Ramah - Lishma

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Lishma is an extraordinary Jewish learning experience: an intensive, 4-week, summer yeshiva for young adult Jews (18-25) located on the site of beautiful Camp Ramah in California. Lishmaniks live among the orange groves in the beautiful Lishma house, engage in traditional Jewish study and prayer, do weekly social action projects, and hear lectures from prominent rabbis and scholars throughout the summer. Lishmaniks also enjoy the recreation facilities of Camp Ramah, including an Olympic sized pool, tennis and basketball courts, art, ceramics, hiking and more. Other highlights include a weekend camping trip, as well as ongoing spiritual mentoring. The Lishma staff is drawn from the prestigeous Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at American Jewish University .

TRADITIONAL STUDY, PRAYER AND OBSERVANCE

The foundation of traditional Jewish study is learning with a partner (hevruta). At Lishma you engage with your partner, the scholar-in-residence, and fellow Lishma participants in the study of ancient and modern texts in Hebrew and English to discover their deeper meaning. The Beit Midrash (house of study) is the core of Lishma, giving participants the tools to explore Jewish texts and make them their own. Just as learning in done in community, Lishma participants will daven (pray) together in a daily minyan, as well as in spirited shabbat services, that allow those experienced in Jewish prayer to lead, and learners to grow into davening at their own pace. There are also ample opportunities to develop one's own spiritual practice davening alone on the beautiful Camp Ramah grounds.

Leadership Training

With learning comes the responsibility to lead and teach others. During the evenings, renowned scholars and rabbis will talk about issues facing the Jewish community and the world, and will teach leadership skills through lecture, film and improvisation.

Social Action

Judaism teaches us that our actions should be reflections of our learning, thus, we spend one day a week outside of camp engaged in a tikkun olam activity (repairing the world). In giving what is needed, whether to the elderly, homeless, or to the environment, we find that we receive at least as much as we give. On these days spend outside of Camp Ramah in California's grounds, we explore Jewish bookstores and kosher restaurants in Los Angeles.

Practical Halakhah (Jewish Law)

While living in an observant Conservative setting, you study the halakhic basis of Jewish practice. You explore the observance of Shabbat, kashrut and prayer, learning the foundation of Jewish law, as well as its practical application.

Spiritual Mentoring

During your stay at camp, you have the opportunity to meet with Lishma staff to discuss your personal and spiritual questions. During your private mentoring sessions, you integrate the Jewish history, legal concepts and ethical values that you learn in the program with the ways you live your life outside of Lishma.

Life at Camp

Lishma is the only summer yeshiva for beginner learners located in a camp setting in the entire world! This affords our participants a unique blend of experiences: kosher food, the peace and rest of shabbat at camp, a beautiful house in Ramah's orange groves, mixed with traditional prayer, study and community building in the Lishma program, and stirred with the natural beauty, sports and recreation facillities, and atmosphere of summer camp.

How Can I Learn More About Lishma?
To receive more information about Lishma:

Call: 1-888-CAMP-RAMAH or (310) 476-8571
Fax: (310) 472-3810
Write: Lishma
Camp Ramah in California
15600 Mulholland Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90077-1599
E-mail: lishma@ramah.org

Lishma Brochure

Summer Camping