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April 14, 2022 | 13 Nissan 5782

This year, as we prepare for our seders, we are thinking about numbers: eight days of Passover, four cups of wine, three matzot, and one Elijah’s cup. We think about the two years that have passed since we began living with COVID–the fear, the illness, the losses, the adjustments, and the growth. We are thinking about our numbers for camp too: the numbers of campers, staff, and animals. We think about the lives we are going to impact, the vehicles needed to transport them, and the final funds we need to raise to make our budget:


$100,000 Cost to install a second solar array at camp and bring our year round waste-water system off the grid

Seed starts growing in Beit Kesher

$20,400 The increased cost of rental vehicles from summer 2021 to 2022 (a ~40% increase Y/Y)

1080 Rolls of toilet paper ordered so far for the summer 

360 Seed starts growing under blue lights in Beit Kesher that we will eventually plant in our greenhouse and garden

300 New transliterated siddurim designed for our masa program

220  Maximum number of campers on site at any one time during the summer 

100  New Friday night siddurim ordered to replace our moldy ones

62 Days until we welcome our first chalutzim back to the chava (ranch)

30 Number of states from which our campers come

20 International staff (excluding Israelis) coming to work at camp to support the maintenance, hospitality and kitchen teams.

14 Horses coming to Ramah in the Rockies 

10 Additional space for campers in kayitz 2022

5 Old growth trees removed last month by the electric company to prevent them from falling on power lines as part of their fire mitigation efforts

4 Additional staff members we hope to hire for kayitz 2022

3 Raised beds we will build to begin our new kitchen garden (ultimately growing to 10+ over the next few years)

1 Camper coming from each of the following states: Montana, Missouri, Indiana, Wyoming 

0 Dogs currently planning to be with us at camp for the whole summer (help us “adopt” a calm kid-friendly camp dog this summer!)

Chag Sameach! Happy Passover

This year, as we prepare for our seders, we are thinking about numbers: eight days of Passover, four cups of wine, three matzot, and one Elijah’s cup. We think about the year that has passed since we last gathered around the  seder table. We remember the hundreds of thousands who have died, the millions of students who have had to adjust to limited or remote  schooling and the untold numbers of people who were ill with COVID. Thankfully, we can now think about the millions more who have been vaccinated and the tens of thousands of children preparing to return to their Jewish summer camps. Here is a look at some of our own numbers at Ramah in the Rockies: 


Solar panels on our new Mirpa’ah

15,674 Pounds of CO2 saved due to the highly efficient solar arrays on our new Mirpa’ah (Health Center). We hope to raise funds to build two more arrays in the coming years.

14,000 Gallons of waste water we can process and return to the Denver water drinking supply each day in our expanded wastewater treatment plant

The front entrance of our new Chadar Ochel

4,953  Square footage of the  new dining hall we are ready to open this summer 

1,071  Square footage of our new covered dining patio

200  Maximum number of campers on site at any one time during the summer 

84  Days until we welcome our first chalutzim back to the chava (ranch)

60  Number of new Kelty  backpacks we plan to purchase for 2021

One of the chicks at DJDS

26 Chicks incubated and raised by The Denver Jewish Day School until they move to camp in June to lay eggs for our community all summer (Only the hens are invited to camp, the roosters will likely end up on someone’s dinner plate; how many of each is TBD)

20 Number of picnic tables we are purchasing for 2021 to allow for more outdoor meetings and activities.

16 horses coming to Ramah in the Rockies 

4 Additional camper tents we will construct to enable us to accommodate our community this summer

3 Raised beds we will build to begin our new kitchen garden (ultimately growing to 10+ over the next few years)

2 Additional space for campers in kayitz 2021

1 New garden and nature center opening this summer

0 Dogs currently planning to be with us at camp for the whole summer (help us “adopt” a calm kid-friendly camp dog this summer!)

To our Ramah in the Rockies kehillah kedosha,

This year, as we prepare for our seders, we are thinking about numbers. We are thinking of the traditional Passover numbers – the eight days of Passover, four cups of wine, three matzot, and one Elijah’s cup. We are also thinking about the tragic numbers linked to the pandemic we are all living through – the number of people who have fallen ill with COVID-19, those who have recovered, and those who have tragically succumbed to the disease. We are thinking about the millions who are now unemployed and the devastating economic toll this virus is taking on families, businesses, and non-profits alike. With this in mind, we offer the following look inside our organization as we prepare for our 11th kayitz and the possibility that we will need to alter our summer plans based on the trajectory of the virus.

Ramah in the Rockies by the Numbers:

$890,000

Cost of opening our expanded Waster Water Treatment
plant in 2020 – bringing our total to $1.6 million spent
on our existing waste-water infrastructure for the chava.

$105,000

Need-based financial assistance awarded – thank you to our generous donors.

9,000

Gallons of drinking water available in our year-round water storage tank at any one time.

500+

Number of chalutzim and tzevet who call our kehillah kedosha home each summer.

70

Days until Kayitz 2020 is scheduled to begin!

43

JOLI chalutzim registered for 2020 – our most ever!

