The year was 2004: Ashlee Simpson was at the top of the Billboard Music Charts, George W. Bush was entering his second term as President of the United States of America, and the world was introduced to a new word, “Fetch.” It was also the year of Gesher 2004, the newest participating group in the annual Yom Bogrei Ramah, an alumni day at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, featuring alumni from Gesher years ’64, ’69, ’74, ’79, 84, ’89, ’94, ’99 and ’04. With the largest cohort represented at this year’s alumni reunion, Laura and I couldn’t have been more excited to share in the energy and passion for Ramah on our second stop of the Reshet Road Trip at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires.

Gesher 2004 at Yom Bogrei Ramah!

As nearly 100 Ramah Berkshires alumni, friends, and family gathered for an afternoon of reminiscing and reconnecting, Laura and I were able to hear amazing stories from summers past as alumni shared their powerful Ramah experiences. After some inspiring words from the Ramah Berkshires Alumni Association President Lani Kustanowitz and Rabbi Paul Resnick, Laura and I shared some exciting Reshet Ramah initiatives with the Berkshires alumni, who expressed both delight and encouragement about our new projects. Once the formal program was over, members of Gesher 2004 met with the current group from Gesher 2014 to share what life is like after camp, and the pivotal role that Ramah plays in sustaining lifelong friendships, encouraging Jewish values and leadership, and fostering professional skills. It was so powerful to see how even 10 years out of camp, the Ramah experience is one that lasts a lifetime.

Multi-generational Ramah family, the Edelmans, at Yom Bogrei Ramah.

After Yom Bogrei Ramah, Laura and I met with B-Side Staff (the older half of camp) who shared some insights into how to better expand the Reshet program to more cities, asked questions about partnerships between Ramah and other Jewish organizations, and encouraged us to explore new opportunities for alumni still in the college network. We continued this conversation with the A-Side Staff (the younger half of camp) with a late-night snack of pretzels and icing (a camp classic) in the Beit Am Aleph, where we were told that our emails are both informative and interesting (score one for marketing!)

B-Side Tzevet in their awesome Reshet gear!

After a wonderful night’s sleep, thanks to “camp time’s” extra hour of rest, we joined in on the Hanhalla meeting, where we discussed exciting leadership opportunities in more cities across North America, the Reshet Ramah job board, and other unique employment opportunities within the Ramah movement. The continued support from Ramah’s future leaders continued to inspire us, as their commitment and dedication to a Jewish life outside of the camp community is evident.

We concluded our visit to Berkshires with a tzevet meeting with edat ha’Nitzanim (rising fifth graders), who gave us positive feedback on our existing programs. Thanks to the amazing tzevet from Ramah Berkshires, we feel so excited and energized for upcoming camp visits, as they confirmed to us the importance of Reshet Ramah in their lives.

The next stop on our Reshet Road Trip? Ramah New England! Make sure to follow our adventures on social media with the hashtag #reshetroadtrip.