The staff at Ramah lies at the heart of the Ramah spirit. All staff members are carefully selected for their maturity, creativity, Jewish background, and sense of responsibility. All are required to attend both a pre-camp training and orientation program as well as ongoing education and training sessions throughout the summer. Our counselors, specialists, teachers, and rabbis, most of whom were themselves Ramah campers, bring a variety of backgrounds to the Ramah experience.

Below are a number of documents for staff members who have already worked at Camp Ramah in California and are interested in joining the 2011 staff, as well as information on great leadership opportunities for returning staff members.  Candidates interested in our staff training programs for entering high school seniors should visit our Mador/Madrega page, and all other prospective candidates should visit our page for new staff.  The documents that follow are available in Adobe .pdf format. If clicking on the documents below does not bring the document up, you may obtain the .pdf reader at no charge from here.  The following items for Summer 2012 will be available in November.

Summer Staff Job Descriptions

Returning Staff Application Packet (MUST READ!)

Returning Staff Application - click here!

I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification)

W-4 Form

Kayitz '12 Staff Leadership Opportunities

Each year Camp Ramah in California provides opportunities for staff to further strengthen their leadership skills through involvement in summer planing, participating in off-season professional development seminars and increased responsibilities over the summer.  Below is information on a variety of such opportunities.  Be sure to read carefully for goals and eligibility requirements. 

Jewish Education Stipend

In efforts to promote Jewish learning amongst our staff, Camp Ramah in California is proud to offer staff returning to the 2011 summer the opportunity to obtain up to $200 towards courses in Judaic studies or Hebrew language.

Eligibility: 1) Returning staff 2) high school graduates 2) college-level course work

Stipend Amount: Up to $200

To secure this stipend please submit a copy of your personalized schedule of classes or transcript for approval before camp begins to Amy Mendelsohn.

Cornerstone Fellowship Program

Camp Ramah in California has been selected to participate in a distinguished fellowship program for our senior-most counselors sponsored by the Foundation for Jewish Camp and funded by AviChai.  The Cornerstone Fellows help Ramah strengthen the Jewish culture of camp through attendance at a national professional development seminar, identifying special programmatic goals for the upcoming season, participating as leaders in staff training and implementing change based on goals set at the seminar.  In the end, Cornerstone Fellows:

• Take on a senior, mentoring position at camp over the summer
• Commit to an all-expense paid trip to a seminar from May 21 - 24, 2012 in Pennsylvania
• Obtain an excellent distinction for their resumes
• Earn a stipend on top of their base salary

Eligibility:

1. Madrichim returning to camp for at least their 3rd year as a madrich
2. Current college sophomores (or the equivalent age)
3. Individuals whose prior work was judged to be excellent and exemplary to others
4. Qualified by virtue of a strong Judaic background, skills and interests

Stipend: $350

Final confirmation on this Fellowship is currently pending selection as a participating camp by the Foundation for Jewish Camp. 

Daber Fellowship Program

Hebrew language is a core value of the Ramah community, and a unique opportunity has been created for staff members at Ramah camps across North America interested in taking the lead with this value.  Join the second ever cohort of Daber Fellows and strengthen the use of Hebrew at Camp Ramah!

The Avi Chai Foundation has provided generous funding to the National Ramah Commission in an effort to strengthen the use of Hebrew language at Ramah camps.  Fellows will participate in training sessions during the year through online study, conference calls and a four-day training institute held May 20 - 24, 2012 at Ramah Darom in Georgia.  The institute is a fabulous opportuinty for Ramah staff members throughout the Ramah camping movement to learn, share ideas and begin to focus on Hebrew language programming for the 2012 summer.  All expenses for the training and travel will be covered by Ramah and Daber Fellows receive a stipend on top of their regular salary upon completion of the summer requirements. 

Eligiblity requirements:

1. Commit to integrating Hebrew language into their work and promoting Hebrew throughout camp
2. Embody basic skills Hebrew language
3. Have at least one year of experience working at Camp Ramah in California
4. Receive a stipend and a distinguished credit to place on their resume

Stipend: $350

If you are interested in participating in this wonderful venture please apply by January 12, 2012.  Applicants can soon down load the application packet here.  Questions?  Contact Amy Mendelsohn, Program Coordinator.

Rakazei T'fillah (T'fillah Coordinators)

T'fillah is part of the daily program at Camp Ramah in California, and staff work hard to teach campers the mechanics and meaning of t'fillah, while also finding a spiritual connection to this core mitzvah ... a tall order!  We are searching for a cohort or skilled staff members to help ensure that t'fillot are positive and engaging.   These positions are for staff members who are confident in obth their own t'fillah skills and their ability to help madrichim and chanichim grow as shlichei tzibur.  Specific responsibilities may include:

• Lead t'fillot on occasion
• Prepare other madrichim and chanichim to lead daily t'fillot
• Coordinate the Torah service
• Prepare leaders for t'fillot during Kabbalat Shabbat
• Provide resources to darshanim as needed on the meaning of t'fillah
• Help integrate special rituals/occasions into t'fillot as their arise (ex: Rosh Chodesh, Tisha b'Av, etc.) 

Eligibility: Returning staff who embody solid leadership skills in t'fillah

Stipend: $200

Rakazei T'fillah will be required to do a small amount of preparation work before Staff Week, and to meet regularly with our Rosh T'fillah.  Applications must be submitted by March 1, 2012 and are available online by clicking here.

Shira Boot Camp

Do you look forward to singing in the Chadar Ochel? Alon Benyamin?  Well, get ready for the 1st Shira Boot Camp.  This year, Ramah CA will partner with the Jewish Rocker himself—Rick Recht.   We will send a cohort to a Shira Book Camp training in February.  If  you are interested in learning how to be a song leader and to teach chanichim all about Ramah music - this is the perfect  leadership opportunity! Most Boot Campers will bring  revived ruach to shira while also serving as madrichim or moomchim (you need not be a full time member of Tzevet Musica).

Stipend: $200 for veteran staff

If you are interested in this leadership opportunity please notify Amy Mendelsohn by January 1, 2012!  Spaces are limited for this once in a lifetime opportunity! 

Vad Yom Meyuchad

Join our pre-season planning through a “hands-on” Pre-Summer Vad (committee!  The Vad will meet 3-5 times throughout the year in person or through conference calls.  Members will produce written materials on their programmatic ideas and see that the ideas through at camp.

Vad Yom Meyuchad  - Let’s bring the "meyuchad" (special) back into Yom Meyuchad.  We all love Tuesday’s in camp and this year we would like to see this Vad create a campwide Yom Meyuchad for Kayitz 2012. DISCLAIMER: Thinking caps and creative “out-of-the-box thinking” is a must for this year’s vad!

Stipend: $200 stipend for general staff, $300 stipend for senior staff. 

Interested in joining?  Space is limited, so contact Amy Mendelsohn ASAP.