We have so much to be grateful for!

Sunday November 28, 2021/24 Kislev 5782

With Thanksgiving behind us and Hanukkah starting tonight, I’ve been reflecting on all the things we have to be grateful for!

1) The new chadar ochel with a permanent roof. We can gather our whole camp under one roof, and do not have to worry about floods each time it rains.

2) The views of the Prospector. Year after year, those mountains inspire me and remind me about how small we are compared with the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains.

3) The smell of the pine trees. Some of us experience them as vanilla, some as butterscotch. Stopping to smell the trees is not an every day thing during much of the year, yet is something I do daily at the ranch.

4) The clean, crisp and dry air of the rocky mountains. Living without air conditioning, and not feeling like one even needs it, is an amazing experience each summer.

5) The sounds of happy young voices emanating from the ohel (tent) area during free time. It’s the campers and staff who make Ramah the special place it is. Nothing is more rich than hearing happy banter among friends who are enjoying themselves in our community.

6) The way that campers and staff celebrate failure at camp.

7) Masa

8) The stars at night. Lying outside on a starry night, staring up at the stars, never gets old! Each time I look at the night sky at camp, I think of God’s promise to Abraham that he would be the father of a nation as numerous as the stars in the sky. We, at Ramah in the Rockies, are living that promise day in and day out.
Thank you for being a part of our Kehillah Kedosha! Happy Hanukkah.

-Rabbi Eliav