30+

Number of chalutzim who will receive their 5th-year shirts this kayitz.

28

Number of different states from which chalutzim are coming in 2020.

25

New masa tents purchased.

24

Days until we will make an announcement about our summer schedule

23

Ta’am Ramah (Taste of Ramah) chalutzim currently registered for 2020.

21

Horses under contract to come to camp – from two different herds!

16

Beds in our new Mirpa’ah (Health & Wellness Center).

12

New bikes purchased for Ilanot & Metaylim chalutzim.

5

Stalls in the new bathrooms across from the Chadar Ochel (Dining Hall).

3

The number of raised beds to be built in our kitchen’s new garden.

1

New Mercaz Gan-Teva (Garden and Nature Center opening this kayitz).

0

Dogs currently planning to be with us at camp for the whole summer.
Help us “adopt” a calm, kid-friendly camp dog this summer!

Today marks 65 days until we welcome our first chalutzim (campers) to the chava (ranch).  Just as we reflect on the various numbers mentioned during the seder – 3 matzot, 4 sons, and 10 plagues – I want to share some of the key numbers we think about as we prepare for summer.   

Happy Passover from Ramah in the Rockies
Chag Sameach! Happy Passover!

27,000 Gallons of clean drinking water available at any moment in our four above-ground tanks

6,065   Gallons of wastewater influent flowing daily into our system (Ever wonder how much is from showers versus flushing toilets?)

363      Campers currently registered for Kayitz 2019

105      Staff members working at camp this summer

104      Campers coming to Ramah in the Rockies for the first time!

70        Masa’ot (excursions) going out over four masa weeks (or 17-18masa’ot per week!!!)

40        New mountain bikes ordered

35        More campers we hope to enroll before opening day

20        Israeli mishlachat (emissary) staff joining our mishpacha (family)

18        Hens laying eggs at camp this summer

12        12-passenger vans on site at any one time during the summer

9.1       Acre feet of water owned by Ramah in the Rockies, of which we use .22 annually.  (Under the laws governing water use in the west, we need to build a pond by 2024 to access the unused amount or lose almost all of it.)

3          New primitive campsites being built

2          Dogs of camp living with us this summer – Welcome, Murphy and DovBer!

1          Camper coming from each of these states this summer:  Louisiana, Tennessee, North Carolina, Utah, Wyoming, Kansas, and Alabama

!!!חג שמח

– Rabbi Eliav and the Ramah in the Rockies Team

Throughout the Passover season, we have a chance to take stock of our numbers. These numbers tell our story: the four cups of wine, three matzot, two seders, and one afikomen. In the Pesach spirit, we want to reflect on some of the key numbers that tell the story of Ramah in the Rockies!

476,169

Dollar amount spent razing the burned 
lodge building and restoring the land

30,000

Number of eggs we will consume 
throughout this summer at camp

900

Tons of dirt needed to smooth over 
the site of the burned lodge building
Read more about construction at camp!

720

Gallons of organic milk donated by 
Aurora Dairy throughout the summer

500

 Number of chickens donated to 
camp for our Sunday barbecue

123

Campers spending their first summer 
at Ramah in the Rockies in 2018

65

Number of masa’ot (excursions) 
we have planned for Summer 2018

40

Spaces available for campers who still 
want to join us on the ranch next summer!
Click here to register today!

26

Number of horses at camp – many 
are returning camper favorites!

7

Dogs living on site this summer that 
belong to our senior staff members 

6

Number of edot (age groups) at camp this 
summer (up from 5 in summers past!)
Learn more about the different edot!

3

 
NEW snack stations around the ranch, 

stocked with yummy, healthy options

1

  Temporary Chadar Ochel (dining tent) 
where our whole camp will eat together

0

Spaces left in Sayarim, our brand 
new edah for Rising 10th Graders
Click here for more info about Sayarim!

 

Happy Passover – חג כשר ושמח

As we prepare for the Seder where we will gather and drink four cups of wine, ask four questions and sing אחד מי יודע “Who Knows One,” we wanted to stop and consider some of the numbers that will be guiding us this summer at Ramah in the Rockies.

-Rabbi Eliav

10,000 Milestone of nights slept out under the Colorado stars on camping trips, which we will pass this summer
6,250 Gallons of sewage that can be treated daily in our new sewage treatment plant, and then is put back into the stream, as clean water, to be drunk by Denver Water customers from Cheesman Reservoir
460 Number of campers registered for this summer
162
Campers having their FIRST summer on the
chava [ranch]
100 Tzevet members excited to share the magic of summer in the Rockies with our campers
58 Days of camp-The LONGEST SUMMER SEASON of Any Jewish Camp in North America!
26 Horses coming to “work” at camp this summer
20 Additional campers we hope to enroll before opening day
12 Campers from the State of Texas
10 Showers in the new bath-house that is set to open on June 1, 2016
3 New tents we are building this summer to accommodate our growing community
2 Milking goats expected to come to camp this summer
1 Registered Camper coming from each of these places: Indiana, Maine, Nevada, Virginia, Saskatoon, Idaho and from the Philippines, China, and England