs.

Now, what was once “boys’ village” and “girls’ village” are now “North Village” and “South Village.” Units are grouped by grade. Except for cabin programs, activities are gender-inclusive.

Since 2016, our staff members have completed a training in gender inclusion, for which we brought in the best people we could find. Last Summer, that training was designed and implemented by our Program Director, a trans man who has delivered a similar program to a national audience of camp professionals.

Last summer, a camper came out to his bunk as transgender. It was an ongoing conversation with the child’s parents since he started attending Ranch Camp. After three summers in girls’ bunks, he will now be in a boys’ bunk for 2019. I’m so very proud that Ranch has become a place for people to find themselves in this way.

We have just received the go-ahead to move forward with a capital improvement project for which the first item on the agenda is to have bath and shower rooms in each village that are divided into boys, girls, and a third for family and gender nonconforming campers, staff, and guests. Villages will then be split by age.

Camp Tawonga in CA is offering a gender-neutral bunk option this summer. When they made the announcement, I was proud to be among a community of Jewish camps that are applauding their initiative.

This was a long way of saying that it is not OK that, among the first questions in our application, is one that immediately compromises our vision for an uncompromisingly inclusive community.

CampMinder is working on the issue, which is more complicated than it might seem, because the coding is based significantly on a binary gender system. In a discussion thread on this topic, one camp professional put it this way: it takes a longtime to undo all of the binary-ness in the system. Which is a pretty perfect metaphor for society at large, I suppose…

Shalom u’vracha,

Noah

Session 3, Day 18

Ranch Camp is a place rich with tradition, many of which are songs that are sung on all different occasions. One of the most treasured songs is Joni Mitchell’s “Circle Game,” the melody and dance immediately familiar to anyone who has spent a session here. This song, usually present at every closing campfire, was especially meaningful to the community today. As the song tells the story of a young boy moving through the circles of his life, another circle of Ranch Camp has come to a close.

It’s been nearly two months since the front gate first swung open to accept the first session of campers for the summer. These months have been full of perfect moments, each day a living entity in the minds of those who experienced them, each hour full of meaning, each minute another opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive.

Now, the last session of campers is getting ready to leave, and not long after them, the staff will as well. Soon, the camp will be empty, and though other groups will be able to take advantage of the beautiful property throughout the year, an essential element of camp will be missing.

But this is not yet the case. The community awoke this morning with excitement and energy to begin the day, the last full day of camp. After the customary walk-in breakfast of Shabbat, the camp gathered in the North Village commons to begin Saturday services. The weather was warm and sunny, a welcome respite from the recent storms, and spirits were high as everyone filed down the stone-lined pathway to Eddie’s corner. The services were some of the most energetic we’ve had yet, spirituality nearly tangible in the air as the entire camp’s voice rose in prayer together for the last time.

It is another Ranch Camp tradition to call up certain groups of people to read the blessing over the Torah during that part of the service. The last reading today was an especially important reading, as it contained the Sh’ma and the V’ahavta. The entire camp stood to read the blessing together, arms around each other and twined around the benches so that everyone was connected. It was another perfect moment, everyone held together physically and spiritually, the knowledge that we stand not just as a community, but as a family, at the forefront of everyone’s minds.

The majority of the day was dedicated to packing, each cabin working together to help out friends and clean the bunks for the next group that will come through the property. As night began to fall, everyone joined once more together by the campfire. The setting sun left the air feeling cold, but hearts were warm as the camp cozied around the fire, snuggled in sleeping bags and blankets. The heat of the fire pushed the chill from everyone’s minds as songs were sung, stories told, and slideshows watched. The open sky faded to black as the community reminisced about the weeks past and the family that was built around the experiences. Everyone, from the newest campers to the longest-standing staff members, has grown in ways that they never thought possible, their responsibility to their community at the forefront of their minds, the hope that they can change the world for the better budding in their hearts.

It won’t be long until morning, when the campers will gather the last of their belongings, and the camp will gather in the commons to say goodbye, together as a group one last time. Everyone will board the buses, and return to their lives outside of camp. But gathered around the campfire, that time seemed so far away. Arms around each other, circled tightly around the fire, the words “Olam Chesed” drifted up from everyone’s lips. At that moment, that song was not just a song, but a promise. It was a promise to their friends and their family, to their community, to Ranch Camp, and themselves. A promise to take what was learned at Ranch Camp and teach it to the rest of the world, to apply it to the rest of their lives, and to exist as their best selves no matter where they go.

Even the most fortunate only get to spend a few weeks at Ranch Camp, a few weeks to have those life-changing experiences. But if everyone takes what they do here and bring it with them when they leave, the Ranch Camp spirit will live on even when camp is not in session, and this indescribable community will encompass its members all over the world – and that is the most any of us could hope for.