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Tonight at our Seder tables, we will sing Dayenu: “It would have been enough.” The simple reading of this part of the Hagadah is that it really would have been enough just to leave Egypt, or just to receive the Torah at Mount Sinai. However, the reality is that without each event outlined in the Hagadah, we would not be the Jewish people we are today.

So, what do we mean by Dayenu?  Dayenu reminds us that numerous events, actions, and people contributed to our journey to the Holy Land. Furthermore, Dayenu insists that we cannot just be grateful for the end result – we must also pause, understand, and express gratitude for each individual step along the way.

Ramah in the Rockies has come so far since our opening season, and we are so grateful for the community that has helped us get to where we are today. Over the last nine summers, we have grown from 120 chalutzim (campers) and 33 tzevet (staff) to a community of over 500 people. It is you, our extended community, who have helped us spread the word about the magic of Jewish summer camp, and we are so excited to announce that in Summer 2018 we will be welcoming more than 100 new chalutzim to Ramah in the Rockies!

From summer to summer we have improved and expanded our program using the feedback shared by camp families, and with the resources provided by our generous donors.  Every year, our tzevet give their all to our machane (camp), forming connections with their chalutzim and facilitating the programs and masa’ot (backcountry excursions) that become lifelong memories. The Ramah in the Rockies ranch has become a second home to many, and we are so proud and thankful for the progress we have made together.

Dayenu reminds us that change happens gradually over time.  Each summer, it is the little actions that have the greatest impact, bringing us closer to being a kind of “Holy Land,”  – a place where every individual feels welcomed and empowered! Though we cannot know what Ramah in the Rockies will look like ten, twenty, or fifty years from today, we feel confident that our trajectory of growth and improvement will pave the way for a bright future. We are grateful for the new traditions we have yet to establish, the buildings yet to be constructed, and for the chalutzim and tzevet yet to walk through our doors.

To our chalutzim, families, donors, and tzevet, we say ‘Dayenu.’  Dayenu that we are in the place we are today, and Dayenu that we will be in an even better place in the future.

Wishing you a Passover filled with gratitude,

Julia Snyder
Program Director